This is the first thing that I would like you to take a look at. It is a quick review of Stephen Krashen's linguistic theory about language aquisition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Language_Acquisition
Here iis a great article about the Hopi Indians and how their language shapes their perception of the world!
http://www.generalsemantics.org/etc/articles/1-4-whorf.pdf
Have a look at this video:
I look forward to hearing your response about this!
Ruth
About Stephen Krashen's article
ResponEliminaTaking account of all these hypotheses about second language acquisition and thinking, above all, in our age range pupils, seems to me that our main aim as a teachers must be provide them with comprehensible input, a lot of input but, above all, doing this in a relaxing and funny way. Motivation encourages them to learn and fix the new learnings. Moreover, it helps them, later, when they need to make a real effort.
I believe that our students should be given a "silent period" before they begin to produce. That is, when they really feel self-confident to do it. Games with the whole group can be an useful tool.
I agree that ones of the best methods are: natural approach, total physical response and suggestopedia, but when we plann our classes we need to consider other elements: large classes, little time contact, even less time to plann, lots of groups...So, there is still a long way to do it, but no less exciting. Mar
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ResponEliminaHi everybody;
ResponEliminaThis is Jordi.
As far as I understood and concerning one of the questions we were asked during that session:
"Learning" could be defined as all the conscious processes someone displays with a view to improving a second target language, whereas "acquisition" would be someone´s factic command of a second language got by an unconscious process, more or less kindred to what children would whenever they deal with their natural idiom. In the best of cases "learning" would end up in a low degree of monitorization, while acquisition would suppose a well settled down domain of the idiom called by Krashen "fossilization".
Have a nice week!!