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Topic: Learning Language Early

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:44:24 -0800

"Marc Anthony" <[email protected]>

[TESL-L] Learning Language Early

[email protected]

> I entirely agree with Mr. Eggerman, who says that

> Elementary instruction in L2 would not necessarily undermine L1. I was taught Spanish in elementary school.

> It had no deleterious effect on my English, and to this day I

> Credit being able to count in Spanish and correctly Snip

> You tend to end up with stressed and exhausted learners who retain little and resent learning a lot.

> As for peer-influence of language – who has the time to play?

> And, I should add, the parents often don't speak English at home;

> Another reason for kids not to retain it.

> Taiwan also complicates things by now adding language instruction in

> Taiwanese, which does likely affect the quality of primary language

> Instruction in the common language of Mandarin.

> Overall language test scores in Mandarin and English in Taiwan are, not surprisingly, low.

> Marc Anthony

> Taipei Taiwan

Re: [TESL-L] Learning Language Early

"Robb Scott" <[email protected]>

[email protected]

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:46:38 -0600

I am wondering why Marc Anthony believes instruction in Taiwanese would be any less agreeable or facilitative in its effects than instruction in English or another world language.

I would also like to use this note to remind listserv participants

That there is research (VanPatten; McLaughlin) suggesting that it is a myth that children learn/acquire a (new) language by a different

Process from that of adults.

Van Patten refers to what he calls the Fundamental Similarity

Hypothesis and the Contextual Difference Hypothesis, basically meaning that adults find themselves in different conditions

Than children when involved in learning a new language, and also tend to get a lot less support in the form of the comprehensible

Input that is required (according to lots of second language researchers) for acquisition to occur.

I think it is important to expose children to different languages and cultures, and I think we are well into a new "epoch"

When English is only one of the many attractive world languages to learn.

It's supposed to be very good for cognitive functioning in general

To have ability in more than one language.

The one caveat I would add is that, according to Hamayan and Damico ("Limiting Bias in the Assessment of Bilingual Students," Pro Ed, 1991), if development in the first/home/primary

Language is interrupted or not allowed to continue, this tends to establish a "ceiling" beyond which development in a second or further

Language cannot go.

The primary language needs to continue to develop, in order for additional languages to be added as full complements.

O.K., I have to go respond to some essays now.

Sincerely,

Robert Bruce Scott

Instructor, English Language Program

Doctoral student in special education

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS

Reason:

               I choose the topic above because I think it is important to think about Language Learning Early to children. Sometimes, parents or teachers doesn’t ever think or get that idea, because they just think about how to teach so that their children can learn language well. But, those things ever or even always occur or happen nowadays in Language Learning to children.

               Children need learn L2 beside their L1 but I think then process during their learning will not disturb their L1 as far as I know. Children’s learning way is the same with adults. Children will learn their L2 (for example in Indonesia is English) but it will not affect their L1 (Indonesia). They still can learn L2 as well as their L1 too. For example: In Indonesia children learn English but they are also can learn Indonesia as well.

               So, I think it is needed to learn Language Early when they are still children, so that the can learn more until they are become adults. The L2 learning process will not affect their L1 as far as they learn it balance.

Topic: Spelling for EFL beginners

<[email protected]>

Spelling for EFL beginners

After thanking me for my suggestions concerning when to begin to teach writing to pre-puberescents, Tina Constantinou asks for suggestions as to the methodology.

Assuming the students are unfamiliar with the Roman alphabet, I would begin with having them learn to write those letters.

Next I would help them make the transition from the oral to the written by presenting

Material known to them from their oral world and having them copy it in theory notebooks.

In other words, I might write a song they know on the board and

have them copy that, or provide a written copy of a book I've read to them and have them follow along as I read it again, then have them copy the print into

Their notebooks.

I would only give spelling tests on words they have already copied.

The final step is to get them to write original materials.

Mert - Dr.M.L.Bland, Arlingon, VA, USA

"Nelson Bank" <[email protected]>

Spelling for EFL beginners

>how much of classroom time would it be pedagogically sound to devote to purely spelling exercises (writing dictation, etc)?

At a private school in Wuhan, China, where students were introduced to English in kindergarten, 3rd-year Primary students had one or two periods of English a

Day, with reading exercises in the morning at 6:30 (actually shouting exercises in English), then a class before noon, and sometimes a class after supper.

Spelling exercises consisted mostly of copying words in English over and over, like for Chinese characters.

 I'd say time spent in one class period for this was 10 minutes.

Nelson Bank

National Unity in Language

El Paso, Texas

Reason:

I also interest to the topic above. I think it is useful to teach spelling for EFL beginners. They also need to learn understanding word by word so that they can understand the whole things.

I also agree that to teach spelling for EFL beginners should be continuously, because they learn it using continuous method. They can learn if they see, read, write, or spell it very often. Even they learn English as their L2; they will get it easily if they learn it continuously as they said above.

