I
forgot how much I forgot about what it is like to be a language
learner. It's been 10 years since I was a beginninger language
learner, and it
takes
a
good
dose
of
new language
learning
to
develop
student
empathy
once
again.
 |
| Me, learning language and learning teaching at the same time |
If
I was developing a teacher training
course for beginning language levels, I would add a co-requisite
beginning-level language course for a language that has not been
previously studied, and I would have the trainees keep learner
journals. In class, we would develop a methodology for effective
beginning language learning. Here
are some of the things I have learned (and re-learned) about language
teaching from the first two weeks of my intensive German course (3
hours a day, 5 days a week):
- Life outside of class. Students have lives outside of class. If I'm not paying attention or am having an "off" day, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are boring or that you are a bad teacher. It means that my work schedule is hectic this week, or that my husband is sick, or that I'm worried about having to go to the grocery store after class and make it through without messing up the language.
- Course books have a time and place. I like the activities in the textbook. They help me make sure that I've really understood the point of what is happening. However, I don't like working only in the textbook. It gets boring and predictable, and then I can miss class and do everything on my own at home. If a class is set up so that it is individual work all together, it is not an effective use of time.
- Pronunciation is important. It is hard for me to perceive the difference between some sounds in German, and I imagine it is the same for English learners. Sounds that don't exist in my language are not only practically impossible to produce, but I can't even tell what they are supposed to sound like. Moreover, many of my classmates bring their foreign sounds into the classroom, and I can't understand them either. Perhaps a nice dose of basic phonology would be helpful.
- Speaking Slowly. What you say slowly and clearly sounds COMPLETELY garbled and incomprehensible to me. Remember, what sounds to you like a basic answer to my question sounds to me like a long steam of sound with no distinguishable word separations. Repeat everything, multiple times. It doesn't make me feel stupid, but even the opposite: being able to understand makes me feel successful.
- Grammar. Clear grammar explanations help...if you know grammar in your own language to begin with. For me this is no problem, but I see the grammar explanations that my teacher gives failing miserably among my classmates, many of whom are older Russian and Turkish women with little formal education. Perhaps a basic grammar review would be helpful.
- Smile and be encouraging. This is my favorite thing about my teacher. I never feel bad to make an error in class and I never feel like there is absolutely no hope for me.
Are
there any other language learner language teachers out there who have
pulled some insights about teaching from their learning??
