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 i2C3c3I25547; Thu, 11 Mar 2004 22:38:03 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 22:38:03 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <CFA0B6B409EBD411ABBF0000F8CD206C06FECD9F@CREXC01> 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: bodman@ucc.edu To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10020] Re: Fw: Diversity in staffing X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2655.55) Status: O Content-Length: 4176 Lines: 84 Good points made. Just to clarify---language functions and functional language are different. Language functions are, for example: negotiating, declining an invitation; expressing gratitude; avoiding blame; refusing an offer, etc., etc. One estimate is that there are about 5,000 basic language functions. Of the 30 or so that have been studied well, none have been found to be the same in another language. For example, gratitude does not need to be expressed by saying "thank you" or its equivalent among intimates (within the family or close friends)in some languages; compliments are given instead. In English in some speech communities, gratitude expressed immediately after a gift or service has been recieved is not "counted" as "real." Genuine gratitude is expressed a second and sometimes an additional time after some time has passed. Gratitude is sometimes expressed in writing in American English. In many cultures, this would be rude and cold. American English expressions like: "Oh, you shouldn't have." and "How did you know? It's just what I wanted!" and "Next time the lunch is on me." There are an additional set of rules and a body of language for the giver of the present or service. The giver's job is to support the receiver and put balance into the relationship: "Oh, I'm glad you like it." "Oh, that's all right." "My pleasure." and more recently, "Whatever...." We have only just begun to work out the rules of language functions. They are quite complex. Research also indicates that learners who have "advanced" syntax and rich vocabulary often have not a clue what natives say in the target language. It is at the level of functional appropriateness that non-native speakers continue to have difficulty expressing themselves long after syntax has been learned and comprehensibility has been mastered. Jean Bodman bodman@ucc.edu Work: 908-965-6096 -----Original Message----- From: Sylvan Rainwater [mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org] Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 8:27 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10016] Re: Fw: Diversity in staffing You make some excellent points here. I was going to bring up the issue of what people want to use the language for. My co-teacher makes grammatical errors in English, sometimes even in teaching English, but he communicates very well. He wants to improve his speaking and reading and writing to sound and appear more professional, because that's his image of himself in his native language, and he can see that he doesn't communicate as well or present himself in the way he wants to in English. This is valid, even though I assure him that he does very well in English. Most of our students, however, want functional English, that they can use to get a job, shop, work with doctors, help their children with their homework and talk to the teacher. And most of them need to improve their literacy level in their native language in order to contribute to that. These are two very different needs, and require two very different educational strategies. That needs to be taken into account when deciding on how much emphasis to put on things like "accent" or even "perfect" pronunciation and grammar. The question is perfect for what? For what purpose? In what context? ------- Sylvan Rainwater mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org Program Manager Family Literacy Clackamas Co. Children's Commission / Head Start Oregon City, OR USA -----Original Message----- From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of bodman@ucc.edu Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 4:06 PM <SNIP>I think that there are several issues beyond accent that are worthy of consideration. For example, research on the cross-cultural realization of sociopragmatic features (often referred to as language functions)of varieties of English and other languages have demonstrated that there are significant differences in what is said, to whom it is said, and how it is said. <SNIP> Intellectual issues aside, I think, underneath, what we are really talking about here is the issue of power in the marketplace. Non-native speakers of English want the same jobs that native speakers of English want<SNIP>
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