Language learning and teaching

9:00 2020/8/29 

Taiwanese is the first language I learned naturally at home and at the church building where my family resided. I was not aware of the existence of Mandarin until 7 after I attended grade school. Obviously, I was totally lost the first moment I stepped into the classroom and could not be assigned a seat because I was accepted into the school after the number of enrollment was less than anticipated, in 1952. I was accustomed to the classroom atmosphere in the church Sunday School but not the disciplines and the language used in the public school.

Basically, my classmates were in the same situation except I missed the first couple of weeks because I was considered one year younger and not qualified for entering the school that year because my birthdate was more than one month after the standard date for the school year.

Fortunately, all the strange language I heard was about the commands for actions and I could comprehend them by simply watching others.

Shortly after I started learning in school I found that some classmates could not comprehend the teaching or follow the commands quickly enough. I quickly picked up a new curiosity and interest in how to teach and how to learn. Language learning and language teaching have been one of the areas that catch my attention.

Now as I look back trying to figure out what has been going on in the processes of language learning and language teaching. I sort out some elements or factors that might be helpful to thinking or studying.
  1. Language learning starts before language teaching. This means that people start learning new languages before they are taught a new language. The phenomena of self-learning should not be overlooked and should be utilized as much as possible.
  2. Some people could not advance or improve their methods of self-learning. It is possible for others to help or facility self-learning of languages.
  3. Language learning would not be successful unless self-learning is properly utilized.
  4. Languages learning/acquisition involves several stages: alphabets or syllabi, phrases, idioms, sentences, paragraphs, articles. 
  5. Languages learning/acquisition involves several fields: pronunciation, listening, translation, interpretation, lookup, labeling, defining, talking, speaking, writing, reading, paraphrasing, ... 13:28 2020/8/29


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