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We could talk all day about the culture, and situations we find ourselves in, but the truth is,,kids shouldn't be taught reading, writing and speaking at the same time. We learn our first language at home,by copying our family members(or in your student mentioned in your articles case,,the nanny) Why did that work? Because she only spoke to the child. A thirty year research program proved long ago that this is the way to learn any language,not just your native language. Listening, repeating, responding to questions uses one part of the brain, and the absorption rate is 80 to 90 percent, as opposed to the pitiful 10-15 percent success rate most schools in the world have.No books, no dictionaries. Follow the Pimsleur program pattern and the kids will succeed, it teaches the same way we learn at home when we are kids, and they speak sentences in the first week. Believe me, I'm not saying Pimsleur is perfect, but it follows these guidelines,with specific times between repetition,male and female speakers using the same dialogue, and other techniques based on this research,,,,and it works. Why don't we follow research instead of doing the same old thing over and over and hoping for better results? Because change is hard, especially for school systems, and they just won't give up that testing thing. Someone needs to tell them that language is different than other subjects,,,someone they will listen to...How many of us took Spanish in high school, and even if we aced it,,still couldn't speak after two years of classes? That was me,,I wasn't one of the 10 percent. The only reason I can see any improvement in China in 4 years is that they keep starting younger and younger, so,,they should be able to speak some after 12 years of English classes. Then again, the (wanna be an IB school) I left in February was full of seniors who were stumped after Hi,,how are you? fine thank you! That should tell us it's time to take a different approach, but real change is hard....... Here's one more example, and this was a 27 year old woman. She was the rare Chinese student, In bEijing who could speak beautifully, but hadn't learned to read or write in school. She learned from singing English songs.She wanted to go overseas and go back to school but was terrified of having to learn to read and write. She eventually found a program in Canada.They let her come to CAnada, to a university, but she had to learn to read and write in one semester. If she succeeded, she could stay and study there.She was so scared,,until she started there,,,but she learned and surpassed her goals in 6 months because she had learned to speak first,,,so she was bored by the end of the first semester...
May 01, 2015 09:36 Report Abuse
Actually, a holistic approach to language teaching is the best. You can not and should not compartmentalize language learning. Reading out loud is a good exercise in speaking, listening, the correct use of grammar and vocabulary. Practicing a language or grammar point with oral exercises or games reinforces the correct use of language.
May 01, 2015 16:55 Report Abuse
you should really look at language research, unlike other subjects,,,learning to speak a language IS a compartmentalized process, using one part of the brain. Learning to read and write it are another subject,and use different parts of the brain. That's exactly why we learn language so easy at home as kids...Geez,it's bad enough we teach kids total lies in every other subject in school, do we have to deny the truth in language too?
Oct 18, 2016 09:51 Report Abuse
A decent article. I experienced the same in the language school industry. It's also noteworthy that FTs are put in classes with young kids to teach simple words, while adults get atrocious teaching from Chinese teachers. Because they're willing to 'sacrifice' more for their young kids' education than for their own. Children are a pension investment here. As for the myth of "osmosis", the article proves it to be partially true. The only problem is that kids don't get enough exposure time to English. Language is moreeasily assimilated by kids than it is learned as an adult. But exposure time matters. Sounds like those nannies can improve English better than a teacher! For the sake of the schoolowners' profits, don't tell amybody.
May 01, 2015 08:08 Report Abuse
There's something about little kids brains that lets them pick up language lightning fast
Jun 22, 2015 00:15 Report Abuse
It's always the same story...No idea about the fact that language acquisition is also a creative and not just a scientific process and, for higher grades, involves a considerable amount of independent reading and first of all interest.
May 01, 2015 07:39 Report Abuse
at the kindergarten where I work English is a very small part.classes are 20 mins.most parents cant speak English so English does not get used at home. the only English they get is class time.when the class is over its all Chinese.our kindergarten is not set up for English.
May 01, 2015 07:26 Report Abuse
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