Steve

I'm really confused.

To address your comments:



>  I like to explore the language and culture myself, and ask about things that

interest me. I have had the experience of teachers telling me about things they
think are important in their culture, like some summer festival, or other aspect
of the culture. Usually these things are of no interest to me at all.

And it's lamentable that your teacher didn't ask you about your interests.
Part of what some of us are trying to explain is that we try to make
language learning an interactive and dialogic process.  I don't wish to
impose any views on learners, but wish to use their interests and needs to
inform the kinds of information/reading/speaking/activities I bring to
classes.


> I do not place much stock in socio-linguistics, which I consider just another

distraction from the task of helping learners acquire a language.

Ah.  So, there's a big big thing right there ­ for some of us, the social
context is key to the task of helping learners learn language.  NOT imposing
values, NOT to manipulate, but rather ‹ as others have amply described ­ to
help people understand the ways in which language is used to negotiate
meaning in different contexts.  This includes gesture, stance, all the bits
and pieces of communication that can help or hinder making meaning in
another language.


> Among the  most popular items in our library at LIngQ are Dr. Laura's radio

programs. I do not  necessarily share her views on things. I once got a
complaint form one of our gay learners so I assume she is rather conservative.
The point is that it is not for me to change the social or political views of
our learners. 
agreed.  I'd wonder why LingQ participants enjoy ­ or don't enjoy ­ the
radio programs.  I'm guessing you have a linguistic intention behind making
them available, not in sharing Dr. Laura's views.  I hope.



> If I have a learner from Saudi Arabia who does not think women should drive,

or that we should not vote for legislators because laws come from Allah, I am
not going to try to persuade him to apply critical thinking to his religious
beliefs. I may discuss the point but only to force him to use the language to
defend his views. I would not tell him what I really think of his religious
views. I would certainly not bother him with my views about lobbyists in
Washington.

fine. don't.  But I'd hope you'd let him know about what it is that
lobbyists do ­ what is the role of lobbying in the US?  Are the equivalent
things in Canada? elsewhere?


> I would not, Bonnie, tell French language students that the French are rude,

or similar personal views. I would focus on helping them find things of interest
to read and listen to about the country and region they were planning to visit.

Can't speak for Bonnie, but I'm guessing she may have suggested to English
speakers learning French that some response might seem abrupt to American
English speakers.


> Janet, the attitude of the learner toward the language, and the proximity of

the learner's language to the language being studied, are more important than
distinctions between EFL and ESL. I find appalling the degree to which people on
this listserve, and other language teachers I have come across, are focused on
matters that have little to do with language learning. I hang around this
listserve to try to stimulate a little critical thinking, in the hope that some
people might challenge the prevailing orthodoxy.

 I can speak to this.  Good point ­ I don't want to over generalize EFL/ESL
distinctions .  People have different attitudes towards languages.  I would
suggest that if I study French because I want to read Camus, but don't ever
plan to go to France, my attitude towards and interest in contemporary
French usage might be different to my learning French to go work in Nice.
What some might suggest is appalling is your dismissal of our interest in
contextualizing learning; similarly it would be appalling for us to suggest
the LingQ isn't a worthwhile undertaking either.

Each set of approaches has its place in supporting language learning.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090730/0222c134/attachment.html