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#Post#: 18050--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: SHL Date: July 15, 2019, 4:00 pm
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Susan,
I’ll have a look at your coursera.org site. It sounds
interesting.
I looked at a lot of Chomsky’s videos, and from what I can tell,
he never really had anything to say about how adults learn 2nd
languages. If you have a link to an article or YouTube clip of
his discussing his theories on adult language learning, I’d be
really interested in seeing it.
What Chomsky, as a Professor of Linguistics at MIT, spent most
of his time studying, was language acquisition by children. The
use of the word “acquisition” is critical, because, as he said,
“no one teaches you your first language.” Well, he’s right about
that.
My understanding is he posited that there existed a “language
acquisition device” in the human brain, which was switched on in
childhood. It causes children to learn their first language at
an amazing pace, with no instruction, and language acquisition
is just simply a part of human growth, as he called it. But, he
never really said when this language acquisition device gets
switched off or what happens to it as one matures. We know
something happens to it, but no one really knows what.
Apparently, the big debate all started in the 1950s between him
and BF Skinner, at Harvard, who thought children learned
language though positive reinforcement. If they learned how to
say “cookie” , for instance, they got a cookie. Chomsky wrote a
paper criticizing Skinner, and essentially saying Skinner didn’t
know what he was talking about. Well, the truth was that
Skinner’s theories has zero science behind them, zero studies,
nothing. He just invented his ideas. Yes, Skinner didn’t know
what he was talking about. It was total nonsense.
Chomsky pointed out that the language skills and vocabulary a
child has in his first language, by the age of 10, would be
literally impossible to acquire under Skinner’s theories.
Totally impossible, because Skinner’s ideas would have made
acquisition of a language by a child of that age to that level
of fluency and precision impossible.
But to my knowledge, Chomsky never commented on adult language
acquisition.
Have you ever heard of any of his ideas on this, or even if he
had any?
#Post#: 18053--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Susan Date: July 15, 2019, 6:39 pm
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In reviewing back over the course to remember what it was they
said about Chomsky, it was that he noted that people produce
language that has never been produced before, and that
behaviorist approaches simply could not explain the fact that we
say things that have never been said before. It looks like
although Chomsky was mentioned as a prominent linguistic
researcher at this time, he was actually a critic, not a
proponent of what many of the behaviorist cognitive scientistist
were saying and their implications. The behaviorist were
looking at learning strategies and how to best reinforce
behaviors.
The course says that this theory of second language acquisition
really wasn´t a classroom approach, but all the work on
learning stategies and reinforcement influenced the teaching in
the 1960s.
#Post#: 18056--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Susan Date: July 15, 2019, 7:02 pm
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The 6th theory in the course is what they call ¨the Affective
Humanist Approach.¨ These were changes in the classroom that
were popular at the end of the sixties and the early seventies.
The teachers point out that it appeared to be partly backlash
against the cognitive approach, which addressed only the mental
aspects of language learning and that it corresponded with the
culture in universities of those days (the time of the hippies).
The Affective Humanistic approach emphasized feelings and
focused on the value of human beings. (I believe the same thing
was going on in psychology-- the backlash against behaviorist
approaches with newer ¨humanistic psychology¨ approaches.) The
approach emphasized being respectful of why someone wanted to
learn a language. It was popular to add the use of music and
musical instruments in language learning. The teachers were
encouraged to decorate their rooms and make it a place where
students could relax and enjoy. They sometimes used movement
and dance, colorful pictures, and dramatizations that included
costumes.
Two of the approaches mentioned within this are ¨the Silent Way¨
and ¨de-suggestopedia.¨ I saw some videos on ¨the Silent Way¨
and read the book by it´s founder. I found it fascinating. In
that approach, the teacher does very little talking and avoids
modeling for the students what to do. It is hard to describe.
So here are a couple of videos.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlL_rcRY5cQ
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAGpCRGqudc
Another thing that was important in this approach is the idea of
the affective filter-- how negative emotions can hinder language
acquisition and techniques to combat that by making the student
more relaxed and comfortable. A major emphasis was to help
students overcome their fears of language learning through a
positive environment.
Using food in the classroom activities became common. Giving
students a new name became common. What they called ¨multiple
concerts¨ multiple passes through a dialog or reading material,
using different experiences like music or different activities
was developed in this approach. Dramatization was often used.
As I reflected over this I realized that my two different high
school German teachers both did a lot of this. We had our
German names. We had a German club and cooked before and after
school. We put on a performance of Hansel and Gretal in German.
