What is the Nature of Language? How does it Behave? What is Language Learning then? A Review Paper in Applied Linguistics (original) (raw)
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Languages Department M01ENL Theories and Methods of Language Learning and Teaching (CW1
ALSAYED MAHMOUD, 2019
To teach grammar or not. To focus on form, meaning or combine them together. To immerse learners in the environment of the target language in order to acquire it, or they should learn first and then communicate to acquire other language components. And so on.According to (DeKeyser 1997, Ellis 1997, MacWinning 2004, Rutherford and Sharwood 1988), there is a non-stop research and arguments amongst scholars of(FL) on a variety of differences between language acquisition and learning, knowledge should be presented explicitly or implicitly, focus on form or meaning and the function of skills and knowledge. All these and many others are controversial issues in the field of language teaching and learning that have been under research for decades and perhaps some for centuries. These issues have undergone and still under research by large number of pedagogical experts.Those scholars have been trailing and searching these issues for such a long time in order to support methodologists and teachers with ideal theoretical background beyond different methods of teaching. They have also been trying to find models and approaches that are effective for the teaching of (FL). To find such practical effective approaches of teaching, theoreticians; in addition to the psychological and linguistic features, need to account for personal, contextual and environmental factors affecting the learning of FL. With regard to what has been mentioned previously about the factors, that need to be considered when choosing or inventing a suitable teaching approach, specifically the environmental and internal ones, this essay focuses on some of the concepts of the cognitive linguistics (Johnson, 2008:98). The essay discusses whether teaching should be form-orientated, meaning-orientated or both of them combined with reference to an article by Montgomery and Eisnestien (1985) discussed in Johnson (2008:107). The discussion is heldwith regard to the cognitive linguistics by (Skehan, 1998, Johnson, 1996, and McLaughlin, 1987). Johnson (2008:98) suggests that cognitive linguistics sees language and its learning linked to psychological or cognitive operations. The approaches of form-orientated and focus-orientated can be discussed under the concepts of declarative and procedural knowledge. They are also affected by other concepts like automaisation, and the negligence of any of these concepts could lead to fossilisation. All these concepts are discussed later in some detail with linkage to different teaching methods andthen their teaching implications will be illustrated at some point at the end of the paper.
Language learning and language teaching
In a language teaching operation, once the political and economic decision have been made those concerned with whether to teach languages, which languages to teach them there remain two general questions. What to teach and how to teach it. One of the best known expression of the point of view that of Chomsky: " I am Frankly, rather skeptical about the significance, for the teaching of languages of such insights and understanding as have gain attained linguistics and psychology.... It is difficult to believe that either linguistics or psychology has achieved a level of theoretical understanding that might enable it to support a " technology of language teaching. " (Chomsky, N. 1986). If we read this statement with care we shall see that Chomsky is not saying that linguistics can " t be relevant, only that he doesn " t see the relevance of what linguistics so far has been able to discover. He continues: " Teachers, in particular, have a responsibility to make sure (the linguistics) ideas and proposals are evaluated on their merits and it passively accepted on grounds of authority, real or presumed. The field of language teaching is no exception. It is possible even-likely that principles of psychology and linguistics, and research in three disciplines, may supply useful insights to be language teacher. But this must be demonstrated and can " t be presumed. It is the language teacher himself who must validate or repute any specific proposal " (ibid) The relevance of theoretical linguistics to language teaching is indirect and not the task of theoretical linguistics to say what relevance it may have. This is the field of applied linguistics. Describing language, or part of language, is, however, part of the process of developing linguistic theory itself. The linguist must test validate his predictions about the nature of language by applying it to a wide range of data drawn from different sources. There is, thus, feed back to theory in the activity of making linguistic description. Thus, linguistic theory must be applied to the data of that language as well. Describing language or parts of language, is, however, part of the process of developing linguistic theory itself. The linguist must test or validate his predictions about the nature of language by applying it to a wide range of data drawn from different sources. There is, thus, feed back to theory in the activity of making linguistic descriptions. There are however, linguists who would wish to make a distinction between the making of descriptions for purposes other than for thinking our knowledge of language. Haliday explains: " The use of linguistic theory to describe language is not itself counted as an application of linguistics. If a language, or a text, is described
This best-selling textbook provides an engaging and user-friendly introduction to the study of language. Assuming no prior knowledge of the subject, Yule presents information in bite-sized sections, clearly explaining the major concepts in linguisticsfrom how children learn language to why men and women speak differently, through all the key elements of language. This fifth edition has been revised and updated with new figures and tables, additional topics, and numerous new examples using languages from across the world. To increase student engagement, and to foster problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, the book includes thirty new tasks. An expanded and revised online study guide provides students with further resources, including answers and tutorials for all tasks, while encouraging lively and proactive learning. This is the most fundamental and easy-to-use introduction to the study of language.
A THEORY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING AND PRODUCTION
International Journal of Research, 2014
Language is a system of principles and symbols that is applied for meaningful communication Language learning relates to first-language learning, which learns children learning of their language. Through language, we can express our ideas and view to others. It mentions to the knowing knowledge of rules and being capable to speak about them. Human language is different from communication of animals. Theories of language production suggest that utterances are built by a mechanism that distinguishes linguistic subject from linguistic frame. Producing language in uttered discussion is not possible without motions. Language production is the production of uttered and scripted language. Language production connects the arranging of linguistic information. Human language is different because it has characteristics of productive, translation etc. It believes on social learning and convention. The human beings have evolved a capacity to communicate through language. The capacity to learn a natural language differentiates human being from other beasts, and is generally absorbed during the first decade of life throughout the critical time for language learning. The language system that evolves penetrates everyday life, rendering for an infinite linguistic ability and for the necessary creativity of language. Development and the mind have done an amazing work resolving many difficult problems in action control, admitting problems of learning, hierarchical hold over serial behaviour. It is not wonderful that these resolutions are victimized to solve other difficult problems such as pattern of a communication system. We suggest a theory of language of learning and production. The growth of grammatical position and symbols of language become significant through basing in perceptual experience and action system.
