I practiced this lesson with Sally last week. Teaching pronunciation was quite challenge for me, even I have my own problems to be corrected. I'm still thinking about pronunciation issue. Who's pronunciation is correct? Who's pronunciation is the most standard?
Pronunciation is the most interesting subject related a critical period of learning L2.
Jason Lee also talked about a critical period issue in SLA class, but I disagree with him some of part.
By his research from age 17-age27 period of learning English is not much difference, I don't think so.
I think 0-5years, under10 years, under 15years, under 20years, under 25years, under 30 years all age groups are different. I experienced who's arrived 1year earlier and 1year later showed a big language learning progress difference.
I'm teaching age8 and age11 elementary kids, I think these kids pronunciation will be better than adult learner someday. I had a presentation about a critical period of age 3-age7. I had a great lesson about critical period of language learning. I'm strongly agree with Norm Chomsky's hypothesis which is LAD (Language Acquisition Device). The case of Genie gives me more a clear answer of why childhood is a critical period for language learning. His Hypothesis claims that the first years of childhood are the best time to acquire a language.
I'm thinking about Korea in here what we are doing. Korea is not an English nation, of course Korean is the first language. How can we teach kids pronunciation in here. The reality of English environment is so limited, lack of teachers, books, classes related to economical matter.
Kids have only few hours classes with L1 for a week. To hire more certify English teachers are impossible in public schools at this time. I think if kids practice pronunciation at least 1hour everyday, they will be mimicking more naturally.
I'm playing with Sally how to practice pronunciation using the flash cards, it was very interesting time with her. I didn't know how to correct pronunciation. She and I practiced together, I hope Sally can speak more naturally. I really want to know how to teach and how to correct pronunciation. It sounds like a big secret for L2 learners. I found it how !!!!
Sally never tried this method, I gave her a straw to practice L & R sound. I think this way is the best to correct problematic sound of r and l.
I also tried with her small paper which is how much times paper blew out when we pronounce pet and bet.
Now Sally only needs to practice, I will see how can she correct her pronunciation with me.
L2 learner's pronunciation can be corrected or not. I don't yet.
I spent many hours to be correct it, but it didn't work well.
In my past experience pronunciation is really important matter. Speaking is really output, we are generally considering output as the first impression. The first impression gave the interviewer a big decision.
I'm drafting about my module2 paper related pronunciation issue.
Student profile: She is a 11 years old student at elementary school. She has previous English education with L1 teachers about 4years+. I think her English level is novice low / intermediate level of all of area. I think her input level is pretty good, she understand articles. I am working with her about 6months, I am trying to develop her inter language level.
Objective: I teach her ICC concept using Crossing Cultures in the Language Classroom activities.
To prove of 6months English learning with me, she is showing some of output progress using activities.
-Student centred lesson
-Constructive T-talk
-Student / T-talk ratio (5: 5 or 7:3)
-TLC
-TBL
Difficulties (problems) of teaching: I originally planned only writing lesson plan to submit the class, I was not sue how Sally understood the concept. It was challenge a bit, but she produced some of output related ICC concept.
-No classroom environment
-One student based lesson
Benefits: Not too much competition with other students.
One student centred lesson
Lesson: Part1-Societal Roles: Being a friend means....
Part2- Old Woman and Young lady
Mini Lesson plan: Using TDBU methodology, hand gestures, teaching using visuals, and eliciting by questions.
PartA:
Who's your best friend?
Why do you believe she/he is your best friend?
What do you mean being a best friend to you?
What's your reaction when she/he rejected your requests?
Short quiz
PartB:
What can you see from the pictures?
How do you see them?
How do you reflect your thought to the images?
What do you really believe in your mind is what you see.
Do you still see it?
Why you can't see them anymore?
Lesson analyze Part1
0:23: I started to ask who is your best friend? This is TDBU to elicit Sally questions about Societal Roles Being a friend.
1:41: She keep say took things. I was not sure what did she mean, but I didn't interrupt her, I would like to hear more about her own produces. I used hand gestures to elicit more answers about being a good friend.
She produced some of own sentences, it was very interesting, I never try with her anything out of course books. I was thinking how I made conversations with her. It is good topic(ICC concept) to discuss with her.
I usually ask her like how was school?, What event did you have at school?, How was L1 English class at school?
3:39: I explained her vocabulary marital problems using examples of what's marital means. I never tried her high level of vocabularies. I believe that she extended her abilities of her inter languages.
4:47: Here is again, I explained her what's ability mean using some of examples.
5:39: It was wait time. It was hard to wait until she answered. I normally interrupted to answer, but I waited this time.
7:32: We discussed what do you mean Being a friend? What's limitation/obligations of being a best friend?
