Steve

I wonder if we're overlooking some of the considerations around purposes of
learning language.

I listened to your blog post about critical thinking and one thing that
occurred to me then, and occurs to me here is the fact that adults have all
sorts of reasons for wanting ­ and needing ­ to learn language, which is
where some of the parallels between learning to sing and learning to
communicate might not be as helpful.

If I'm wanting to learn, say, Chinese, so I might try to follow the Olympics
on a web cast, or if I want to learn Italian, to understand an opera, it's
very different than trying to learn either of those two languages in order
to communicate effectively in areas where those languages are spoken.

I wonder if this might tie (tangentially) into Jackie's last question about
learner involvement, and how learners' determined needs and goals might have
some bearing on this whole consideration of critical thinking?

Janet



From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>
Reply-To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:10:17 -0700
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2287] Re: Whatdo
wemeanbystudentinvolvement and critical thinking?

Janet,

I think that the activities of a language learner, and the attitude of a
language learner, are quite similar to those of someone learning to sing.
First one has to listen and get used to the sounds and rhythm. And one has
to find a way to enjoy the learning process. For a more complete description
of my view of language learning you can look at my article
<http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/the-three-stages-of-language-fluency/>
which appeared on Pickthebrain.com today.

Steve
On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 6:05 AM, Janet Isserlis <Janet_Isserlis at brown.edu>
wrote:

> Steve and all

> 

> I don't think you're saying that English learning should be like music

> appreciation ­ that one can enjoy either (language or music) with no basis of

> prior expectation, concepts or assumptions?  That the language or the music

> will just be heard and appreciated?

> 

> Surely, part of the language learning process involves

> receiving/hearing/taking in.  But for learning to occur, active processes of

> meaning-making have to happen.

> 

> In order to learn, to make meaning, there needs to be some basis of prior

> understanding, of a world view, yes, of assumptions.  The critical thinking

> part (in the target language, in this case English) may, for some, be merely a

> matter of learning the words to translate thoughts from a first language into

> English).  For others, it's a process of asking questions, weighing options,

> learning more about possibilities and consequences.

> 

> Janet

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>

> Reply-To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

> <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:43:00 -0700

> 

> 

> 

>> > I am of the opinion that beginner ESL learners should be allowed to listen

>> to the language and try to enjoy it, with little requirement to state what

>> their assumptions are on anything.

> 

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-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com <http://www.lingq.com>
1-604-922-8514

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