on language learning

[whydeevee]

Hi. So this post is a long time coming, and probably inevitable. My views on this may and probably will change as I learn more about language education and second language acquisition, but these are my current thoughts. This is an opinion entry

Comments

[whydeevee]

Also: I hate to be a dick (oh who am i kidding no I don't) but this was a post on the guy who writes the Street-Smart Language Blog's Lang-8 profile:

http://lang-8.com/streetsmartlang/journals/427053/Une-blague-que-je-comprends-pas

*cough* If he had taken French in school, he would understand the joke. Just sayin'.

(Not to hate on him, because I think he's pretty cool, he's just part of the lol who needs school "school" of thought, thus I must be immature and take jabs at him whenever possible. :P)

[xanithofdragons]

Maybe the problem with language learning for people who think like that isn't that it's being taught in a boring way, but that they actually find language learning less interesting than they think they should.

I LOVE learning grammar explanations. I don't think drills are boring. I understand that they're important practice that help me remember what I'm learning and yes, sometimes I think some of them are even fun. I LOVE learning about languages. I enjoy thinking about grammar and thinking about how different languages express things in different ways.

Sometimes the problem is coming from the inside instead of the outside.

[whydeevee]

Very true. I'm the same way.

Everyone has the ability to learn languages, but some people lack the capacity or motivation it takes to learn it as an adult (it is easier to learn languages the younger you are, despite what the language companies will have you believe).

All education is a two-way street. The teacher can only do so much, the rest is up to the student. And to really learn a language well, it takes a lot of effort on the student's part in general.

So you're right, maybe some people actually aren't as interested in languages as they should be, and just want to learn it for practical uses, which is fine, but those people shouldn't take that bias and use it to unfairly judge educators.

[boeboebi]

QUOTEFEST

Obviously I already liked taking language classes, but I also had good teachers. I can say from my experience, taking classes was certainly not boring.

A+

i took a few language courses outside of school on my own, and also taught myself through programs, movies, dramas, music, and ofc shows from foreign countries (korea). it certainly isn't boring 8D!

These skills are best developed in class, though it is indeed possible to learn them on your own.

TTT__________TTT aigoo

"Know where restaurant? Me name Joe Schmoe, sister allergy tomatoes, y'aa-mean?"

LMFAOOOOOO.

and others may do really well by throwing themselves into a city in a foreign country.

ew that's me LAWL...

Everyone has the ability to learn languages, but some people lack the capacity or motivation it takes to learn it as an adult (it is easier to learn languages the younger you are, despite what the language companies will have you believe).

^IAWTC.

lol i srsly love how you're teacher biased throughout the whole thing ;DDDD.