Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f4UGTuf05411; Wed, 30 May 2001 12:29:56 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 12:29:56 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <sb14cb75.072@epcc.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Andres Muro" <andresm.RGCAMPUS.EPCCRG@epcc.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:6141] Re: Second language learning X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.5.4 Status: O Content-Length: 4162 Lines: 53 There seems to be a myth., that the best teacher of a language is the best speaker of that language. Pedagogically, this is false. The best teacher of a language is the person that can best help the learner acquire the new language. A sports analogy applies. The best boxing, basketball, tennis, etc coach is not the best player of the sport. It is the individual that can best communicate to the players how to best improve their game. For second language acquisition, preference for "one of our own" makes sense. Most people prefer to attend classes with teachers with whom they will feel more comfortable. That does not mean that "one of our own" will ultimately have the best pedagogical approach to help learners acquire a second language. The other myth that exists, is that L2 learners acquire the ability to speak the 2nd language in class. For this reason, people who feel more secure may prefer native speakers of a language as instructors. They rationalize, incorrectly, of course, that the native speaker will teach them better pronunciation. In other words, if a Mexican learns English with a Mexican, he will probably speak with a Mexican accent. On the other hand, if a Mexican learns English with an American, he will speak English with an American accent. Kathleen Bombach, my partner, and most of the time, an astute intellectual, is convinced of this myth, no matter how hard I try to explain to her that she is wrong. The truth is that Mexicans will speak the second language with Mexican accent and Japanese will speak the L2 with a Japanese accent regardless of who they learn the 2nd language with. Ability to acquire a native accent has to do with the phonetic capabilities of the individual combined with daily practice in context. Some individuals have very sensitive years to phonetic differences and can acquire native language fluency within a few years of practicing a second language regularly. Others, like me, or well known international criminal Henry Kissinger, are tone deaf, and will always speak English with a very thick accent. Andres >>> mmunoz@owens.cc.oh.us 05/30/01 09:59AM >>> Date sent: Sat, 19 May 2001 10:01:55 -0400 (EDT) From: KathleenBombach@aol.com ESL/literacy, students here on the US-Mexico border usually report that their best teachers are native speakers in the student's own language, rather than English. Anyone care to comment? Kathleen Bombach Yes, Kathleen, that used to puzzle me. I myself always wanted a native speaker of the target language to instruct me; but my migrant- worker students preferred a teacher from their ethnic group, 'uno de nosotros'. Stop and think about the differences between the students, and remember that language-learning success happens in the learner's head. It doesn't happen in the teacher's head or in the air between our heads. It happens inside the learner ( or it doesn't). In the case of me being the student, I was (1) a very capable learner, (2) a very motivated learner, (3) a member of the prestige group, and (4) I knew that I was a capable learner. In the case of the migrant- worker students, (1) they were not very able learners although they soon could be. (2, 3) their motivation was instrumental, not integrative. They believed they never would be accepted by the prestige group. So they only need enough English to get by in stores and gas stations. (4) They, the learners themselves, believed that they would have a hard time learning English and that only another person like them would understand how to teach them. In their little experience of school in Mexico, students had to adapt to the teacher, not the other way around. And although they had children in school in the U.S., that experience was obviously very different and they didn't know how to handle it. And so they expected adult school to be a bewildering experience that they weren't ready for. For that risky adventure, they wanted a guid who was like themselves. You can't lead them to where they need to go if you don't meet them where they are. Can you go to where they are? Do you want to? Marcheta
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