Pyramid Theories for Oral Development

Jorge Enrique Arango and Jhonatan Vela

 

It is our intention throughout this paper to collect different views from various authors, cover during our course in Theories of First and Second Language Acquisition, which may enhance and channel our research proposal for our master degree. 

Firstly, it is appropriate to summarize what our research proposal is about. We have titled our work the following: “Mini-Project and Debate Based Learning to Improve the Audio-oral Skill of Undergraduate Students” which focuses on implementing strategies, in order to ameliorate the audio-oral skill in fourth semester students from the Modern Languages program at the University of Quindío.

Among some of the different theories reviewed we have considered the following, which could enrich our research proposal: the affective filter by Krashen, the acculturation approach by Schuman, the collaborative work by Hawkins (2001) and the Output Hypothesis by Merryl Swain (1985).

Schuman (1986, cited in McLaughlin, 1987; Ellis, 1994) has put forward the Acculturation Theory to account for second language acquisition development in natural settings. He defines acculturation as the process of becoming adapted to a new culture and his claim is that contact with the target language and culture is crucial. The process of acculturation requires both social and psychological adaptation. Learning the appropriate linguistic habits to function within the target language group is one part of this process. Acculturation is determined by the degree of social and psychological ‘distance’ between the learner and the target-language culture. According to this hypothesis, the greater contact with L2 speakers and culture takes place, the more acquisition occurs. It is appropriate then to think according to Schuman that debates and projects are viable to enhance the verbal production in our students since they will approximate them with the target language as well as with its culture.

The role of the teacher is to direct action within school activity in a manner appropriate to the learner’s level of development, the cultural and social environment (Daniels, 1996). On the other hand, Hawkins (2001) states: “It can also be suggested that teachers promote teacher-student interaction or peer-interaction. It is via this kind of interaction that knowledge very gradually gets built” (page 374).  This is possible through the use of collaborative activities such as pair work or group work where students are required to negotiate meaning.  This view presents us with another reason to validate our proposal in the case specifically with projects since the idea is to create groups that will accomplish tasks together and therefore, group work will play a great role in this case.

At the same time, according to the Interaction Hypothesis stated by Krashen, projects are a powerful interactive motor, which allows learners to convey meaning and receive negative evidence that drives apprentices to negotiate the real or correct structure of the language. That is to say, when students are to create or build their own projects, they must communicate in the target language, interconnect ideas and exchange information, which results on feedback from one another and sometimes it is possible that they get to receive even more input from their own discussers. In fact, the way we acquire a language is through interaction and in our country to interact with a native person is uncommon, since we do not have that high percentage of foreigners. So, in order to master the language and speak, students first need a lot of input at the initial stage. According to Krashen, Input is one the most important aspects to acquire a language; but at the end of the day, interaction must be implemented in order to foster the language, to communicate and projects and debates are a source of both. Through projects and debates students first have contact with the input provided by teachers and classmates, then interaction is a requisite, a need to achieve the objective. Plus, the enjoyment of developing meaningful activities that bring lots of fun to everyone in the class.

Stephen Krashen (1982) also states that second language learner should be exposed to the target language as much as possible and that the lack of comprehensible input will cause the language learner to be held up in his development (Ellis, 1994; McLaughlin, 1987).  That is precisely what we intend to focus on, by implementing activities that require the learner constantly to do research on various controversial issues that will enable him/her to become a critical thinker and therefore their input will maintain active.  At the same time, realizing these types of activities will present a great opportunity for the learners to gain confidence and increase their self-esteem, as well as to lower their affective filter, consequently decreasing their inhibition, which could impeach their process of learning.

What about an argumentative debate based on controversial issues to enhance comprehensible output? As stated by Merryl Swain (1985) the comprehensible Output is the facilitating effect of comprehensible speech or production on language learning when the learner notices the gap between his production and the knowledge he has of the target language, which then triggers his efforts to modify and correct his production or output, learning while doing it. Subsequently, a controversial debate will have students giving points of view, ideas and arguments to support a position. It is to say that this kind of activity encourages students to talk, to interact and comprehend the difference between what he produces and what he knows.        

Finally, as it is stated in the document “Comparing and Contrasting First and Second language Acquisition: Implications for Language Teachers” (Conclusions, page 162): “L1 and L2 acquisition are quite complicated processes…the teacher should understand that the phenomena in L1 and L2 acquisition are interacting, none of them being solely explanatory. So teachers should not base their teaching on just a single claim or factor involved in language acquisition. They should rather understand, analyze, synthesize and even criticize before trying to implement any of the suggestions made for teaching”.  That is precisely what our intention is about to analyze several theories and approaches; we will dare to apply some of them in our context with the firm desire of achieving the expected results.

