This blog is a set of reflections and assignments for a certificate program in teaching adults English as another language at the University of Winnipeg.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Something I found
I'm not certain of the academic value, but I thought this was interesting..
(sorry for the delay in my reply) This shows how we cannot process all the input available (or not available) with our conscious mind..
We make conscious and unconscious decisions during learning..this is a great illustration of unconscious brain processing...fascinating..
For less proficient learners easier examples can be constructed..
Perhaps if we believe we aren't good learners (or are in a learning "rut"--which I have been) we can rely on the unconscious to pick-up the slack!
Lately my conscious has not been at its best...however, I'm trying to be optimistic and make the right choices...Today this was taking the day off to read and "get into" teaching English theory...Feed the unconscious...which has been processing feelings of anguish...I'm getting past that though..
The unconscious needs information to work...we must feed it..trust in it
learners are exposed to and the reinforcement they receive. In contrast, mentalist theories emphasize the importance of the learner’s ‘black box’. They maintain that learners’ brains are especially equipped to learn language and all that is needed is minimal exposure to input in order to trigger acquisition (Ellis, 1997)
To get meaning through, or seek correct interpretation, or make up for communication breakdown, the learners resort to all sorts of strategies... “test their hypotheses and refine their development knowledge of the language system” (Hedge, 2000);
In relation to teaching reading...
In intensive (or creative) reading, students usually read a page to explore the meaning and to be acquainted with writing mechanisms. Hedge argues that it is “only through more extensive reading that learners can gain substantial practice in operating these strategies more independently on a range of materials.” (ibid, p. 202) These strategies can be either text-related or learner-related: the former includes an awareness of text organization, while the latter includes strategies like linguistic, schematic, and metacognitive strategies. Hafiz and Tudor (1989) differentiate between extensive and intensive reading..In intensive reading activities learners are in the main exposed to relatively short texts which are used either to exemplify specific aspects of the lexical, syntactic or discoursal system of the L2, or to provide the basis for targeted reading strategy practice; the goal of extensive reading, on the other hand, is to ‘flood’ learners with large quantities of L2 input with few or possibly no specific tasks to perform on this material. (p. 5)
--by "flooding" learner with large quantities of L2 input, this allows for the unconscious mind the best chance at successful internal processing..
In accordance with skill-learning theory, later versions of the oral-situational approach incorporate explicit explanations. The methodology employed is that of present-practise-produce (PPP), where ‘present’ refers to the provision of explicit information about a grammatical structure (directed at declarative knowledge), ‘practise’ refers to the use of exercises that involve controlled production of the target structure and ‘produce’ involves the performance of tasks designed to engage learners in real-life behaviour and to complete automatisation. This approach figures strongly in some of the popular handbooks used to train language teachers (e.g. Harmer, 2001; Hedge, 2000). PPP assumes an interface position on the relationship between explicit and implicit L2 knowledge..
ALSO,
..Readers can improve reading comprehension by expanding their vocabularies and gaining greater control over complex syntactic structures. Contemporary insights believe that grammar facilitates learning and its presentations to learners should be through “contextualization of linguistic forms in situations of natural use” (Hedge, 2003, p. 159) ..
There have been conflicting definitions of the term “extensive reading.” (Hedge, 2003, p. 202) Some use it to refer to describe “skimming and scanning activities,” others associate it to quantity of material. Hafiz and Tudor state that: the pedagogical value attributed to extensive reading is based on the assumption that exposing learners to large quantities of meaningful and interesting L2 material will, in the long run, produce a beneficial effect on the learners’ command of the L2. (1989, p. 5) Inspired by Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, researchers have shown renewed interest in extensive reading in recent years.
Recently heard about a study which concluded that the act of performing Google searches produces extremely high brain activity...enough to perhaps fight the onset of alzheimer's. Also, the above text discuses the learning value of being exposed to many different texts..
I'm thinking about a lesson where the learner is asked to print-out and categorize several web searches. The categorization part would be to increase learner exposure to the various texts in question. Perhaps this would be a non-intrusive way to trigger unconscious learning? ...I'm still formulating this idea..
Also, images such as the one above, or similar, could be placed on the wall of the classroom, as stimuli. Perhaps it would take some time, but observing various students notice the word "puzzle" could be interesting..
Word recognition is an essential component in the mastery of reading ....and considerable evidence suggests that the major difficulty confronting the beginning reader is the development of rapid, automatic word recognition skills.....Efficient readers use a variety of orthographic data to recognise word units, such as individual letters, letter clusters, morphemes, word stems, and word patterns. (p. 222)
Perhaps the above image (or similar) could be used in research to measure unconscious learning?
The evidence relating to the effects of grammar instruction on learners’ ability to use the targeted features in communicative language use (especially unplanned oral language use) is somewhat meagre. This reflects the difficulty researchers have in designing instruments to elicit spontaneous use of specific L2 features (see Loshcky & Bley-Vroman, 1993, for a discussion of this issue). Norris and Ortega could only locate eight studies that included a measure of ‘free constructed response’.