#Post#: 18092--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Nikola Date: July 16, 2019, 5:10 pm
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Thanks for posting the videos, Susan. I've never heard of this
approach or philosophy even, although I can see from the
psycholinguistic point of view where she's coming from. Things
like this make you rethink your own way of looking at teaching
and learning. I might have to think about it for a bit. I would
agree about the importance of truth and talking about real
things, which is why I've never been a fan of being given a new
name (with the exception of sign language because
finger-spelling is annoying and having a name sign makes life
easier) or translating names. My students often translate
people's names into English. They say "my husband's name is
John" and I say "look, that's not really his name, is it? Maybe
you were taught that using a Czech word in an English sentence
is 'improper' but if you meet someone in real life, they'll
think that it really is your husband's name. Then they'll say
'John' and he won't turn around because he's Honza." And it's
the same with Czech dishes. They ask "how do I say
svíčková?" and I say "You say svíčková. Either they
know it because they've been here or you'll have to explain what
it is. It's no good saying something that's a bit like it just
because they know it."
So I think that in a way, the lady in the video goes one step
further in the Affective Humanistic Approach than the approach
itself the way it was described in the course. There's something
I don't like about it, though. I'll need to think about what
exactly it is and then write a bit more about it. In any case,
thank you for sharing this. Oh, by the way, I've also started
The Brain and Space course (Duke University) on Coursera. I'll
let you know how it's going.
#Post#: 18096--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Susan Date: July 16, 2019, 5:50 pm
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Here is a video that shows a class lesson with the teacher using
the Silent Way. The teacher is teaching a lesson on the
different pronunciation of ¨the¨ and describing things in space.
I thought this was interesting. He first goes over the two
ways ¨the¨ can be pronounced, and then part of the lesson where
the students really start interacting more starts at 2:20-
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqLzbLCpack
I learned about the Silent Way when I was helping partners with
the pronunciation of English. Here are the materials offered
for teaching pronunciation the Silent Way.
(I know that sounds ridiculous-- so ironic- Pronunciation the
Silent Way?)
HTML https://www.pronunciationscience.com/materials/
#Post#: 18108--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Alharacas Date: July 17, 2019, 5:24 am
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I'm sorry I haven't commented on this thread for a while. I have
been reading, though, both your comments, and the transcripts on
coursera. (Bit long-winded for my taste, but then I'm not known
for my patience - one of the things which make me such an
utterly crappy teacher, sigh.)
Nikola, I don't know whether that's what you don't like about
the Silent Way, but it seems to me you'd need your students -
ALL of them! - to approach language classes the way they'd
approach psychotherapy, wouldn't you? And looking back, among
the hundreds of students I had in Spain, yes, there were a few
this would have worked with, but also lots who would have hated
that. Particularly when I was teaching in this rural area, where
everybody knew everybody else and their family. Many people
don't like baring their soul, even to the extent where they
simply don't like to admit they spent a boring weekend, watching
TV and gorging themselves on chocolates, do they?
Obviously, I'm talking about classrooms here, whether adults or
children/teenagers.
Which brings me to the problem I have with all of those
approaches and theories - they all seem so very much "one size
fits all". Both as to people and as to languages/cultures.
I keep thinking back to the books I had to use - perhaps I
should explain that I had to prepare students for their
Cambridge exams (all levels, in theory; in practice, FCE was the
highest I got, fortunately). And at first glance, those books do
seem to at least try to incorporate a little of everything -
drills ("controlled speaking practice"), grammar, reading,
listening, music, pronunciation, and students speaking about
themselves. However, I always felt - and so did my students,
sometimes acutely so - that really, speaking and understanding
spoken English/listening should have been emphazised a lot more.
(Keeping in mind that what with all the required vocabulary and
grammar structures, there is very little wriggle room for the
teacher.)
Considering how resistant* my Spanish students were, on the
whole, to even trying for English pronunciation on the one hand,
and how much they disliked reading on the other, I often felt
teaching ought to have been 90% pronunciation/speaking, and 10%
reading/grammar, instead of the other way around.
*I don't know whether this might be different in other parts of
Spain, but where I used to teach, it means instant social death
if you're not a foreigner and pronounce "Diana" as anything but
"Deeyana" or "John" as anything but "Yonn", however famous they
may be. Saying "Charles, Prince of Wales" instead of "Carlos, el
príncipe de Gales" is considered beyond affected.
I found out about this quite late, and never figured out how to
get around it.
#Post#: 18173--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Susan Date: July 18, 2019, 8:07 pm
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The seventh approach addressed in the course is ¨The
Comprehension Approach¨ which they say are based on the research
and writings of Stephen Krashen. It also includes the teachings
of James J. Asher. Asher is the developer of a teaching method
called ¨Total Physical Response.¨
The Comprehension Approach endorses a ¨silent period¨ when there
is little expectation for the student to speak. The emphasis is
on the teacher providing ¨comprehensible input¨ and giving
learners time to understand the language before requiring the
students to speak. It assumes that second language learning is
similar to first language learning and the ¨silent period¨
corresponds to the long period where children do little or no
speaking. It also emphasizes the affective filter, believing
lowering students inhibitions by not pressuring them to speak
lowers their level of anxiety. There is also the expectation
that a student with a joy of learning and exploring will learn
faster.
