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~ Topic 1 ~ Studying English ~ Discuss the Questions and Sample Answers ~
1) For how long have you been studying English? Off and on or continuously? Explain. I’ve been studying English forever, since I was in elementary school. I don’t remember exactly, but maybe I began in the third grade. It was boring. Didn’t learn anything. On and off.
2) Who was your first English teacher? What do you remember about that class? The school used the audio-lingual approach/army method. Simply, the teacher made sentences, and the students repeated them time and again. Then we would write in books. I don’t remember the teacher’s name.
3) How often do you study English? Do you have a favorite place? Who with? I study English at home every morning. I usually listen to a radio program but sometimes tune in to educational shows on TV. I also use textbooks and the internet. I study by myself.
4) What is your favorite way to study English (speaking/listening/writing/reading/other)? I like watching movies with subtitles. I guess that’s listening (watching?) and reading. In that way it seems to be a passive form of studying. But I’m learning at the same time.
5) Why are you learning English? Do you need a reason? How about to make friends? I think I just like languages in general. The world uses hundreds of different languages every day. It seems to me that language more or less created our cultures. Interesting.
6) How do you use the Internet to study English? What websites do you use? I use social media. I have a few accounts and many contacts. I try to use my English there. It can be stressful, because it's difficult to know what other people actually think.
7) What forms of social media can you use when you study? Are they helpful? I use various chat group forums (Facebook). They are easy to join and, most of the time, the members are eager and helpful. You just have to take the time to find them (locally).
8) Do you think it is necessary to learn textbook grammar? Why or why not? Some grammar is useful, but I think lessons focusing on grammar are a waste of time. Maybe grammar is “over taught” in non-native countries… and testing doesn’t help.
9) How can learners improve their pronunciation? How important is it? Pronunciation can/should be learned online. It’s just a matter of practice and repetition. Intelligibility is the zone where various dialects interact and succeed in communication.
10) What is the difference between fluency and accuracy? Which is more important? Why? Accuracy is the formal part, like grammar, and fluency is communicating ideas on time. Both are important, but fluency, the ability to express yourself, is much more important.
~ Food for Thought ~ Topic 1 ~ Studying English ~ Explore the Topic ~
Fluency versus Accuracy: Fluency is the natural pace of speaking. It is achieved when the learner of a second language is confident and wants to communicate. Accuracy is the grammatical output. A non-native speaker may produce word order, selection of vocabulary, the use of verb tenses, and other structures more accurately over time.
Q: What is your experience. Do you think fluency is a priority in learning a second language. Explain.
Fossilization: Interlanguage is the level of communication between your mother tongue and the target language. It often lacks any signs of development. Fossilization is a phenomenon of second language acquisition (SLA) where learners turn their second language into a dinosaur of their own making. They fail to learn new ways of speaking and fall into their comfort zone perhaps permanently.
Q: What is your experience. Do you think any part of your language learning has fossilized. Explain.
Lingua Franca: Also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, or link language is a language used to make communication possible between people who do not share a native language or dialect. Particularly when it is a second language between non-natives, for example an Indian and a Chinese speaker communicating in English. Both speakers struggle with their dialects transferring into English.
Q: Considering the progress of translation technology, could the notion of Lingua Franca become obsolete?
Intelligibility: As English is a global language, pronunciation is unavoidably diverse. If speakers of English from various backgrounds and countries can comprehend and communicate, the idea of “correct pronunciation” is less an issue. Intelligibility means that, regardless of pronunciation, speakers can learn to understand one another.
Q: What is your experience with speakers with various pronunciation? Is intelligibility a realistic possibility?
ESL/EFL: An ESL (SL = second language) classroom is one in which English is the primary national language (in the USA, Canada, Australia, etc.). On the other hand, an EFL (FL = foreign language) classroom is one in which English is not the native language, as is true of most countries around the world.
A Contrastive Analysis Approach: The difficulties that learners face in the study of English are sometimes due to the fact that their native language differs in many ways from English. A native speaker of Chinese trying to learn English may face many more difficulties than a native speaker of German attempting the same, because German language structure and pronunciation are more closely related to English than Chinese. It’s all relative and can be studied. |
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~ Topic 1 ~ Studying English ~ Questions for Conversation ~ |
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“Honor your mistakes, they will lead to learning... Through this learning, more mistakes will be made… Through this process, mistakes are no longer mistakes… They become the act of learning.”
TLW
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