I do not agree. From my reading, experience and observation, the language
learning process depends mostly on the brain, and how the brain learns. We
may have to learn different patterns for different languages, characters and
tones in Chinese, declensions and conjugations inflected languages, articles
in English and not in many other languages, etc. but the process by which
the brain learns things is essentially the same. It is a biological
function.

We may also have preferences. Some people like to read, others to speak and
others to listen, and yet others to analyze grammar. But I am quite
convinced that the process of learning is the same, and the closer we follow
the natural learning process of the brain, the better we will learn.

Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 2:53 PM, Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net>wrote:


> Actually, we don't all learn language the same way--it depends on the

> language.

> Andrea

>

> On Jan 26, 2009, at 3:35 PM, Steve Kaufmann wrote:

>

> My readings of the most recent research on how the brain, includingSpitzer<http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Learning/Manfred-Spitzer/e/9780080446981>

> suggests that we do all learn more or less the same way, and we learn a

> second language more or less the same way as the first, although we have new

> knowledge and certain habits that help and hinder us.

>

> I think that immigrants to the United States needs  to be able to

> understand what people are saying. Learning a few phrases may be a short

> term band-aid solution, but input based learning will get them to reasonable

> fluency a lot faster than formal instruction. In that I agree with Krashen.

>

> I think we need to take a hard look at the ESL teaching model for learners

> of all levels of literacy in their own language. For people with limited

> literacy in their own language the challenges are even greater, but I doubt

> that a form-based, grammar heavy approach would work with these people.

>

> Steve Kaufmann

> www.lingq.com

>

> On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 12:24 PM, Joan <owlhouse at wwt.net> wrote:

>

>>  I do not believe that all people acquire language in the same way -

>> perhaps we all acquire our first language in a similar manner, but not

>> additional languages.  I'm sure there are many people - one a good friend of

>> mine - who do learn a language best by listening to it.  A friend of mine

>> spent an entire year in Mexico just listening to the language before she

>> ever opened her mouth to speak but, when she did, she was speaking fluently.

>>

>> That, however, would never be my preferred method of acquiring a

>> language.  I think it's a mistake to assume that spending all of your time

>> listening to a new language is going to satisfy EVERYBODY.  Research also

>> shows that we all have a preferred learning style, and that must also be

>> respected during the language learning process.

>>

>> But more importantly, for adult immigrants and refugees living in the

>> United States - they simply do not have the luxury of learning by

>> listening.  They have to speak to meet their survival needs.  They have to

>> know how to ask for things and get around in the world.

>>

>>

>> ----- Original Message -----

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

>> *To:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

>> *Sent:* Monday, January 26, 2009 1:59 PM

>> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 3567] Re: Working withlearners with

>> limitedliteracy - posted for Martha Bigelow

>>

>> I attach a recent letter from Stephen Krashen to a newspaper in Korea. My

>> question is why try to teach beginner learners to speak English, when

>> research suggests they are better off to remain silent until they have

>> listened to, and possible read, a lot of the language.

>>

>> Steve Kaufmann

>> www.lingq.com

>>

>>

>>

>> Sent to the Korea Times, Jan 23, 2009

>>

>> A better path to English

>>

>> Korea is making a very serious mistake in emphasizing speaking in

>> English class ("Speaking to get more weight in English class," Jan

>> 21). Research done over the last three decades has shown that we

>> acquire language by understanding what we hear and read. The ability

>> to produce language is the result of language acquisition, not the

>> cause.

>>

>> Forcing students to speak English will not improve their ability to

>> speak English. The best way to improve speaking is therefore to

>> increase the amount of comprehensible listening and reading that

>> students do, and the easiest and most cost-effective way to make this

>> happen is to develop libraries of interesting and comprehensible

>> English books and recordings to supplement English class. Setting up

>> libraries would be far more efficient than bringing in expensive

>> foreign teachers and setting up English camps.

>>

>> I hope policy-makers will consult the extensive research on second

>> language acquisition, some done by Korean scholars, and consider

>> easier, better and less costly ways of improving English in Korea.

>>

>> Stephen Krashen

>>

>>

>>

>> ------------------------------

>>

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>

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