This is about how people gain a second language.
By hearing a language spoken, and by reading it, people gradually develop that language themselves. Like native speakers, they do not consciously know the rules of grammar.
Living where the language is spoken is best. One is surrounded by that language. All of the signs in the street, in buildings and so on is in that language. The newspapers and television are in that language. People in the street speak that language. The result is that one is hearing and reading it all day. Most of what one hears and reads is grammatically correct so the correct grammar is taken on board without consciously learning it. Also, that language needs to be used for the conduct of everyday life so reluctance to use it through lack of confidence is overcome.
Conversation activities should be used extensively in the classroom. This generates much language at a level which the students understand.
The topics which the students talk about need to be interesting to them. This ensures that they want to and thus do speak and listen much. When the topic is grammar, students will speak but the lack of enjoyment in doing so reduces their motivation.
Some students can be so concerned with correctness that they cannot speak easily. The rules of language are best kept for planned speech and writing. They need to be easy to remember. A small number of all the grammar rules works well.
In the classroom, the sole language used is the target language. Errors in speech are not corrected because the time taken by this detracts from the time available to receive more of the target language. As more and more of the target language is received, the students unconsciously move more and more to using correct grammar. This can be a problem for some students who do not like uncertainty. Explaining thoroughly beforehand what the exercise is about reduces any feeling of uncertainty.
Grammar might need to be taught because some students expect it. Their culture demands this. This motivation can be used so that the students learn by receiving the language. It is the communication not the grammar that causes them to learn. To this end, it is extremely useful to tell the students that learning grammar consciously is not needed to learn a language.
Activities which I have found useful in class are:
Reading graded texts which they choose for themselves so that it is interesting to them. Watching television news. Showing simplified videos in class. Students then give a report on the text/television/video. Try to get the student to stand at the front and speak to the class. Students are initially very reluctant to speak in front of the class. After about a week they become very confident and actually look forward to doing it. If this is too much for them they can speak from a sitting position at their desk.
By hearing a language spoken, and by reading it, people gradually develop that language themselves. Like native speakers, they do not consciously know the rules of grammar.
Living where the language is spoken is best. One is surrounded by that language. All of the signs in the street, in buildings and so on is in that language. The newspapers and television are in that language. People in the street speak that language. The result is that one is hearing and reading it all day. Most of what one hears and reads is grammatically correct so the correct grammar is taken on board without consciously learning it. Also, that language needs to be used for the conduct of everyday life so reluctance to use it through lack of confidence is overcome.
Conversation activities should be used extensively in the classroom. This generates much language at a level which the students understand.
The topics which the students talk about need to be interesting to them. This ensures that they want to and thus do speak and listen much. When the topic is grammar, students will speak but the lack of enjoyment in doing so reduces their motivation.
Some students can be so concerned with correctness that they cannot speak easily. The rules of language are best kept for planned speech and writing. They need to be easy to remember. A small number of all the grammar rules works well.
In the classroom, the sole language used is the target language. Errors in speech are not corrected because the time taken by this detracts from the time available to receive more of the target language. As more and more of the target language is received, the students unconsciously move more and more to using correct grammar. This can be a problem for some students who do not like uncertainty. Explaining thoroughly beforehand what the exercise is about reduces any feeling of uncertainty.
Grammar might need to be taught because some students expect it. Their culture demands this. This motivation can be used so that the students learn by receiving the language. It is the communication not the grammar that causes them to learn. To this end, it is extremely useful to tell the students that learning grammar consciously is not needed to learn a language.
Activities which I have found useful in class are:
Reading graded texts which they choose for themselves so that it is interesting to them. Watching television news. Showing simplified videos in class. Students then give a report on the text/television/video. Try to get the student to stand at the front and speak to the class. Students are initially very reluctant to speak in front of the class. After about a week they become very confident and actually look forward to doing it. If this is too much for them they can speak from a sitting position at their desk.
