The Linguist - language learning should be fun

Rosetta sure is pulling in the awards.

It’s been a big week for Rosetta Stone.

Earlier this week, the language-learning software company’s CEO, Tom Adams, was named Executive of the Year at the 7th Annual American Business Awards.

Adams has been with the company since 2003. The company went public in April, raising $112.5 million during its IPO.

In addition, the company has announced that its Classroom Version 3 won an American Educational Publisher’s Distinguished Achievement Award. It won the award for its English as a Second Language (ESL)/ English Language Learner (ELL) curriculum for high school students.

“It is a great privilege to be recognized for the excellence of our ESL instruction,” Adams said in a statement. “As the face of America changes and grows more multicultural, Rosetta Stone Classroom is proud to give teachers the tools to do what they do best and provide ESL students around the country with the opportunity to unlock their natural language ability.”

Any kinesthetic language learners out there?

Does this apply to language learning?

 

THE KINESTHETIC LEARNER LEARNS BEST BY DOING.

1. Study in short blocks of time rather than extended periods.
   

2. Take frequent breaks when studying.
   

3. Change locations each time you take a break to help stretch your legs and give you a chance to move about when studying.
   

4. Have as many experimental learning opportunities as possible, such as lab and studio courses, as opposed to straight lecture classes - if you have a choice.
   

5. Consider building models or giving demonstrations to the class as opposed to more traditional written reports or term projects.
   

6. When writing, jot down words whose spelling you're unsure of, to see if it "looks" correct.
   

7. Utilize study groups.
   

8. Role play/simulation
   

9. Engage in field trips.
   

10. Use memory techniques requiring movement - hand gestures.
    

11. Engage in body demonstrations where a motion means a concept.
    

12. Use flash cards.
    

13. Make colored strips of paper that represent different concepts - link those papers together.

I am discussing language learning via the web with a group of ESL teachers. I questioned the ability and usefulness of teaching "collaboration, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking skills etc." on the grounds that it just interferes with language learning. Here is one response.

"I am a language learner. I have learned and continue to learn French and German and I still fail to see how collaboration, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking skills etc., don't help students learn. As a learner, I've had to use all of those skills when learning two new languages - whether I was writing, reading, listening or speaking. As learners, these skills are important and can't be ignored in language acquisition either.   Listening occurs in multiple 'acts' - the two that immediately come to mind are listening for information and reciprocal listening. Both types of listening require that the student be able to problem solve, think critically, access and process information almost in motion - they have to be able to do this while they are listening to a language - listening as part of language acquisition doesn't negate the need for 'skills' but rather a different application of skills. The same can be said for reading. Listening and reading within the language being learned is definitely important but I don't think we lose helping our students use the other skills as well especially if we want them to comprehend, understand and apply what they have read and heard.

I'm not disputing that listening and reading are essential parts, but I don't think they're only parts."

Any comments here?

How do women's bodies matter in adult literacy and basic education?

I recently got this email. This is how some language teaching professionals spend their time.

Call for Proposals

Our Stories, OurSelves: The EmBODYment of Women's Learning
Mev Miller, Ed.D. & Kathleen P. King, Ed.D., Editors

How do women's bodies matter in adult literacy and basic education?
Our Volume 1 -- Empowering Women through Literacy: Views from
Experience (http://www.litwomen.org/publications/empower/) -- focused
on empowering women in the classroom and primarily addressed
intellectual and personal barriers to and growth for women's literacy
learning.

However, we are aware of the many ways in which women's bodies and
whole selves are integral to the womanhood we celebrate, yet are
ignored, or even silenced, in traditional adult ABE, ESOL, and
literacy classes. Even when we do recognize or talk about women's
bodies, these discussions generally focus on sexual violence,
childcare/parenting, or health. Educators and students seek expression
as embodied women, but find these realities difficult to include in
current programs and classes.

The editors seek to gather writings about the many dimensions of
womanhood, specifically related to em-body-ment, as they are
experienced in literacy and basic/developmental educational settings.
We encourage a variety of genres including stories, creative writing,
poetry, articles, drawings, and research.
More details (http://www.litwomen.org/publications/embody/) - Proposal
Deadline: September 30, 2009

More on Krashen and grammar

Here is the podcast.

