Transfer: Engagement Required
"Language learning is a long, arduous process, and it’s not realistic to expect that ELLs will become nativelike in less than 10 years, much less the one semester I have them in my course." (Error Feedback in L2 Writing, Charles Nelson )
Completely and totally agree with this statement, and am looking forward to Nelson’s explorations on the subject of how (or if) ESL teachers can promote the transfer of grammar.
Confession: I’ve been teaching for nearly 8 years now, and I have had the experience of working with the same students for several years. I’ve seen their confidence bloom. I’ve seen them begin to speak with greater fluency, and I’ve seen them increase their vocabulary and actually use new words in everyday conversations. I’ve seen them use verbs correctly in simple and even complex situations. But one thing I have yet to see in all my 8 years of teaching, is a student consistently use native speaker like grammar. Fluent yes: conversation is easy and with few to no pauses or "ummm’s" or "uhhh’s". On some levels, correct grammar…basic tenses are usually ok. But, as Nelson mentions, there are areas of student speech that just seem to rebel.
I would like to wonder if this is partly caused by a lack of engagement with grammar. I wholeheartedly believe that how we learn our second language should be similar to how we learned our first one. Our first language was never about memorizing lists of verbs or complex explanations about "tense" or time. We never agonized over if we were talking in the future or the past or the past perfect. Instead, it was about hearing these grammar items repeatedly (like thousands and thousands of times) in a friendly in environment, recycled sometimes in the same sentence structure, and at other sometimes in new ones over a period of many years. (Ok, really broad, not even near exhaustive, painting of how we learn our first language…)
But here’s what I think is valuable to remember from that time: Our first language was learned in the midst of engagement. We were deeply involved in the process on a number of high impact levels: emotionally, physically, and mentally. I wonder how engaged in grammar you were when you ratted on your brother or sister for something he/she DID or was DOING to you. Or when you were just putting words together to ask for stuff, like when you were hungry or thirsty. You felt the need to use what you had heard and learned, and so you just did it, mistakes and all.
Grammar development, even as children, takes a few years to get ironed out. My son is 4. Today he speaks with only minor grammar mistakes in his first language, which is Spanish. 4 years. That’s f-o-u-r years of listening to the "grammar" around him. Of interacting and getting correction and encouragement to try again. No rules memorized. No awareness of present, past, or future tense. No verb lists memorized - yet the boy speaks better Spanish than me most of the time. (And I’ve been at this for 8 years!) My vocabulary is much bigger than his (for now), but he surpasses me in fluency and grammar complexity.
I’ve been pondering why this is, and I keep thinking about that "e" word. Engagement. He’s easily way more engaged than I am in the learning process, and the results speak for themselves.
So my point is this: We can increase grammar transfer the more we find ways to "suck students in" - to engage them with what we’re trying to teach. I’d just like to point you toward a great example of how to make grammar more interesting for students (and teachers) of all ages. Check this out…thanks to Katie over at TEFL Logue for sending me here: GRAMMARMAN
After I enjoyed a few Grammarman cartoons, I found a gem: Roadrunner Grammar
I’ll be using this one in my class tomorrow to help reinforce some of the work we’ve been doing around the present and past continuous tenses. But the idea is that Grammarman is a fun way to work on grammar. You actually enjoy the process….for sure an ally in making grammar work more exciting for our students don’t you think?
Photo Credit:
Back Tour by publicenergy
Agree with everything you’ve said.
Still, over the years I’ve come to temper my expectations a bit regarding adults and grammar accuracy. For many adults, being past that “critical period” in childhood, when neural connections form easily, means they just won’t ever get the grammar level they want. Sometimes with students we just accept that, and focus more on areas where we get more (learning) bang for our buck.
Also we try and anticipate grammar needs and prepare in advance: if in a meeting they may be discussing scenarios or strategy options or something, we work on conditionals in the context of role-playing exactly what they will say (which is the engagement-through-relevance you’re talking about!).
Comment by Cleve — March 9, 2007 @ 5:52 am
Cleve,
Great to see you around here again. I liked your ideas about relaxing a little around our grammar expectations. I would like to explore the neural or brain side of language learning some more - so if you have any links related to that would you mind sharing?
I also strongly agree with you around the “just in time” focus on grammar. I think it makes more sense on an engagement side of things to focus on grammar that is expected or known to be required by students - I think we’d pay more attention when we know we’ll be using it.
Thanks for your comments,
Aaron
Comment by Aaron Nelson — March 11, 2007 @ 10:11 pm
thanks to the ref on the roadrunner cartoon…I am working with my esl students on present continuous..this would be a great upper for them to view I think…
i agree with you take on active engagement…but remember, your son’s brain is wired differently then yours right now…his is much more active in terms of development and what I think is referred to as neural mapping…
There is some kind of growth process that is going on in his brain that allows him to aquire and assimilate new info. and skills at a much faster rate than we do now.
I am not solid on all the science, but the idea is that the little guy is mapping out his neural net…and his brain is making connections at an amazing speed = faster processor.
Just a few thoughts…
I agree that there is a big divide between the formal grammar and the conversation- there seems to be entrenched speech patterns, perhaps?
cheers
Comment by James Matthew — March 28, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
just a follow-up on this one. I used one of the videos today in my esl support class, and the students enjoyed it and found it helpful.
Very timely, as we are working with past continuous right now!!
Thanks again! It’s great to hear a few chuckles during grammar work time!
Comment by james matthew — April 11, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
It’s tough when you’re teaching Business English and the client expects a group to take a 30-hour course and come out of it with perfect grammar! One whole semester to work with it would be heaven in that situation!
At the same time, I work with people of a very high standard who want to reach perfection, but, as you mentioned, they may never get there as adults.
Comment by em — June 14, 2007 @ 8:13 pm