I felt like this chapter was a lot of review of key terms and theories from prior readings. I really liked the structure of the text and its branches. I found myself wondering about the inclusion of the work of Prator, seeing as he was Wong's professor. I realize that professors and students can share common research interests, but I wonder about her biases in including his work in her book. That being said, I found his approach to be a little theory (taking two areas of study (psychology and linguistics)) and a lot of common sense (adding in an element of teaching goals/aims). As teachers shouldn't we be considering this on a regular basis? Do we really need another theory to tell us to consider our teaching goals and objectives?
The chapter includes many different approaches and shifts in thinking about language learning. As I read these I began to think about my own experiences learning languages. The natural approach I found particularly interesting. Specifically, I liked the fact that learners can have "silent periods" during which they don't speak. This was definitely not the way my language classes have been. From day one of my Japanese class, I was expected to participate in pronunciation exercises and reciting greetings and goodbyes. While the natural approach may seem great in theory, it doesn't seem practical in a classroom setting where time is limited. Learners don't get the privilege of absorbing the sounds of the language before being expected to start producing on their own.
I've also been thinking about a few ideas for my final project. I found that as I read this chapter from Wong a few points really interested me. Her discussion about how native English speakers are not likely to learn a second or third language, using the metaphor of English being a one-way door. She also mentioned the idea of English becoming (more likely already is) a world language. I'm considering studying this concept for my final project. Including, possibly, the question of where the "power" of English came from.
That would be a very interesting topic for the final project. I was wondering the same thing as I read this chapter. I do not understand completely why English is becoming the world power. Perhaps because the U.S. and the U.K. are both world powers and both speak English? I would be really interested in seeing what you find on this topic. I also agreed with the quote about how English is a one-way door. The expectations of Americans for everyone else to know English, but then for the majority of Americans to be monolingual is a bit arrogant I think. In regards to the second paragraph, I agree that it does not seem practical to produce sounds that you have never heard. That is why the silent period can be vital to a child's learning. This period to absorb before producing is a logical and needed stepping stone in language acquisition.
ReplyDeleteI really like your post and agree with most of what you said. I also didn't really think about whether Wong's perspectives might be biased as she was one of Prator's students. However, I do have to disagree with you when you say that as teachers shouldn't we be asking these questions on a regular basis. Although, it seems as you do, and I applaud you for that, I think that there are still many teachers who haven't taken approaches such as these to teaching-- There are still teachers who are focused on teaching through one approach that may not be accommodating to the student. Teachers need to be flexible and creative in teaching strategies so that every student is able to comprehend and learn.
ReplyDelete