Steve

Thanks for clarifying your approach.

You describe a  great deal of listening and reading practice for learners ­
how to you work on speaking and writing ?



From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>
Reply-To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:53:48 -0700
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4675] Re: learnerempowerment

To learn a language does not mean passing multiple choice tests nor studying
vocab lists. I do not think I have suggested that anywhere. It means
learning to communicate in a language.This requires a broad based
acquisition of the words, phrases and patterns of a language. This is best
done, in my view, by listening to and reading content of interest, natural
and, if possible authentic, not learner language (although this is not
always achievable), and at a level that the learner finds just a little bit
difficult. 

I do not believe you can teach what to say at work, nor at the doctor's
office etc. There are no shortcuts. If the learner can achieve a certain
degree of confidence in the language, he/she will quickly learn how to deal
with those specific scenarios.

In learning the language, and interacting in the language, it is not
possible not to learn about the culture. The greater the degree of
interaction, the more one learns.

So Michael, I would begin teaching newcomer immigrants by letting them
listen to stories, simple stories. Perhaps these would be stories of other
immigrants, written by the immigrants, and corrected by a native speaker
teacher, and then recorded by the native speaker teacher. I would help them
read these texts and learn the words and phrases. As soon as they feel
confident enough to ask
for other kinds of content, I would try to accommodate them.

I would ask them to listen on their MP3 players as much as they can, and to
try to reduce their exposure to their native language , so that the brain
has a chance to develop an ability to handle English. I would tell them that
their own attitude and commitment is the most important factor in their
success in learning English.

Steve


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


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