Title Total Physical Response

Author(s) Jill Kerper Mora

Source http://moramodules.com/ALMMethods.htm

Total Physical ResponseAsher, J.C.  (1979). Learning Another Language Through Actions. San Jose, California: AccuPrint.

James J. Asher defines the Total Physical Response (TPR) method as one that combines information and skills through the use of the kinesthetic sensory system. This combination of skills allows the student to assimilate information and skills at a rapid rate. As a result, this success leads to a high degree of motivation. The basic tenets are:

Understanding the spoken language before developing the skills of speaking. Imperatives are the main structures to transfer or communicate information. The student is not forced to speak, but is allowed an individual readiness period and allowed to spontaneously begin to speak when the student feels comfortable and confident in understanding and producing the utterances.

TECHNIQUE

Step I The teacher says the commands as he himself performs the action.

Step 2 The teacher says the command as both the teacher and the students then perform the action.

Step 3 The teacher says the command but only students perform the action

Step 4 The teacher tells one student at a time to do commands

Step 5 The roles of teacher and student are reversed. Students give commands to teacher and to other students.

Step 6 The teacher and student allow for command expansion or produces new sentences.

Mora, J. K. (n.d.). Second and foreign language teaching methods. Retrieved from http://moramodules.com/ALMMethods.htm

Title Interactionist Theory

Author(s) Kate Henschel

Source http://www.brighthubeducation.com/esl-teaching-tips/90410-the-interactionist-theory-of-language-acquisition-in-esl/

Interactionist Theory

This article explores the Interactionist Theory of language acquisition, one of the many

theories of how children and adults learn languages.

Language Learning at an Early Age

From birth, children are surrounded by others who talk to them or with them. This

communication plays a part in how the baby learns to speak his or her native language. Some argue

that "nature" is entirely responsible for how a baby learns a language, while others argue that

"nurture" is responsible for how a baby picks up his or her mother tongue. Social interactionists

argue that the way a baby learns a language is both biological and social.

Everyone loves to coo at babies, and this "baby talk" is exposing the child to language,

whether we realize it or not. Interactionists believe that children are born with brains that predispose

them to the ability to pick up languages as well as with a desire to communicate. Some

Interactionists even argue that babies and children cue their parents and other adults into giving

them the linguistic exposure they need to learn a language. The Interactionist Theory posits that

children can only learn language from someone who wants to communicate with them.

Perhaps two of the biggest names in the Interactionist Theory of Language Acquisition are

Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner.

Vygotsky and Bruner

Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist, created a model of human development now called the

sociocultural model. He believed that all cultural development in children is visible in two stages.

First, the child observes the interaction between other people and then the behaviour develops

inside the child. This means that the child first observes the adults around him communicating

amongst themselves and then later develops the ability himself to communicate.

Vygotsky also theorized that a child learns best when interacting with those around him to

solve a problem. At first, the adult interacting with the child is responsible for leading the child, and

eventually, the child becomes more capable of problem solving on his own. This is true with

language, as the adult first talks at the child and eventually the child learns to respond in turn. The

child moves from gurgling to baby talk to more complete and correct sentences.

Bruner, best known for his discovery learning theory, believes that learners, whether they

are adults or children, learn best when they discover knowledge for themselves. He believes that

students retain knowledge best when it is something they have discovered on their own. Bruner

argues that an adult and an infant have conversations despite the child being unable to speak. The

interaction between the two, such as games and non-verbal communication, build the structure of

language long before the child is able to communicate verbally.

Interactionist Theory and ESL

How does the Interactionist Theory fit in with ESL in a classroom? When faced with

learning English as a second language, the student is essentially an infant. They cannot

communicate with the teacher except through non-verbal communication. Therefore, it is up to the

teacher to act as the adult in the infant-adult relationship. He or she is responsible for leading all

interaction at first, and as the student becomes more familiar with the English language and able to

communicate, the control of the interaction can be relinquished a bit and the students can take more

control of their own language learning. Also, if students are encouraged to experiment with the

language and learn that it is okay to make mistakes, they will be able to discover for themselves

how to combine words and phrases to form full sentences and dialogues.

