Your learners may be learning English, but are they really acquiring the language? This brief explanation of the differences may help shape your tutoring approach.
When kids first discover language, they do so through their pressing need to communicate. "Mom", "Sad", "Dinner" - these are words that allow kids to express the biggest concerns in their young lives, like hunger, wanting to play, or loudly telling Mom it's time for a nap.
While their vocabulary is clearly limited, the rate at which kids acquire basic sentence structures and word pronunciations is astoundingly quick. Also, parents do not usually make much of a conscious effort to teach grammar. They may point out mistakes and introduce their kid to the word for a new concept, but there is no set lesson plan.
Language acquisition, then, is when you develop your ability to comprehend and speak a language through practical need. It involves natural communication and interaction with the surrounding environment. It's a subconscious process, and draws more on the your internal ability to communicate using language than on memorization.
After learning one, sometimes two, language(s) as a kid, an adult may want to learn a foreign language. This is what many high schools and universities offer- language learning. Anyone who has ever taken a language class at or above the high school level knows the format. Instructors often provide large lists of vocab words and drill the students on grammatical concepts from the textbook. Tests and quizzes encourage the learners to memorize the material; it's a focused academic effort. You might even get a sticker as a reward for your endeavors.
Basically, language learning in formal settings tend to focus on the rules and structure of a language, while language acquisition is centered around communication, or the ability to meaningfully convey your thoughts and desires. It is one thing to be able to repeat phrases and ace a test, but it is something else entirely to communicate with someone, and the discrepancy is huge. Will learning correlative conjunctions, for example, help you ask directions to an ATM? Probably not.
The differences between language acquisition and language learning point towards natural acquisition as the more efficient and effective method of attaining a new language. Formal classes have become increasingly focused on communication, and some are now built to promote student-to-student conversation as a way of applying skills learned in class. However, many adult language classes still have drills and repetition on center stage.
While the class setting doesn't exactly mirror the way in which kids first acquire a language, it wouldn't be plausible for most adults to put their lives on hold and go without communication for an extended period of time in order to put themselves in a foreign community. This is basically what babies do; they just don't shoulder the same responsibilities as the average adult (and they don't have a choice).
As an English language tutor, you have the ability to structure the time spent with your learner differently than you would if you were a classroom teacher. You can make your sessions more meaningful by stressing language acquisition before language learning. Does this mean your learner doesn't need to use good grammar? Definitely not, but if you place the emphasis on communication, it's a far easier task to adjust and correct your learner's small grammatical mistakes as they occur. Encourage your learners to share their ideas and experiences in conversation, and they will gain valuable, practical language skills.
(Image source: Fotolia)
When communicating with a non-native speaker of any language, native speakers are usually willing to forgive grammatical mistakes as long as they understand what the speaker's trying to say. Honestly, most native English speakers (myself included) have yet to grasp all the complex nuances of the language. It's difficult! For learners, their speech will improve with practice, but as long as they can effectively communicate, they will have the ability to become important, interactive members of the community.
Further reading can be found at ESL Base, and for a scholarly perspective, you can check out Stephen D. Krashen's book on language learning and acquisition.
Happy tutoring!
Kris
Kristofer Pieper
Programs and Social Media Intern, English At Large
Tufts University, Class of 2016
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
When kids first discover language, they do so through their pressing need to communicate. "Mom", "Sad", "Dinner" - these are words that allow kids to express the biggest concerns in their young lives, like hunger, wanting to play, or loudly telling Mom it's time for a nap.
While their vocabulary is clearly limited, the rate at which kids acquire basic sentence structures and word pronunciations is astoundingly quick. Also, parents do not usually make much of a conscious effort to teach grammar. They may point out mistakes and introduce their kid to the word for a new concept, but there is no set lesson plan.
Language acquisition, then, is when you develop your ability to comprehend and speak a language through practical need. It involves natural communication and interaction with the surrounding environment. It's a subconscious process, and draws more on the your internal ability to communicate using language than on memorization.
After learning one, sometimes two, language(s) as a kid, an adult may want to learn a foreign language. This is what many high schools and universities offer- language learning. Anyone who has ever taken a language class at or above the high school level knows the format. Instructors often provide large lists of vocab words and drill the students on grammatical concepts from the textbook. Tests and quizzes encourage the learners to memorize the material; it's a focused academic effort. You might even get a sticker as a reward for your endeavors.
Basically, language learning in formal settings tend to focus on the rules and structure of a language, while language acquisition is centered around communication, or the ability to meaningfully convey your thoughts and desires. It is one thing to be able to repeat phrases and ace a test, but it is something else entirely to communicate with someone, and the discrepancy is huge. Will learning correlative conjunctions, for example, help you ask directions to an ATM? Probably not.
The differences between language acquisition and language learning point towards natural acquisition as the more efficient and effective method of attaining a new language. Formal classes have become increasingly focused on communication, and some are now built to promote student-to-student conversation as a way of applying skills learned in class. However, many adult language classes still have drills and repetition on center stage.
While the class setting doesn't exactly mirror the way in which kids first acquire a language, it wouldn't be plausible for most adults to put their lives on hold and go without communication for an extended period of time in order to put themselves in a foreign community. This is basically what babies do; they just don't shoulder the same responsibilities as the average adult (and they don't have a choice).
As an English language tutor, you have the ability to structure the time spent with your learner differently than you would if you were a classroom teacher. You can make your sessions more meaningful by stressing language acquisition before language learning. Does this mean your learner doesn't need to use good grammar? Definitely not, but if you place the emphasis on communication, it's a far easier task to adjust and correct your learner's small grammatical mistakes as they occur. Encourage your learners to share their ideas and experiences in conversation, and they will gain valuable, practical language skills.
(Image source: Fotolia)
When communicating with a non-native speaker of any language, native speakers are usually willing to forgive grammatical mistakes as long as they understand what the speaker's trying to say. Honestly, most native English speakers (myself included) have yet to grasp all the complex nuances of the language. It's difficult! For learners, their speech will improve with practice, but as long as they can effectively communicate, they will have the ability to become important, interactive members of the community.
Further reading can be found at ESL Base, and for a scholarly perspective, you can check out Stephen D. Krashen's book on language learning and acquisition.
Happy tutoring!
Kris
Kristofer Pieper
Programs and Social Media Intern, English At Large
Tufts University, Class of 2016
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
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