Lightbown & Spada Chapter 7

I love this chapter as a conclusion to our class readings. The ideas that it present are very simple, or, at least, they seem simple to us now that we have been studying them for so long, but we are able to support them with advanced notions and examples. There are a few statements in particular that I would like to discuss.

Lightbown & Spada's mention of the fact that language is learned best through reading is something that I wholeheartedly agree with. Drawing from my example of learning English from birth, I was very interested in reading and other related activities, which I believe has really positively benefitted me today, maintained my interest, and made me the strong reader that I am. It really helps with vocabulary and spelling knowledge, since I've seen the word before I'm familiar with the spelling, the meaning, etc. I think this also influenced my Spanish learning a bit. Although I think that I should have spent more time while learning Spanish reading Spanish-language things, what I have read has really helped me to remember the spelling, conjugation, accenture, etc.

I also love how they mentioned the idea of students being able to learn both the language and the academic content simultaneously in a classroom. I think that it is such an interesting concept, although it does seem a little daunting. Thinking about being taugh mathematics or science in a different language, even if it's one I'm familiar with such as Spanish, makes me really nervous and makes me wonder if I'd do as well. However, I think it's definitely a great way to get immersed. Thinking about it, it's not so different that what I did when I studied in Spain:  I took classes focused on geography, culture, and literature, and it was all spoken in Spanish.

Let's Talk!

In both the Saville-Troike and Lightbown & Spada texts, chapter six provides interesting theories and insights for L2 learning in the classroom. Lightbown & Spada's text critically dicusses six proposals for language teaching in the classroom, providing specific examples, study, and research findings to support each one. I found these proposals very interesting for two reasons: 1) I had never really thought about language teaching and learning in this may different ways before, and 2) Upon first read of the title, they all seem to be plausible and effective proposals for teaching and learning an L2 effectively. I found the description of each proposal interesting in its own way.

Reading about the 'Get it right from the beginning' proposal was all too familiar- often, when teaching a language, it is said that practice and drilling is truly the best practice for maximum retention, which I still believe to some extent (I know in my experience, and maybe it's just because I'm good at remembering things, but the more I drilled and practiced vocabulary words/verb forms, the better I remembered them). However, the authors note that this exclusive focus on accuracy doesn't mean that the learners will be able to use these forms correctly outside of the classroom setting. What a scary thought for us language teachers, to consistently practice these forms with our students only to realize (not maybe not realize) that it's not doing them any good.

I could critically analyze each proposal, but I feel like the first one was an important one for me to discuss due to my experience with it and its commonality. I would, however, like to make a connection between proposals five "Teach what is teachable" and six "Get it right in the end.” Teach what is teachable makes the claim that some things tend to end up unacquired even after teaching and that certain aspects of language (Lightbown & Spada give the example of certain vocabulary items) can be taught at any time. Finally, with get it right in the end, this concept says that not everything has to be taught- it can be acquired naturally with exposure to the language. I think these connect because the emphasize the freeness in the teaching- teaching certain things at any time not having to teach everything. I think they are interesting theories for us as future educators who may be frazzled to keep in mind.

Finally, I’d like to talk about chapter 6 in the Saville-Troike text. This chapter discussed acquiring knowledge and what knowledge is acquired for L2 use. I am familiar with what the chapter mentions when discussing what is important to be acquired for L2 use: lexicon, morphology, phonology, discourse, and syntax as well as listening, speaking, reading and writing. I really thought this was a great chapter to include in the book not only to have us brush up in these concepts crucial to use as teachers and crucial to our learners as well, but it also provided good depth and examples to further hone our study of these topics.

Lingua Franca

I have heard of the term 'Lingua Franca' before but was never really sure what it meant. Since the article focused so heavily on LFE, I expected to see a definition provided in Canagarajah's article, however, that seemed to be lacking. After researching a little bit, I understood LFE roughly as "Any language that is used as a means of communication among speakers of other languages." I was slightly reminded of the idea of a pidgin, which is more commonly defined as a language that comes into existence through speakers of two different languages attempting to communicate. A pidgin is a simplified form of the language with a reduced vocabulary. So, although they sound similar, I come to the conclusion that while a pidgin may be a specific language, although different varieties of it may exist (although that's so true for English), an example of lingua franca would be English--so many people from different cultures use English as a way to communicate even though they may have different L1 backgrounds. I also would consider Spanish a lingua franca (just not an LFE) in my experience. When I studied in Spain, I met a few people from varying cultures and L1s and we were able to have the Spanish language in common to communicate.

Wow.

The article goes on to mention more characteristics of LFE. It states the LFE belongs to a virtual speech community, one not hindered by geographical boundaries, such that when they interact with one another, they are able to "active a mutually recognized set of attitudes, forms, and conventions that ensure successful communication" (Canagarajah 4). Additionally, something I found interesting was that LFE's form is variable- constantly being negotiated for the participants, and it's always being brought into the specific context. The form of LFE is also very hybrid- borrowed words, patterns, etc.

LFE is such an important thing for future ESL teachers to be aware of and think about. Since "the rules, schema, and grammar of LFE users come loaded with significant social information" (Canagarajah 6). We can learn so much about our differing learners and why they form the relationships they do with one another through their LFE. The author also mentions the term 'social action'. I think that it's attempting to prove a point that the language used in the classroom is so much more than just the words coming out of a student's mouth. It's meaning, it's perception, it's a perspective, and it's a form of social justice.