Henschel, K. (2012, March 2). Interactionist theory. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/esl-teaching-tips/90410-the-interactionist-theory-of-language-acquisition-in-esl/

Title The Classroom Teacher - Roles and Responsibilities

Author(s) Maureen Devlin

Source http://teachwellnow.blogspot.com/2012/03/classroom-teacher-roles-and.html

Title Students' Role

Author(s) Greg William

Source http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/units/contestedknowledges/StudentsRole.html

Students' Role

What do we expect from students studying Contested Knowledge’s?

Studying Contested Knowledge’s is probably going to be different from studies that you have done previously. Because we are looking at the idea of contesting knowledge and investigating the contingent nature of knowledge production, it is important that we teach this unit in a way that is consistent with the philosophy of the unit itself. How can we teach a unit in ways that cut across the sorts of things that we aim to teach?

As such, the way in which we run this unit will mean that the way you approach your study is going to be different. By contesting the dominant knowledge systems, by making space for other knowledge systems to have a say, we are saying that your contribution to the construction of knowledge in this class is important.

This means that your role in this class is an active one. Your role in constructing knowledge about contesting and constructing knowledge is important and I encourage you to contribute to the discussions, share the insights you bring with you and be an active participant in your own learning.

Be prepared though, this doesn't mean that anything goes! To be active in this learning process means that you can say whatever you like but you need to be able to substantiate what you say. You need to respect other people's rights to speak and to have opinions that differ to your own. That doesn't mean you can't challenge them to support their ideas with evidence, but be prepared to be challenged yourself. Be open to change, but don't enforce change on others.

These are some of the rules that you need follow when you are investigating issues in an academic arena. Part of the process of learning in Contested Knowledge’s is becoming aware of these rules or conventions as we discuss and negotiate around the issues. No one is expecting you accept these rules uncritically, but they are a starting point and they do provide some structure within which to operate our discussion and contestation of knowledge.

Above all however, you need to make sure that you enjoy the learning experience in Contested Knowledge’s. Education is a serious business, which means that you need to make sure that you seriously enjoy your study in this unit. Have some fun!

Contested knowledge's : Students role. (2011, October 10). Retrieved from http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/units/contestedknowledges/StudentsRole.html

Title The Relationship between First and Second Language Learning Revisited

The idea of contesting knowledge and investigating the contingent nature of knowledge production

Role in constructing knowledge about contesting and constructing knowledge is important.Encourage to contribute to the discussions, share the insights you bring with you and be an active participant in your own learning.

you can say whatever you like but you need to be able to substantiate what you say

You need to respect other people's rights to speak and to have opinions that differ to your own. That doesn't mean you can't challenge them to support their ideas with evidence, but be prepared to be challenged yourself. Be open to change, but don't enforce change on others.

Education is a serious business, which means that you need to make sure that you seriously enjoy your study Student

s' Role

Author(s) Vivian Cook

Source http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/Writings/Papers/L1&L22008.htm

The Relationship between First and Second Language

Learning

Second language acquisition is built on a prior understanding

of how language works.

Second language learners may learn languages for many different reasons,

unlike first language learners who need to

learn for survival.

Second language learners may start

the process of language acquisition

at any age.

Second language acquisition involves

more conscious thought than first

language acquisition.

Errors made by first language acquirers

are generally accepted and frequently not

corrected whereas errors made by

second language acquirers are often

corrected.

First language acquirers are usually in a supportive and warm environment

with plenty of contextual cues ideal

for language acquisition whereas

second language acquirers may not be.

Title Reviewing First and Second Language Acquisition - A Comparison between Young and Adult Learners

Author(s) Hiromi Hadley

Source http://www.nuis.ac.jp/~hadley/publication/languageacquisition_files/languageacquisition.htm

Reviewing First and Second Language

Acquisition

adult L2 learners are unlikely to achieve perfect L2 mastery

complete success rare

L2 learners vary in overall success and route

L2 learners may be content with less than target language competence or more concerned with fluency than accuracy

One of the noticeable differences in learning an L1 in a natural

setting and learning an L2 in the classroom seems to be the

quantity and quality of the target language input the learner

receives in her learning environment

Adults, on the other hand, need to be somehow motivated to

learn a second language particularly in an EFL situation