I would like to say that I really enjoy reading the Kuma’s book and like the stories which he cited in each chapter. In chapter four, the air crash certainly reflects the cultural deference to command authority of Korean. Also the “melting pot” from Ford company, which I heard before but know very little details about it. So after reading the story, what impressing me is language is not innocent at all. I have such idea because of the examples from the passage concerning the stereotype. Before I come across with the word “stereotype”, I didn’t realize it has such a broad influence of our life, culture and education. Both the negative and positive function of stereotype can help me better understand the cultures around me.
The stereotype reminded me another word “cookie cutter” that I met in the former reading. Cookie cutter refers to the same style students who are taught by the same teacher using the same materials and methodology, influenced by the same culture ideology. Stereotypes represent the outward expressions of hidden beliefs and values of the members of a particular society, or a community within a society (p51). By influenced of stereotype, people will first stereotype others and then see them; this will probably bring the misunderstanding and prejudice and may even cause serious problems. This situations always happens in the classroom, the teacher will classify the students into different groups with special labels on them and neglect the improvement and achievement they made. My mom is a P.E teacher, once she told me about her dissatisfaction with the students’ P.E class criterion. The standard required the students to achieve the same level of each activity without thinking their individual health conditions or other physical qualification. That seems impossible for some shy and weak girls to run as fast as the boys who are strong and likes playing football games.
In the part” obedience to authority”, I saw the prosperous thoughts from Confucius like, “jun jun chen chen, fu fu zi zi” and “yi re wei shi, zhong sheng wei fu”. It is true these kind of saying influence the Chinese people not blind obedience to teachers and elders. But what I want to point out is, although it advocates the obedience to the authority it doesn’t mean infatuatedly admiring. It just stands for the central meaning of respecting to the elders but not the thoroughly implement without consideration.
But Chinese students really have the problems with lacking of participant in the class, especially when they are doing as L2 learners. So sometimes it is quite difficult to distinguish which situations are they involved in. Being the class leader, you have to consider the students’ willing of learning and then set up the communicative activities to get them involved. That’s what I mentioned in the beginning of the passage, stereotype can really help if the teacher can define his objects accurately.
2009年9月27日星期日
2009年9月17日星期四
Week 3 comment on TQ Social Identity, Investment, and Language Learning
I was really happy to find that the passage with lots of theories comes out with a concrete case. It does help with my understanding of the abstract theories. Through the case they study in, I got not only a very clear idea about what are the research questions and the theories they used, as well as the analysis which address the question, but I know how a kind of survey should be like and what to focus on different topics.
First of all, let’s start with several concepts concerning SLA. We know that this article is a discussion of the complications of the study for classroom teaching and current theories of communicative competence (p9). Some argues that SLA theorists have not adequately addressed how relations of power affect interaction between language learners and target language speakers (p9). Other theories of SLA focus on social rather than individual variables in language learning (p11). And also the three defining characteristics of subjectivity, outlined by Weedon, are: the multiple nature of the subject, subjectivity as a site of struggle; and subjectivity as changing over time (p15).
When I read the story from Eva, I first thought it was funny and little bit ridiculous, but later on, after reading the following the parts, I know such situation would probably happen at the very beginning of the study for ESL learners. And Eva was described as the l2 speaker who is unmotivated with a high affective filter, and she might be portrayed as a poor language learner who has not developed sociolinguistic competence (p10). This reminds me of the first article I read in the class which says that the L2 learners are defined as the deficient communicators who struggle to overcome an underdeveloped L2 competence and strive to reach the target competence of an idealized native speaker.
What I am thinking is that the great social culture gap between the language learner group and the target language group might really requires the learners to struggle to interact with the members of the target language community. Here comes my own story, I have two roommates who are native speakers. When I chat with them, spontaneously they want to talk with me in a very suitable way of our “international conversation”, I can easily know what they talk about and what they want to express to me, even though I always come across with lot of vocabularies beyond my fields. It seems that we have no problems of communication. But everything changes when they begin to talk to each other or when they exchange the ideas about the TV shows or stories of their friends. I am totally stucked and dropped out of the conversation. This let me think about the theories appears in the article saying that the L2 learners should enhance their communicative competence, that is to say to fight for their rights to speak.
First of all, let’s start with several concepts concerning SLA. We know that this article is a discussion of the complications of the study for classroom teaching and current theories of communicative competence (p9). Some argues that SLA theorists have not adequately addressed how relations of power affect interaction between language learners and target language speakers (p9). Other theories of SLA focus on social rather than individual variables in language learning (p11). And also the three defining characteristics of subjectivity, outlined by Weedon, are: the multiple nature of the subject, subjectivity as a site of struggle; and subjectivity as changing over time (p15).