2. Web Evaluation Report

The rank from the importance of Issues to Consider in Evaluating a Website and Criteria for task appropriateness:
1. Language learning potential
> Focus on form
Interaction
Negotiation of meaning
Time pressure
Feedback/support
Modified output
Varied output
Learner autonomy/control
2. Learner fit
> Learner’s characteristics
Willingness to communicate
Age
Learning style
Atmosphere with ideal level of stress/anxiety
Interests
> Learner’s level of competence
3. Authenticity
> Authentic audience
> Authentic tasks
> Various types of presentation (text, audio, video)
4. Meaning focus
> Use of target language to complete task
5. Practicality
> Sufficiency of hardware, software, personnel
> Ease in doing the task/activity
6. Positive impact
> Other skills, strategies and knowledge beyond the materials/topics taught
7. Up-to-date
> Site update
> Site creation
8. Credibility
> Author
> Copyright issues

3. CALL Final Project

Group Presentation

Lusi Chandra / 112002002

Hanggi / 112002090

Ony Weda / 112003069

1. INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, English is become spread out in the society even in the school. Everybody have to be able in English, even in the school or in the work place. Beside they are also need to their future since English become an international language anywhere. That’s all the reason why we have to be prepared from now and in the young age, like: children. Children have to learn English in the school, because they still fresh to learn many things. Actually, teaching English for children is not easy. We have to look for the right materials and lessons for them. Even though children are a good learner and like to learn, especially about here-and-now things, but they have to give the right materials and lessons to attract and interest them to learn English. They also easy to get bored when learn something, so the right materials and lessons will decide the result of the teaching-learning process. They like to learn about what they see, hear and feel (around them) and they like learn while playing. So through this lesson, we try to look for the right materials for teaching English for children. We try to give the lessons that appropriate with children that are fun, colourful and attractive lessons. We hope that the children’s skills in English will improve through these lessons. In this case, we try to offer an interesting way to teach them that is through website. We also choose the right website to use by them that is website that consists of many fun, interesting, attractive, innovative, and creative things for children. Actually, this is a new way in teaching-learning process even for children. We also need to prepare computer application to make the teaching-learning process run successfully. We also need to choose the right website to support it. The website should have potential of language learning, fit with the learner’s age, authentic, have the meaning focus, practical, give positive impact, have good credibility, and also up-to-date. We should think about those things because it is important to support the teaching-learning process.

2. Course Information

We try to design a material for a class period of 45 minutes. First of all, we choose children from first grade of Elementary School as our subject and we try to teach ‘vocabulary’ to them. The topic is “Our Face”. First, teacher will explain some explanation about what they are going to do in class. Then, teacher will make sure that the students understand about the explanation. After that, the students are asked to do the exercise that is matching the vocabularies of body (eyes, ears, etc.) with the picture and we will give them some other exercises to check their ability in understanding the materials. We choose the materials because we think that it’s easy for the first grade elementary student. It’s also consisting of colourful and fun things in the materials. We think that it will interest the children.

3. Technology Requirements

We use ‘website’ in the teaching-learning process. We will prepare some computers according to the students in the class. Each student will use one computer, so that they can try to use it. Actually, we will prepare it before the class, so that when the students come to the computer lab, they can use the computer and the online website for the activity. It’s not taking a long time and it’s also making the teacher begin the teaching-learning process easier.

4. Website Evaluation

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/kids/flash/activities/lbclown/clown.html

1. Language learning potential

We think that the website appropriate for the children. It’s consisting of fun activities, colourful background and also many things that the teacher can use for the teaching-learning process for children in class. It’s also consisting any other skills practice for children, like: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

2. Learner fit

The website is also appropriate for the learner’s age as our subject that is first-grade elementary student. As we mention before that the website consisting of many fun activities, colourful background and many creative things for teacher’s guide in teaching-learning process.

3. Authenticity

The all part of the website is almost use audio-visual aids, like: pictures, video, sounds, colours, etc.

4. Meaning focus

The focus of the website is for children as the target audience. It’s the reason why the website is made in those things (full of colours, pictures, and also sounds).

5. Practicality

The website is easy to open. We just need to have an internet connection, so we can open the website. We just write the name of the website and then browse it until it will open. Then, choose the part that you want to open and open it. There are many pages that consist of many fun games, activities, and lessons for children. The students also just need to click using the mouse to do the activities in the website. If they want to know the result, they just need to see in the result score. And if they want to repeat the activities, they just reset and repeat the same activities like they have done before. The continuously of the lessons will make the students understand and remember the lessons easier.

6. Positive impact

The topic of the website, they use the materials according to the children ability. The website chooses the materials based on the target audience. Actually, there are many topic, games and activities for children. We can choose it according our needs.

7. Up-to-date

The website is actually very up-to-date, because the creator always updates the activities and the website continuously.

8. Credibility

The copyright issues, we think that the creator uses the lessons and the materials according to the curriculum in the society.

5. Activities Planned

Before the teaching and learning process, teacher prepares the computers and opens the website for the students.

Pre-teaching (10 minutes)

Teacher greets the students and tells what they are going to do.

Teacher gives some examples and questions related to the topic to the students.

Whilst-teaching (25 minutes)

Teacher shows a picture of face and explains it (vocabularies).

Teacher may repeat it twice to make sure that students understand.

Then, teacher asks some students to come forward in front of the class to tell about the picture that he/she has explained before to make sure that the students understand the explanation.

After that,

The students are asked to see on the website and does the first exercise that is match the words with its place.

Teacher discusses the answers with the students.

For another exercise, students are asked to colour the picture with right colour noted under the picture.

Post-teaching (10 minutes)

Students are asked to draw a picture of face and give name of each part.

6. Assessment for the students

The students are asked to draw a picture of face and give name of each part. They use their own paper and draw on it. After that, they submit it to the teacher. This activities are only to look that the students understand or not with the lessons. We think that it will take only 10 minutes.