This approach also recommends using only the target language in
the classroom. There are many similarities to the Direct
Approach. Teachers often use visual aids, props, gestures,
observable actions etc. It is believed that what the students
already know should be used and input just above their current
level of understanding should be taught, combining things they
already know with gestures, props, etc, to help them learn more.
One technique used in this approach is role-reversal. When
students have some readiness to speak they give commands to
other students and the teacher.
The Comprehension Approach reportedly is still quite commonly
used in English as a Second Language classrooms.
#Post#: 18220--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Nikola Date: July 19, 2019, 1:02 pm
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[quote author=Alharacas link=topic=1193.msg18108#msg18108
date=1563359040]
Nikola, I don't know whether that's what you don't like about
the Silent Way, but it seems to me you'd need your students -
ALL of them! - to approach language classes the way they'd
approach psychotherapy, wouldn't you? And looking back, among
the hundreds of students I had in Spain, yes, there were a few
this would have worked with, but also lots who would have hated
that. Particularly when I was teaching in this rural area, where
everybody knew everybody else and their family. Many people
don't like baring their soul, even to the extent where they
simply don't like to admit they spent a boring weekend, watching
TV and gorging themselves on chocolates, do they?
Obviously, I'm talking about classrooms here, whether adults or
children/teenagers.[/quote]
That's definitely one thing I'm not sure about. I used to hate
talking about my family and private life in front of the whole
class so I don't blame anyone who feels the same way. Also, the
teacher would never talk about herself. It felt a bit like "I'm
too grown-up and important to tell you anything about myself but
you have to tell me all about yourself". And even if you do open
up, how much of what you need to learn in your target language
will come up? If you're having a conversation with a teacher or
a classmate, as genuine as it may be, all it prepares you for is
having a conversation with a teacher or a classmate. It won't
teach you to express yourself when you call an ambulance, order
food at the restaurant or help someone who's lost.
That brings me to another concern and that's no mention of
listening. If we say it's about expressing yourself rather than
communication, there's suddenly something missing from the
equation, unless you want to spend the rest of your life
performing Shakespearean monologues. If she pays attention to
the processes involved in saying something, it would only make
sense to also explore the other end, comprehension. One thing I
noticed in the last video (even though I quite liked it and
thought they all looked very engaged), was that they weren't
listening to each other. They weren't particularly listening to
the teacher, either. I can see this method work with two or
three students and I would still encourage them to listen to
each other. That's the end of my rant. Apart from that, I like
how it approaches improving the productive skills but I agree
with Alharacas that not every setting is ideal for that. Or
maybe if school became less of a horrible place that would help.
#Post#: 18222--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Irena Date: July 19, 2019, 1:37 pm
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I think it borders on rude to ask students about their family,
friends, etc. in a classroom setting. Some people have sh!tty
families, some people have no family, and some simply don't want
to talk about it. Sure, some students would love to talk about
their families. But others have parents who are in the midst of
a bitter divorce (or if students are adults themselves, you
might have a student who's in the middle of a bitter divorce
him/herself, and for all you know, that student may well have
signed up for language classes in order to get his/her mind off
such depressing matters).
So anyway. Just no.
#Post#: 18227--------------------------------------------------
Re: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
By: Susan Date: July 19, 2019, 8:51 pm
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The 8th and final approach described in the course is called
¨the Communication Approach.¨ They said it became prominent in
the eighties, around the same time as the Comprehension
Approach. It is a very, very broad approach in which teachers
have a lot of freedom and can incorporate aspects of any of the
other approaches. What they say defines the approach is the
belief that the goal of language learning is communication and
to connect people through language. Teachers generally try to
select activities that promote communication and use carefully
planned activities and games adapted to the level of their
students. An emphasis is placed on seeking ¨authentic
materials¨ to make the learning as close to the real world as
possible, such as using a real menu or weather report.
A criticism of the approach is that it can include almost
anything because it is so broad and does not have clear
boundaries. (To me this sounded a lot like what we call being
¨an eclectic therapist¨ in my profession-- the professional
hopefully knows at least several approaches and techniques and
adapts with whatever they think might be useful for a particular
client. But the ¨eclectic¨ really tells you almost nothing
about what their therapy might look like.)
The teacher might use any activity that gets students
communicating but especially might us 1) authentic materials
2) Activities with communication cues, such as dialogs in which
the word order is mixed up and the students need to put them in
the proper order 3) language games where students have to
communicate with each other in the target language, 3) the
Information Gap type of activities where students have to share
information, and 4) role plays where students act out things,
for example, act out being customers or waiters in a restaurant.
The use of videos and websites have also become common in this
approach more recently.
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