I elicit to Sally being a best friend mean. What's societal roles of friendship? Sally believed being a friend mean that she gave her help as much as she can. She said "took thing". I guess this mean treat each other as much as they can. She really mean being a friend is too thing.
Korean students believed culturally friendship has no limitation, they believed the best friend is sometime closer than family.
Close friends means really accepting for examples homework, money, and personal matter.
I think this is big differences compare with other culture.
By Korean culture being a friend mean really offering, acceptance, no obligation, sharing, less private rules between each other.
I also ask her when the best friend rejected her requests, how she response about it?
What's responsibilities/obligations being a friend?
I just closed part one without conclusion, it is my mistake.
I would do this
I think being a good friend means ___________________________________.
So student can develop her critical thinking skills using TL.
Part2
It was so interesting test she saw an old woman like an eagle. Sally found the young lady in the picture, the second one she disagreed.
I used TDBU to think her what pictures are.
10:45: I explained Sally why #2 picture is an old lady.
11:03: It is very interesting! She saw an old woman.
After she realized the old woman, she couldn't see an eagle anymore.
12:05: In picture#3, she realized what's images like?
12:37 I started to explain what's culture? I think this is too hard to explain using these pictures.
I changed idea not focused on culture, I said what you believe is what you see.
I really would like to tell her was the thing is a lens.
To make other lesson plan for adult learner, I would like to do
1. Show them 3 different pictures
2. Discuss in a group or a pair.
3. Talk about what they saw from the pictures.
4. Start thinking how do you interpret the objects or conditions around them.
5. What do you think about Korean Culture?
6. Describe Korean Culture is like___________________________________________.
Any thought from Sally's lesson. (Evaluation)
Reading: I applied methodology of reading questions. Less T talk, more S talk.
Vocabularies: Gave her advanced level lesson, I never tried with her. (It was ok at this time.)
Lesson Plan: Need more structures
Inter language level
(input)
Her input level is much better than this summer.
I applied linguistic approach of teaching. (out of traditional style even her parents still want to do it)
No Korean translation based vocabulary lesson
Stop reading articles loudly.
(output)
No error correction when she speaks.
Not grammar focused writing.
With mistakes, read only by herself to fix.
She has no hestitation to speak anymore.
She is Sally who is 11 years. I gave her reading task which is same article as I used for micro teaching #2.
I am thinking about this week's subject vocabularies. Sally has difficulties about vocabularies most of time.
0:36 It was warm-up, I usually ask her "how was your school?" I usually scheduled with her after school when I am off from my work. It is her free time after school, and my free time, too. I found that I was different (speaking speed, tone of voice, and teaching style) from early morning class. In the morning class, I had to control many kids in the class, however I focused only one student made me more come down little bit. She was described how was her school life that day. I usually ask her about L1 English class at the elementary school. She said that public school English is very fun, she had Halloween candy from L1 English teacher.
0:51 We started to discuss about the picture. It is a preview stage. I asked to her
T: What can you see from the pictures?
S: Um... hamburger...
T: Do you like Mc Donald Hamburger?
The article is related ICC concept. what's culture? It may be hard to understand for Sally, but I tired to give her this reading. Reading is still hard subject for her. When I started to teach her reading the first time, I gave her dictionary to find meanings. We spent so much time and effort to find difficult vocabularies. The lesson was not communicative, it was focused on finding definitions. It was really problematic both of us.
After learning how to teach reading, I stopped to search vocabularies from dictionary.
2:00-5:00 We directly discussed about the questions. I kept in my mind to make student centered lesson. I tried to give her chances to speak as much as I can.
During this minutes, it was really Sally's turn. I think this lesson is much more better than before.
I was a sole-talker, she was listening while I was talking. The reason why I talked much was I was not sure she understood or not. I was just wondering I can I know that how much she got reading comprehension input. It was no way to proof!!!!
Now I got it how I know how much she understood the article. I can check from how she was answering my questions. I think it is students output. Sally produced speaking as output of language learning.
Output is a proof of learning of TL.
I BELIEVE SALLY PRODUCE SOMETHING TODAY.
5:46 I explaned her about what's culture? Hamburger or Holy cow is methophor of culture. My next question is how she understand the concept of lesson. I talked much as usual because I was not sure she knew the concept or not. I repeat again again..... to make sure she got it.
I am thinking Harmer's activity #6 how she is learning vacabularies even unfamiliar topic or subject. She doesn't know the real meaning of culture.
Drawing word map/circle brings her more opportunity to extend her vocabularies.
I will get it more about how to teach vocabulary week 11, I will give her more activity related vocabularies.
I hope that her vocabulary activity should be work!!
