what happened in class

Stephanie and Brian had their turn to present. They had a fun SpongeBob game for us to play. Somehow we also ended up watching Monty Python. The focus of the class was on the differences in behaviorist, interactionist, and innatist theories.

We also discussed SIOP: Content-based or sheltered instruction where English is used to teach other subjects without focusing on the English language. I had some experience with this in Mexico. My students had American textbooks for Science. Some people in class said they didn't think this was particularly helpful, and that students might understand less or be less motivated this way. However, someone said it's easier to learn in a content-based situation when you already have some knowledge of the subject in your own language. I felt this was true with my Mexican students. When we started a new topic that I thought might be difficult for them to comprehend (volume and mass, for example), they really didn't have any trouble with it at all because they had already had been exposed to the material in Spanish. It was a review for them- they learned the same thing over again, but this time with English as vehicle for learning.

I can see the other point of view on content-based learning too. I once took a language course where the instructor played a tape from an opera for us. Nobody (except for the instructor) had any background with or interest in opera, and the students were therefore not motivated to engage in discussion about it. This was a class where students were supposed to be discussing different topics in the target language. In order for this to work, the topic needed to have some relevance to the students. Unfortunately, this instructor did not recognize that this topic would fall flat. I think content-based learning can be used successfully, but that some thought needs to be put into it.

reading reflections

I found it interesting when the authors said that a learner who uses "buyed" instead of "bought" possibly has a better understanding of the language than one who just memorized "bought". The person who says "buyed" is aware of past tense rules for regular verbs, and unknowingly applies them to an irregular verb. I think this makes sense that forming the word "buyed" requires more grammatical knowledge. The learner is obviously familiar with other past tense verbs, and assumes that "buy" works the same way.
I also found it interesting that learners who have different native tongues struggle with learning English at different stages. The book talked about how common mistakes by French learners tend to occur at a certain stage. A German might not make those mistakes, but the German might make a completely different mistake at another stage. This has to do with the learners using their knowledge of their own language, and assuming that it can be used similarly in English.
I think everyone has, at some point, heard a non-native speaker form a sentence where the word order was incorrect. I know I've done this with other languages, when I assumed I could say something just the way I would in English. L & S gives plenty of examples of this.

Week 4: there is no spoon

Thea gave her presentation today, and encouraged people to talk about their experiences with bilingualism. She mentioned that attempting to speak a second language can cause anxiety in some people. We also learned that Thea does not believe in innatism, and compares it to science fiction.

Chris commented on experiences he had where he was too tired to produce the target language. This is something I have also experienced, especially when jetlagged. It was also discussed how a language learner's affective filter can be lowered by consuming modest amounts of alcohol. With the affective filter lowered, learners have an easier time expressing themselves.

I think anxiety definitely has an effect on whether or not a learner is going to speak. If you're afraid that you're going to make a mistake and look silly, then you're more likely to keep quiet. If you feel relaxed and unjudged by the people you're talking to, you'll have more confidence. This will allow you to attempt communication and to make progress in language learning.

Week 3: what happened in class

We discussed the week's readings in class. Chris and Veronika gave their oral presentation. They used Powerpoint slides to explain many different types of methods and approaches mentioned in the reading. Not only that, but they also engaged the class in a discussion about the pros and cons of learning from a native or non-native speaker, and got the class thinking.

We later got into teams and sorted out pieces of paper to match a teaching method with its definition. I found this very interesting because the date (1800, 1970, etc.) of the method was given, and I liked being able to see the changes in ideas over time. I liked having the information spread out in front of me like that. We then discussed as a class what went where to make sure everyone had the same answer.

Later on, in the library, we had fun setting up our blogs and coming up with topics for the multi-genre research paper.

Week 3: Methods and Approaches

The assigned readings for this week dealt with different approaches to teaching a second language. The MCM readings dealt more with communicative competence, what it is, and how to use it in the classroom (or even outside it). The HDB readings introduced us to different methods of teaching languages throughout the centuries. It gave explanations of each method, who developed it, and also its criticisms. It worked its way up to modern methods, such as CLT (communicative language teaching). Both books went into detail about how a communicative approach to language teaching is preferred now. MCM talked more about ways to use this approach, and HDB gave more of a definition.

While the communicative approach is stressed now, that has not always been the case. I have been in classrooms where it seemed the Grammar Translation Method was still being used. The way those instructors taught the language is not what teachers are being told to do now. Today, we are being told it is best to teach in the target language, and that meaning is more important than form.

I think it is good to know what other ideas/approaches/methods are out there, and to draw your own conclusions about them. While the Grammar Translation Method may not have been the best way to learn a language, I can't say that I didn't learn anything at all when I was taught this way.

this is only a test

This is a test. This is only a test. I have never blogged before. But I guess I have now.