How much deliberate study of grammar, and word review, and output is necessary. Who knows? Do what you like. And making mistakes does not matter in most situations.

I refer in my talk today to a debate at How to learn any language., and a web site with an interesting perspective on the importance of language schools written by Amorey Gethin. This paper was first written in 1991. A lot has changed since then. For a view on how much has changed check out this video.

Limits to Krashen?

Here is the podcast.Download Krashen challenged

Beniko Mason has some wonderful articles on research on language learning showing that reading is more efficient in language learning than deliberate instruction. I am indebted to Igor the Macedonian for the link.

He will now attack me as I explain why I like to do a little Krashen plus "n". In other words I believe a little speaking and writing and word review, and even a little grammar review, have their place in making the brain more attentive. As long as we do not expect to learn the grammar or the new words, as long as we are not hung up about speaking and writing correctly, these deliberate learning activities help, as long as they do not get in the way of listening and reading.

I also make the point that the interest in the content is more important than making the reading easy. I am not a fan of graded readers, for example, at least for my own learning. A little bit of easy content to start with and then let me at the authentic stuff as soons as possible. I believe that LingQ makes that jump easier, and that is why we developed the system the way we did.

So go ahead Igor, and hit me. I can take it.

Krashen revisited: Reading and Listening.

Here is the podcast: Download Krashen again

Stephen Krashen is controversial. I do not agree with all of what he says. But there is a lot of common sense there, backed up with research. This list of comments about reading is worth looking at. Here he talks about the connection between reading and spelling. Here are some studies that talk about the importance of listening. Here is a discussion about to "teach" listening skills.

I believe that we waste a fortune in training teachers in various skills related to teaching reading, listening, spelling etc,. We should be looking at how to enable learners to spend more time reading and listening to things that they find interesting. As Manfred Spitzer said in his book, the brain is a remarkable learning machine, much better at forming its own rules and recognizing patterns, than absorbing theoretical explanations. Reading and listening should be fun. If we like it we will do it.

Learning styles and Twitter

Here is the podcast
I believe we all learn the same way, but that we have likes and dislikes. Different people like doing different things to learn. Rather than worrying about whether people are auditory learners or visual learners etc. we need to provide the greatest possible range of content and materials and help people learn the way they like to learn. Most of all we need to find ways to keep learners turned on. The enthusiasm of the teacher is important.

I talk about his here, and I question the role of Twitter. I am not against it. I have signed up. I just do not see myself following all these people and reading short messages about what they are doing. But I am willing to learn.

The Internet is the new and real University.

I am enthusiastic about the Internet as a growing and potentially limitless space for learning. That is where we have positioned LingQ. We are not alone. There is a lot of competition. A lot of it is free. That is the place where we have to compete. Of course much of what we offer at LingQ is also free.

Here is a site which provides recommendations for free online education resources all over the web, and also functions as a directory of online colleges and universities for students interested in earning a degree online.

The site also lists free language learning resources. LingQ is on their list in the general category.I would have preferred to see us listed for each language, as LingQ, and as each one of our LingQ Podcasts. But what can you do?

In any case it is a great resource. Learners can go to these sites and import the content and use it at LingQ.

Bilinguals are better (at language learning) ??

Northwestern University did a study to prove that people who were bilingual at an early age are better at language learning. They found that bilingual Mandarin-English or Spanish-English speakers learned a new (artificial) language more easily.

The problem with this study is that it ignores the most important factor in language learning, attitude. I know many unilingual people who learned a second language as adults and learned very well. I know bilinguals who struggle to learn a third language.

It has also been demonstrated that in Canada, children who start French immersion late, (Grade 6) quickly catch up with those who started in grade 1. In the end there is no difference in their French fluency. So, sure, expose kids to languages when they are young, but let's not get carried away. In the UK they start school at age 4 or 5, and in Finland and Sweden at age 7. I think the Scandinavians do better than the Brits on international comparison studies, but then again, how reliable are those studies?

Conclusion, do what you want to do and don't pressure your kids.