[2002] Our ways of learning language
Journal for Language Teaching, 2002
For the last decade or longer, applied linguists have paid increasing attention to learners' strategies and styles of learning (Wenden & Rubin 1987; Oxford 1990, Chamot & O'Malley 1990; Cohen 1998). There is an historical reason for this interest, which is discussed in the final part of this paper. The concern that teachers have with learners' beliefs may, however, also be based on at least four immediate, practical reasons. The various configurations of learners' beliefs and teachers' beliefs yield at least three conditions or states that intimately concern language teachers. This paper presents a pilot study of how an adaptation of an instrument designed earlier to identify learners' beliefs about language learning was applied in the context of our own institution. Its results are discussed within the contours of five categories: learners' motivations for learning language; their ideas about language learning aptitude; their opinions of the difficulty of learning English; their second language learning and communication strategies; and, finally, their views on the nature of language learning. The results not only show a remarkable congruence with those of the earlier study, but also that learners' preconceived ideas about language learning may in fact impede their development. How these sometimes erroneous beliefs can best be challenged and changed is finally considered.
Nature of language and elementary education
An understanding of the nature of language and its social dimensions calls for the placing of linguistic coordinates in the dimensions of cognition, language design features and socialisation aspects. Elementary education is the stage at which children acquire and develop linguistic abilities of varying competence in sections of speech, writing, listening and reading. Instead of compartmentalising language learning into discrete 4 elements as mentioned above, it is imperative to see to it that the language development grazes through the sections of speech, cognition and representation of the world in equal proportion. When we employ such an all-encompassing approach to language development in elementary education, then it is only right to assume that the educators (teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, policy makers, administrators and parents) develop an overall understanding of the nature of language and its social dimensions. This section will explore how such an understanding affects the learning in elementary education. As Susan Langer says " human beings have a crying need to express ". Language is the tool for a child to make sense of the external world as well as represent her feelings. There is often no one-on-one relationship between the spoken words and the things that they represent (except for onomatopoeic words), a feature called as arbitrariness of the language. Language then also shows displacement and creativity through which a speaker or a listener can come to relate to things/events that are separated from them in time, space and person. Added to this all languages are structure-dependent in that the meaning making occurs due to the internal structure of a sentence rather than the individual elements present. When a teacher/pedagogue is aware of these features, then she looks at language development as a meaning-making constructivist activity that cannot be developed through methods of rote learning, isolated tampered learning materials but that which can only be fostered through an authentic engagement in varied activities designed to build human expression in all those different activities. Chomsky talks about an intrinsic LAD (Language Acquisition Device) and a universal grammar that every human child possesses. Upon exposure to natural environments of different languages, these features are then used to build those particular languages. There is a critical period of language acquisition (from birth till the age of puberty) in which children are capable of acquiring any new language. The pedagogical implications of this understanding is that the teachers/educators need not consider one language sacrosanct and try to instil that language in them through their schooling. This is highly pertinent to Indian scenario where there is a desire to teach children English language as soon as possible. When the teachers realise that upon meaningful (language through natural and expository) exposure over a long period of time, they will strive to create learning environments that do not place undue importance on any one language but treat communicative competence (achieving mutual understanding in real life scenario) in any language as the foremost goal for a child. This would mean that the creativity, expression and representation of the world occupy preference over alienation and non-comprehension that occur due to the over-emphasis on one/some specific languages.
Socio-cultural perspective of Language Teaching, Learning and Acquisition
Sarasavi Publishers, Sri Lanka
Interest in language has not recently developed. It goes back centuries from now. The oldest grammar we know, the one written by Panini in 300 B.C., analyses the speech sounds of Sanskrit and its grammatical structure. The phenomenon of language has puzzled and attracted people's minds in many different ways. It may not be possible to explore all of them here. Interest in the numerous languages of the world has led to the scientific study of linguistic phenomena, particularly in their morphological aspects. This has given rise to two main types of classification - a structural type, based on the relative degree of synthesis of the words and how various parts of a word are attached to it, and a genetic type of classification. The genetic classification is based on comparative studies about phonetic and structural changes. Through a careful study of phonetic changes and changes in vocabulary, a theoretical reconstruction may be made of the original language from which the present existing languages have stemmed, or (since the interest in the origin of languages has faded) of the distribution of languages and dialects. These studies may also prove a valuable aid in studying the patterns of population changes. Such studies necessitate thorough investigation of the phonetic or sound elements and the phonemes or functionally significant units that make up a language pattern. Apart from this scientific use, the study of speech sounds has its practical application in the field of language teaching. The sociological emphasis is divulged on the language as it is a part of a social system. Language may be regarded not only as a tool but as social action calling forth counter-action. The psychologists have studied language from a different angle. Their contribution lies in the psychology of communication. Generally this field ranges from the mechanical aspects (phonetics, perception of speech) to the socio-psychological patterns of communication and barriers to communication, learning habits, and distortion of testimony or of rumor. For many the study of language means the only key to the world of literature. They struggle valiantly to master speech sounds, grammatical rules, idioms, and vocabulary, but their ultimate aim is to enjoy the literary efforts of others or to express themselves in that way. The various aspects of language are all interrelated. Therefore the special approaches should not be seen as separate fields of study, but rather as a specific emphasis.