Grammar instruction does not enable learners to ‘beat’ the natural route of acquisition (i.e. the order in which learners have been found to acquire specific grammatical features and the stages of development involved in this). Studies comparing instructed and naturalistic learners (e.g. Ellis, 1989; Pica, 1983)
Native speakers make use of these two different types of knowledge by means of a ‘dual processing system’, drawing on both lexicalized and grammatical processing but varying in which type they rely on in a given activity according to the communicative pressure they experience and their need to be precise. Skehan argues that when required to perform spontaneously L2 learners are likely to depend on lexicalized processing but when required to formulate messages more precisely they will utilize their rule-based knowledge. He suggests that it may be possible to identify the design features that lead learners to place a differential emphasis on fluency (i.e. performance free of undue pauses and false starts), complexity (i.e. the use of a wide range of grammatical structures) and accuracy (i.e. the correct use of grammatical structures).
Gabb (2000) poses a very important question why learners face difficulties in moving into fluency stage although they have had basic decoding skills. She identifies a number of “barriers” which I believe the most important are limited vocabulary and lack of background knowledge (schematic knowledge). Orasanu (1986) states that “the knowledge a reader brings to a text is a principal determiner of how that text will be comprehended, and what may be learned and remembered” (p. 32). The key aspect to reading fluency is the expansion of vocabulary through the use of word play, puzzles, etc. I believe that beginning readers can expand their vocabulary through phonics, which will at the end help them to become fluent, skillful readers of English texts.
I came across the following, in relation to this..
Hedge argues that it is “only through more extensive reading that learners can gain substantial practice in operating these strategies more independently on a range of materials.” (ibid, p. 202) These strategies can be either text-related or learner-related: the former includes an AWARENESS OF TEXT ORGANIZATION, while the latter includes strategies like linguistic, schematic, and metacognitive strategies. Hafiz and Tudor (1989) differentiate between extensive and intensive reading: 146 In intensive reading activities learners are in the main exposed to relatively short texts which are used either to exemplify specific aspects of the lexical, syntactic or discoursal system of the L2, or to provide the basis for targeted reading strategy practice; the goal of extensive reading, on the other hand, is to ‘flood’ learners with large quantities of L2 input with few or possibly no specific tasks to perform on this material. (p. 5)
I saw this the other day as well! It's fascinating how the brain works, isn't it? How do you relate this to EAL teaching/learning?
ReplyDelete(sorry for the delay in my reply)
DeleteThis shows how we cannot process all the input available (or not available) with our conscious mind..
We make conscious and unconscious decisions during learning..this is a great illustration of unconscious brain processing...fascinating..
For less proficient learners easier examples can be constructed..
Perhaps if we believe we aren't good learners (or are in a learning "rut"--which I have been) we can rely on the unconscious to pick-up the slack!
Lately my conscious has not been at its best...however, I'm trying to be optimistic and make the right choices...Today this was taking the day off to read and "get into" teaching English theory...Feed the unconscious...which has been processing feelings of anguish...I'm getting past that though..
The unconscious needs information to work...we must feed it..trust in it
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI also came across the following...
ReplyDeletelearners are exposed to and the reinforcement they receive. In contrast, mentalist theories emphasize the importance of the learner’s ‘black box’. They maintain that learners’ brains are especially equipped to learn language and all that is needed is minimal exposure to input in order to trigger acquisition (Ellis, 1997)
To get meaning through, or seek correct interpretation, or make up for communication breakdown, the learners resort to all sorts of strategies... “test their hypotheses and refine their development knowledge of the language system” (Hedge, 2000);
In relation to teaching reading...
In intensive (or creative) reading, students usually read a page to explore the meaning and to be acquainted with writing mechanisms. Hedge argues that it is “only through more extensive reading that learners can gain substantial practice in operating these strategies more independently on a range of materials.” (ibid, p. 202) These strategies can be either text-related or learner-related: the former includes an awareness of text organization, while the latter includes strategies like linguistic, schematic, and metacognitive strategies. Hafiz and Tudor (1989) differentiate between extensive and intensive reading..In intensive reading activities learners are in the main exposed to relatively short texts which are used either to exemplify specific aspects of the lexical, syntactic or discoursal system of the L2, or to provide the basis for targeted reading strategy practice; the goal of extensive reading, on the other hand, is to ‘flood’ learners with large quantities of L2 input with few or possibly no specific tasks to perform on this material. (p. 5)
--by "flooding" learner with large quantities of L2 input, this allows for the unconscious mind the best chance at successful internal processing..
