by Jake Hollingsworth // Seoul, South Korea // www.JakeHollingsworth.net
As I have mentioned before, learning a language can be awkward, uncomfortable, and unnatural. Teaching and acquiring a new means of communication is not a one-size-fits-all affair. Languages are funny that way. They’re squirrely. They don’t sit still (like my little Korean students). They fluctuate in any given situation. A speaker manipulates a language to fit his purposes. He picks and chooses words to deliver a bit of information in exactly the way he wishes. This necessarily means that a language learner must become accustomed to adapting to various speakers.
Language textbooks and audio tutorials are fairly standard in their presentations of accepted grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. They have to be. A standard is a good thing. It gives our students a structure within to learn and judge their progress. A standard informs all those involved about what is correct and what is not. We must have rules, clearly stated and understood.
BUT…
As ESL teachers, we understand that there is a great big world out there. A world full of English speakers who adhere to local dialects and customs. Not every fluent, native English speaker speaks clearly like we do in our classrooms. Not every fluent, native English speaker pronounces words as distinctly as we do in our classrooms. And certainly, not every fluent, native English speaker takes the time to ensure a hearer has fully understood the message, as we do in our classrooms.
Some speakers have speech impediments. Some have lisps. Some have trouble pronouncing certain letters. Some speak faster or slower than others. Different people use different words for different ideas. Yes, the English language has standards and criteria for determining what is and what is not correct, but we would do well to prepare our students to avoid naivety when it comes to that scary place outside the walls of our classrooms and schools.
In a recent post titled Build. Build. Build. I shared how I’m slowly but surely laying a foundation for my student’s understanding of how sentences are structured, and how words work together to communicate an idea. Below is how I’m building on that idea, using what they now understand to help them adapt to more realistic situations and conversational (as opposed to textbook) uses of the English language…
1. At the beginning of every class, students open their notebooks and write down 5 sentences that I dictate to them. When I begin this exercise with a new class, I speak slowly and repeat each sentence a few times, giving them ample opportunity to hear, understand, and write.
2. Over the course of several weeks, I reduce the amount of times I repeat the sentence. I also reduce the amount of time before I begin the next.
3. When I feel they are ready, usually 2 or 3 weeks after we start this exercise, I inform the class that I will speak each of the 5 sentences only one time. They must hear, understand, and process what they have heard immediately (or at least very quickly…in real time.) And without fail, a large collective groan will come from the class. They whine and protest that they can’t do it. It’s too hard. To which I reply, with no sympathy whatsoever, “Too bad.” At this point I always begin with an easy sentence.
I have three red apples.
I ate a delicious pizza.
Etc. etc. etc.
When the students realize how easy the sentences are, they become confident. They listen more carefully, knowing that they are capable, and wanting to prove themselves.
4. Finally, after a week or so of step #3, I turn the tables on them. I ask 5 questions instead of making 5 statements. I now require my students not to write my words, but to write the proper answers. They must decide for themselves the correct verb tenses and word order. And by this time, they are fully capable and very confident.
The point of this daily exercise in my classroom is to slowly condition my students to listen. In the beginning I speak slowly, building their listening confidence. Along the way I shorten the sentences that I dictate to them, but I also quicken my speech. Finally, I speak freely, just as I would in a conversation with my friends.
I am responsible for teaching my students.
I am responsible for preparing them for life.
I am responsible for their progress and understanding.
I am responsible for them.