When I read the story from Eva, I first thought it was funny and little bit ridiculous, but later on, after reading the following the parts, I know such situation would probably happen at the very beginning of the study for ESL learners. And Eva was described as the l2 speaker who is unmotivated with a high affective filter, and she might be portrayed as a poor language learner who has not developed sociolinguistic competence (p10). This reminds me of the first article I read in the class which says that the L2 learners are defined as the deficient communicators who struggle to overcome an underdeveloped L2 competence and strive to reach the target competence of an idealized native speaker.
What I am thinking is that the great social culture gap between the language learner group and the target language group might really requires the learners to struggle to interact with the members of the target language community. Here comes my own story, I have two roommates who are native speakers. When I chat with them, spontaneously they want to talk with me in a very suitable way of our “international conversation”, I can easily know what they talk about and what they want to express to me, even though I always come across with lot of vocabularies beyond my fields. It seems that we have no problems of communication. But everything changes when they begin to talk to each other or when they exchange the ideas about the TV shows or stories of their friends. I am totally stucked and dropped out of the conversation. This let me think about the theories appears in the article saying that the L2 learners should enhance their communicative competence, that is to say to fight for their rights to speak.
2009年9月16日星期三
2009年9月14日星期一
Big Ideas
One thing that makes me happy during the study process is that I will meet some of the words, sentences, concepts, theories and people again just after I read, learn or know them a couple of days or hours ago. That makes me a little bit satisfied about what I learn and what material I choose.
Last week, this situation happened. When I just have a general idea about the Post-method from the methodology class, I come across with the three-dimensional post-method pedagogy: particularity, practicality, possibility. This is what we call big ideas in Dr. Seloni’s class. I really like it and this is what I didn’t know before. Let me add more details about these concepts. For the particularity, it refers to the advancement of a context-sensitive, location-specific pedagogy. It is based on the particular time with particular educators at particular place. From the practicality, I gain the ideas of every change is possible. The action and reflection from the students form a kind of recycle. The possibility covers more aspects of the background of both teachers and students. The learners may be influenced by the teachers’ political status, the economic views or even the values.
The second exciting event I want to share with you is my own experience of the “U-shaped cultural phenomenon”. When I read about this I was so surprised, because I was really involved in such situation. When I was nine years old, I migrated from north China to the south with my parents. Although I was still in the same country, since the language was quite different from the north and south, it was a big change for me including the environment, the weather, the food, the teaching method in my school, etc. So everything comes out naturally as Kuma mentioned in his article. The process is just like a “U” shaped. What I was thinking, before I read this article, was just concerning my own experiences, but without any relationship with the culture globalization theories. And now I know this is a very natural development for a new comer.
Actually, last week was the first week I began to read the TESOL QD in detail. I found it gave me a broader view of the same article or the same concepts. It also helped me finding deeper meaning of some theories. Since most of us didn’t read the original article, we didn’t go deeper about this article. And here comes a question like this, why the concept of method in language teaching is politically structured and delivered. Does it mean the language is not neutral or it is influenced by the teachers’ backgrounds? I will try to find the answers after I finish reading the article.
Till now, I have no idea about the Hall’s book, like Cindy said, it was a heave book and it was really challenging to most of us. So I will spend most of the time in this week to finish reading the chapters and then find out some questions or big ideas sharing with you all.
Have a nice week!
Last week, this situation happened. When I just have a general idea about the Post-method from the methodology class, I come across with the three-dimensional post-method pedagogy: particularity, practicality, possibility. This is what we call big ideas in Dr. Seloni’s class. I really like it and this is what I didn’t know before. Let me add more details about these concepts. For the particularity, it refers to the advancement of a context-sensitive, location-specific pedagogy. It is based on the particular time with particular educators at particular place. From the practicality, I gain the ideas of every change is possible. The action and reflection from the students form a kind of recycle. The possibility covers more aspects of the background of both teachers and students. The learners may be influenced by the teachers’ political status, the economic views or even the values.
The second exciting event I want to share with you is my own experience of the “U-shaped cultural phenomenon”. When I read about this I was so surprised, because I was really involved in such situation. When I was nine years old, I migrated from north China to the south with my parents. Although I was still in the same country, since the language was quite different from the north and south, it was a big change for me including the environment, the weather, the food, the teaching method in my school, etc. So everything comes out naturally as Kuma mentioned in his article. The process is just like a “U” shaped. What I was thinking, before I read this article, was just concerning my own experiences, but without any relationship with the culture globalization theories. And now I know this is a very natural development for a new comer.
Actually, last week was the first week I began to read the TESOL QD in detail. I found it gave me a broader view of the same article or the same concepts. It also helped me finding deeper meaning of some theories. Since most of us didn’t read the original article, we didn’t go deeper about this article. And here comes a question like this, why the concept of method in language teaching is politically structured and delivered. Does it mean the language is not neutral or it is influenced by the teachers’ backgrounds? I will try to find the answers after I finish reading the article.