“…the meaning of ‘negotiating meaning’ needs to be extended beyond the usual sense of simply ‘getting one’s message across.’ Simply getting one’s message across can and does occur with grammatically deviant forms and sociolinguistically inappropriate language. Negotiating meaning needs to incorporate the notion of being pushed toward the delivery of a message that is not only conveyed, but that is conveyed precisely, coherently, and appropriately. Being ‘pushed’ in output…is a concept parallel to that of the i +1 of comprehensible input. Indeed, one might call this the ‘comprehensible output’ hypothesis.” (Swain, 1985, 248-9).

To read more about our work please visit http://jonathanvela.tumblr.com/ 

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·         Hawkins, B. (2001). Supporting second language children’s content learning and language development in K-5. In M.

·         Krashen, Stephen D.  Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning.  Prentice-Hall International, 1988.

·         Krashen, S. (1982). Theory versus practice in language training. In R. W. Blair (Ed.), Innovative approaches to language teaching (pp. 15-24). Rowley, MA: Newburry House Publishers.

·         Schumann, J. (1978). The acculturation model for second-language acquisition. In R. Gringas (Ed.), Second language acquisition and foreign language teaching (pp. 27-50). Washington, DC; Center for Applied Linguistics.

·         Swain, M. (1985). Communicative Competence: Some Roles of Comprehensible

Input and Comprehensible Output in its Development. In S. Gass & C. Madden

(Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition. Rowley, MA.: Newbury House.

“How to Master Succesfully Any Language of the World”.

By: Jorge Enrique Arango C.

There are as many languages as a variety of courses to learn and master them in the world.  It is my intention to provide my own thoughts and views based on the the book: “ How to Master Successfully Any Language of the World”. Firstly, the author poses three questions which I consider crucial when the apprentice desires to learn a second language:

     1. Why do you need to learn the language ?

     2. How are you going to use the language you have learnt?

     3. You have learned the language, what happens next?

It is of the foremost importance to ask oneself  the above questions; therefore by answering each one, and be satisfied with the responses then the learning becomes meaningful and the motivation will be the engine to maintain and reach the intended objective. Secondly, I do consider that the strategies (techniques) that the author suggested to learn a language are sound, and adequate for the process, though, I would like to focus on three of them which seem to me important enough to comment on each one:

 1.     Practice: as the author accordingly mentions it: “You get what you practice”.“Language is not a science, it is a skill and like any other skill to be developed, it should  be practiced”.   No doubt about that,  without a constant practice of the target language it will not only  take longer to master it, but the motivation could at the same time decrease.  Therefore, it is an aspect that cannot be overlooked.

2.     Memorizing: It is quite worrisome that nowadays,  language teachers and language texts do not emphasize the need to memorize words or phrases in the target language, they certainly do omit the important role that this exercise does in learning a second language.  On the contrary, the author in this text does recommend to memorize certain words in second language especially those which tend to be similar in our native language (true cognates)

3.      Culture:  The cultural component may not be left aside and the author certainly does not. The learning of a language must include a vast knowledge of the culture, expressions, costumes, idioms and the like that reflect a particular society.

To sum up, I dare to say that text is worthwhile and consistent for  the purpose  of learning a language.  I do recommend it to anyone interested in this field.

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I am interested in  finding  out about How the implementation of mini-projects and debates would affect the students cognitive factors and enhance the listening and speaking skills through critical thinking?” 

Cognitive Factors 

 

A Conscious Environment

      “Jonathan please come here and explain why in this argumentative activity you criticize the government this way. You are supposed to present viewpoints, statistics and facts not to express your disagreement with our politicians.” It was a common telling-off for me in one of my language class. In fact, I will never forget how my professor wanted my classmates and I to think not further than what was heard or seen in our environment. We could not express our opinions or ideas because it was assumed to go against the rules. Thank God some of us love to think different and fight for our right to argue and that is the main reason why today we must allow our students to think critically. Educators must help learners to develop their ability to interact, without pushing them of course, to communicate through the language and express spoken and written meanings.  Students´ imagination and verbal intelligence cannot be cut by restricting their thoughts.

     Coming back to my student time, my story gets worst. All my family and I are from Medellin Antioquia and we have a very particular and known accent; so when I had a presentation, some of my professors were always pushing me to avoid the “Paisa” accent in English. To be honest, it was a pain in the neck for me since it was really difficult to speak English without my remarked Spanish accent. Sometimes I felt like dropping off, even more when grades were low and classmates were not too willing to work with me. Then, teachers must understand that students are all distinctive and there are different aspects, which affect their background. We have to respect the “Biological timetable”.    

     All in all, professors have to be aware that students are all different, learn different, have different abilities and spend certain time to start producing. They are not robots programmed to go the same speed or memorize thousands of words by heart. On the contrary, they are human beings who need an appropriate environment to learn, motivation to go further and time to master the information. Learners need to associate topics with real life situations to enhance their long-term memory.

     In conclusion, a conscious teacher and a comfortable environment are the most powerful aspects to enrich students’ cognitive factors.  

 To read more about our work please visit http://jonathanvela.tumblr.com/