In accordance with skill-learning theory, later versions of the oral-situational approach incorporate explicit explanations. The methodology employed is that of present-practise-produce (PPP), where ‘present’ refers to the provision of explicit information about a grammatical structure (directed at declarative knowledge), ‘practise’ refers to the use of exercises that involve controlled production of the target structure and ‘produce’ involves the performance of tasks designed to engage learners in real-life behaviour and to complete automatisation. This approach figures strongly in some of the popular handbooks used to train language teachers (e.g. Harmer, 2001; Hedge, 2000). PPP assumes an interface position on the relationship between explicit and implicit L2 knowledge..
ALSO,
..Readers can improve reading comprehension by expanding their vocabularies and gaining greater control over complex syntactic structures. Contemporary insights believe that grammar facilitates learning and its presentations to learners should be through “contextualization of linguistic forms in situations of natural use” (Hedge, 2003, p. 159)
..
There have been conflicting definitions of the term “extensive reading.” (Hedge, 2003, p. 202) Some use it to refer to describe “skimming and scanning activities,” others associate it to quantity of material. Hafiz and Tudor state that:
the pedagogical value attributed to extensive reading is based on the assumption that exposing learners to large quantities of meaningful and interesting L2 material will, in the long run, produce a beneficial effect on the learners’ command of the L2. (1989, p. 5)
Inspired by Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, researchers have shown renewed interest in extensive reading in recent years.
Recently heard about a study which concluded that the act of performing Google searches produces extremely high brain activity...enough to perhaps fight the onset of alzheimer's. Also, the above text discuses the learning value of being exposed to many different texts..
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about a lesson where the learner is asked to print-out and categorize several web searches. The categorization part would be to increase learner exposure to the various texts in question.
Perhaps this would be a non-intrusive way to trigger unconscious learning? ...I'm still formulating this idea..
Also, images such as the one above, or similar, could be placed on the wall of the classroom, as stimuli. Perhaps it would take some time, but observing various students notice the word "puzzle" could be interesting..
ReplyDeleteWord recognition is an essential component in the mastery of reading ....and considerable evidence suggests that the major difficulty confronting the beginning reader is the development of rapid, automatic word recognition skills.....Efficient readers use a variety of orthographic data to recognise word units, such as individual letters, letter clusters, morphemes, word stems, and word patterns. (p. 222)
ReplyDeletePerhaps the above image (or similar) could be used in research to measure unconscious learning?
ReplyDeleteThe evidence relating to the effects of grammar instruction on learners’ ability to use the targeted features in communicative language use (especially unplanned oral language use) is somewhat meagre. This reflects the difficulty researchers have in designing instruments to elicit spontaneous use of specific L2 features (see Loshcky & Bley-Vroman, 1993, for a discussion of this issue). Norris and Ortega could only locate eight studies that included a measure of ‘free constructed response’.
Grammar instruction does not enable learners to ‘beat’ the natural route of acquisition (i.e. the order in which learners have been found to acquire specific grammatical features and the stages of development involved in this). Studies comparing instructed and naturalistic learners (e.g. Ellis, 1989; Pica, 1983)
ReplyDeleteNative speakers make use of these two different types of knowledge by means of a ‘dual processing system’, drawing on both lexicalized and grammatical processing but varying in which type they rely on in a given activity according to the communicative pressure they experience and their need to be precise. Skehan argues that when required to perform spontaneously L2 learners are likely to depend on lexicalized processing but when required to formulate messages more precisely they will utilize their rule-based knowledge. He suggests that it may be possible to identify the design features that lead learners to place a differential emphasis on fluency (i.e. performance free of undue pauses and false starts), complexity (i.e. the use of a wide range of grammatical structures) and accuracy (i.e. the correct use of grammatical structures).
ReplyDeleteGabb (2000) poses a very important question why learners face difficulties in moving into fluency stage although they have had basic decoding skills. She identifies a number of “barriers” which I believe the most important are limited vocabulary and lack of background knowledge (schematic knowledge). Orasanu (1986) states that “the knowledge a reader brings to a text is a principal determiner of how that text will be comprehended, and what may be learned and remembered” (p. 32). The key aspect to reading fluency is the expansion of vocabulary
ReplyDeletethrough the use of word play, puzzles, etc. I believe that beginning readers can expand their vocabulary through phonics, which will at the end help them to become fluent, skillful readers of English texts.
I came across the following, in relation to this..
ReplyDeleteHedge argues that it is “only through more extensive reading that learners can gain substantial practice in operating these strategies more independently on a range of materials.” (ibid, p. 202) These strategies can be either text-related or learner-related: the former includes an AWARENESS OF TEXT ORGANIZATION, while the latter includes strategies like linguistic, schematic, and metacognitive strategies. Hafiz and Tudor (1989) differentiate between extensive and intensive reading:
146
In intensive reading activities learners are in the main exposed to relatively short texts which are used either to exemplify specific aspects of the lexical, syntactic or discoursal system of the L2, or to provide the basis for targeted reading strategy practice; the goal of extensive reading, on the other hand, is to ‘flood’ learners with large quantities of L2 input with few or possibly no specific tasks to perform on this material. (p. 5)