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[EnglishLanguage 3581] Re: Working withlearners with limitedliteracy - posted for Martha Bigelow
Andrea Wilder
andreawilder at comcast.netMon Jan 26 17:53:33 EST 2009
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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, including
> Spitzer 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
> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
> 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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