Till now, I have no idea about the Hall’s book, like Cindy said, it was a heave book and it was really challenging to most of us. So I will spend most of the time in this week to finish reading the chapters and then find out some questions or big ideas sharing with you all.
Have a nice week!
2009年9月6日星期日
On Discourse, Communication, and Fundamental Concepts in SLA Research
Before I finally finished reading the whole article, I couldn’t imagine what I regarded simply and direct way of teaching and learning containing several theories, ideologies and thoughts concerning psychology. I was really surprised and excited about the process of purchases so many significant concepts and methods of the field I researching in. Just like the author says SLA research broadening the traditional SLA data base. In fact, it did the same thing to me; the article helps me exploring the field of SLA.
For me, this long article is a really hard target to achieve. But it is true that I gain a lot from it. First of all, from the very beginning of the passage, I have a crystal clear impression of the two views of SLA, cognitive and mechanistic orientations and social and contextual orientation. It is true that as foreign speakers, we have to struggle for the meaning of words and sentences. I think the speakers are naturally becoming the defective speakers during the learning journey, but I want to claim that these have no relationship with the capability of the communicative competence. Since the leading status of the view of cognitive and mentalistic, the article has sought to argue for a reconceptualization of SLA that would significantly enlarge the ontological and empirical parameters of the field and dissolve the imbalance of them.
Reading the article, just like a revision of the linguistic history. In the “DISCOURSE AND COMMUNICATION” part, there comes so many linguists and their predominant views, assumptions show up while I was trying really hard to recognize and remember them all. The linguist tycoon, Chomsky shows up first, which gives me some hope of understanding the article, because I met somebody I knew before. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Later on, after I read several lines of his assumptions, I come across with formalistic, context free, grammatical competence. I was really confused about all these concepts. But by Hymes’s concept of communicative competence, a more social and contextual view of language rooted in my mind. According to Gregg’s views, more concepts added to my mind: acquisition is an individual phenomenon which rooted in humans mind and brain.
In the part COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, the exact example of a CS occurs. It illustrates how the interlanguage communication happens. It is an example between one native speaker and one nonnative speaker. And two factors I understand from it are (a) when FS have the difficulties to express by using the foreign language they will choose some familiar words which they regard as the same meaning with their native language and (b) the misunderstanding of the key words may not be the problem of the communication between the two speakers.
I think people born with capability of communicative competence no matter what language they obtain. We Chinese students put too much effort on the grammar and exercise and the test! We lost the truth of the learning and missed the joy of acquisition another culture. So it seems the imbalance is everywhere, I really hope the study of TESOL will help solving the problem and do contribution to my further teaching.
For me, this long article is a really hard target to achieve. But it is true that I gain a lot from it. First of all, from the very beginning of the passage, I have a crystal clear impression of the two views of SLA, cognitive and mechanistic orientations and social and contextual orientation. It is true that as foreign speakers, we have to struggle for the meaning of words and sentences. I think the speakers are naturally becoming the defective speakers during the learning journey, but I want to claim that these have no relationship with the capability of the communicative competence. Since the leading status of the view of cognitive and mentalistic, the article has sought to argue for a reconceptualization of SLA that would significantly enlarge the ontological and empirical parameters of the field and dissolve the imbalance of them.
Reading the article, just like a revision of the linguistic history. In the “DISCOURSE AND COMMUNICATION” part, there comes so many linguists and their predominant views, assumptions show up while I was trying really hard to recognize and remember them all. The linguist tycoon, Chomsky shows up first, which gives me some hope of understanding the article, because I met somebody I knew before. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Later on, after I read several lines of his assumptions, I come across with formalistic, context free, grammatical competence. I was really confused about all these concepts. But by Hymes’s concept of communicative competence, a more social and contextual view of language rooted in my mind. According to Gregg’s views, more concepts added to my mind: acquisition is an individual phenomenon which rooted in humans mind and brain.
In the part COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, the exact example of a CS occurs. It illustrates how the interlanguage communication happens. It is an example between one native speaker and one nonnative speaker. And two factors I understand from it are (a) when FS have the difficulties to express by using the foreign language they will choose some familiar words which they regard as the same meaning with their native language and (b) the misunderstanding of the key words may not be the problem of the communication between the two speakers.
I think people born with capability of communicative competence no matter what language they obtain. We Chinese students put too much effort on the grammar and exercise and the test! We lost the truth of the learning and missed the joy of acquisition another culture. So it seems the imbalance is everywhere, I really hope the study of TESOL will help solving the problem and do contribution to my further teaching.
2009年9月1日星期二
http://xiaokun-xiaokun.blogspot.com/
Hi there!
Welcome to my blog! It is a really nice afternoon. I successfully set up my individual blog and found the eight pages article Dr. Sharon given to us!
Assignments are coming！ wake up everybody！
Welcome to my blog! It is a really nice afternoon. I successfully set up my individual blog and found the eight pages article Dr. Sharon given to us!
Assignments are coming！ wake up everybody！
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