ON TEACHING/LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Alexandra Draughan
February 7, 2006
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate my understanding and support of teaching and learning theory, strategies, and methods. Due to the abundance of research based language learning and teaching theories, teaching approaches, and methods it is often overwhelming to know exactly what theories or strategies I would definitely or definitely not use in the classroom. Each theory or strategy seems to exhibit various benefits that could aid at least a portion of students based on particular learning strengths they possess. It has become obvious to me that lessons should be designed around the developmental level of the student, in a social and meaningful way, in the most immersive setting possible (appropriate maximum input), in a way that would facilitate binding and long term memory processing. My intent is to give my personal impressions and reflections regardingthe following research based theories and approaches that I consider useful in the classroom spanning second language acquisition theory and critic, and the social element of language acquisition.
Second Language Acquisition Theoryexplains how individuals learn language, whether it is a first or second language, according to a natural pattern (varying from one syllable and one word utterances, to phrases and sentences). This theory has profoundly impacted teaching methods and student assessment. L2 acquisition theory building on Chomsky’s performance vs. “communicative competence” has led educators to consider the receiving and sending of meaningful information (communicative competence) in the target language of more value than the ability to match words from one language to another (performance).
Second Language Acquisition theory has greatly affected views regarding the traditional Grammar-Translation Method frequently used in the foreign language classroom. Although Grammar-Translation Method is easiest for teachers, requiring students to translate lists of vocabulary words and sentences into English, this approach causes students to continually rely on translation from the target language to the first language in order to find meaning rather than recognizing and creating meaningful structures naturally in the target language.
Use of the Direct Method is a way for students to learn grammar more naturally, without translation. Students are taught about the language in the language, and translation is not allowed. The phenomenal amount of input students receive through the Direct Method has positive affects according to Krashen’s Monitor hypothesis which states that students need at least 180 hours of comprehensible input in order to produce language output. Another benefit of using the Direct Method is that a students’ first language will be less likely to interfere with the second language as they make meaningful connections about language rules or patterns through use of the target language (interlanguage theory).
While it is clear that second language acquisition is the ultimate goal in the classroom, it is often difficult to provide the concrete feedback to principles and parents that a grammar translation method test would bring. However the ACTFL proficiency guidelines provide a general overview of how a student’s communicative competence should manifest itself at different levels of language acquisition throughout the learning process. While each individual is always learning and becoming more proficient in language(s) it is sometimes difficult to evaluate performance according to a specific standard since each individual is developing his or her own linguistic system. ACTFL proficiency guidelines provide general proficiency levels in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, since these are all part of language and meaningful communication.
While I believe that Second Language Acquisition Theory is credible, it is important to note a valid critique of this natural approach as seen in the theory regarding variability in performance. While this theory admits that automatic processes that come from natural language acquisition are crucial, it cites that there are many communicative situations that require controlled processing of information. Indeed the many levels of social discourse are made up of rules taught and enforce by parents upon their children. In such instances as these, controlled language processing is used in the first language and can also be useful and necessary in the second language as well. Interactional competence theory divides relevant discussion management into four key elements that at times require a level of control or language awareness. These are 1) opening utterances, 2) ellipsis, 3) lexicon, 4) expressive reactions, questions, explanations, or extensions, and transitions. It is important for students to know that, just as they have learned that it is acceptable to speak differently in varying social contexts in their first language, the second language is also negotiable in different contexts.
The social element surrounding the controlled or automatic use of language is very important. When students are not comfortable in the classroom environment, however, their ability to use automatic or controlled communication is inhibited. Community Language Learning is a method used by teachers to help students feel more comfortable and less threatened during learning. A social approach used here includes understanding that students are also individuals with their own intellects, feelings, etc. This approach feeds off of the affect and motivation theory that students come to class with their own levels of motivation and anxiety and that they have distinct personalities. Second Language Acquisition theory also deems important the social element of affect in the classroom environment.
Vygostky’ssociocultural theoryexplores further the social nature of language stating that linguistic, cognitive, and social development is socioculturally constructed. The social element aids meaning and provides motivation for language learners as they negotiate meaning in order to communicate with one anther. Vygostky explains how teachers can use scaffolding to build upon students’ proficiency when they take advantage of what is called the zone of proximal development (ZDP). The teacher uses what the student is able to do and aids the student in tasks just above actual performance in order to aid students’ actual achievement of previously potential performance. One way of working with students at their level of proficiency is not to use language output to determine input comprehension. One way to evaluate comprehension without requiring too much of students is by using Total Physical Response (TPR). This methodfollows the natural model of Second Language Acquisition theory as the teacher commands students to do an activity and the student responds by doing the activity, showing comprehension of input. Later when students have enough comprehensible input and are able to respond with the language then expecting answers from the student at his or her level is appropriate.
In my class I intend to design activities that foster binding of target language meaning in long term memory through an immersion setting in which students are being communicated to using language that they understand as well as other words they are not familiar with that have inferred meaning based upon the context. Communication covers three of the seven foreign language goals in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. When students are taught in a way in which they acquire meaning language to communicate they can meet these standards.
While it is natural for me to agree with that which research claims to be true, I am sure that I will not be certain of the effects of these theories and methods until I have tried them out in my own classroom. Before discovery of these theories and methods I thought I would teach in the same way that I learned—grammar translational method. Now I know that there are many other ways to teacher in order for students to acquire language rather than simply learning to read and write and decode from one language to another. I have now found second language acquisition theory necessary for the benefit of language acquisition for students. I appreciate the research and findings pertaining to the above theories and methods which I believe will be useful. I intend to carefully employ these in my own teaching because I believe they will be the most effective and productive for meeting the goal of second language acquisition.