UNIT 12: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L1 AND L2 LEARNING

In this unit I learn that we learn our first language different than we learn a forage language. There are two main important factors when we learn a language that is the age and the context and way of learning. First, the age to acquire the mother tong is in childhood since the learner is a baby until his/her adolescence. For them is easily to pick up the language because they are as a sponge and learn it at the same time as their cognitive skills. Also they are motivated by their environment because they have the need to express and communicate their thoughts. On the other hand the L2 is learning in school. It could begin when a learner is on primary school until when he/she is adult and his/her expectations about language is clear. Second, to learn a L1 it is necessary to be exposure and interact with the members of our family or people who speak the same language as our mother tongue. In contrast, to pick up L2 it has a lot of practice and learner is often focus on structures and individual words in order to avoid making mistake it is not natural.

http://www.llt.msu.edu/vol10num3/yoshii/default.html

Eli Hinkel, (2013)Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning

UNIT 11: THE ROLE OF ERROR

In unit 11 I learnt that mistakes are often categorized into error and slips; and those plays an important and useful part in language learning. That mistakes are an inseparable part of the learning process. The main study here is that making mistake is normal when you are acquired a second language. Because you have your first language (mother tongue/L1) and it can interfere. For example in the L1 there are some patterns and grammatical structure that you transfer to L2. Don't worry too much about perfection. No one in real life cares if you speak perfectly or not well, only teachers do, if you want to say something just do it. Don’t feel afraid just take care on not overgeneralized the words. As teacher we cannot fight all battles at the same time. I know we would like our students to speak accuracy each and every time they need to communicate, but this rarely happens. If each and every time a student opens his / her mouth you will be making corrections, you will make his / her life miserable. Let them talk for as long as you can clearly understand the message they are trying to get across. Whenever the message becomes unclear, time to help them a little bit.

Ø  Julio Foppoli (2004) The Role of Errors in Second Language Learning

Retrived from: http://www.esaudio.net/spanish-articles/the-role-of-errors-in-second-language-learning/

Ø  http://www.ojs.academypublisher.com/index.php/tpls/article/viewFile/tpls020510271032/4942

UNIT 10: EXPOSURE AND FOCUS ON FORM

EXPOSURE AND FOCUS ON FORM 

In this unit I studied that there are two ways to learn a language, exposure and focus on form. Experts say that it is better to acquire the language, rather than learning it. But what is the difference? First, I am going to explain what exposure and focus on form is. According to TKT course, exposure is when a learner learn a language by hearing and reading it and without studding it. This is the main way in which children learn their first language. On the other hand, focus on form is more for adult because they already have their mother tongue so for them is a little difficult to learn a language just by exposure they need to notice how it is pronounce and written, and how its grammar and vocabulary are former and use. Second, what is better acquire or learn a language. We do not acquiring a foreign language best through learning grammar and translating. Nor do we learn by constantly practicing until we form habits or just by communicating. We learn by picking up language, interacting, and communicating, and focusing on form. So exposure and focus on form cannot be separate if you want to learn or teach a forage language. Therefore, as teachers we need to use a wide variety of language at the right level of our students and take into account that learners need time to acquire the language (they need their own silent period) and also they need to use the language to interact with their classmates because it is the only place where they can practice and use the language. 

• Richard D. Lambert,Elana Shohamy (2000) Language Policy and Pedagogy: Essays in honor of A. Ronald Walton
• Richard W. Schmidt (1995) Attention and Awareness in Foreign Language Learning

UNIT 9: MOTIVATION

In unit 9 of my TKT coursebook I have learned that there are some factors that influence in motivation it involucre learners and teachers. But what is motivation. First, it is defined as “the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid and the degree of effort they will exert in this respect” (Keller, 1983). Motivation is one of the most important factors which influence language learners’ success or failure in learning the target language. So students who are unmotivated will not learn effectively. They may feel that they have no interest in the subject, find the teacher’s methods un-engaging or be distracted by external forces. Second, one of the most difficult aspects of becoming a teacher is learning how to motivate our students. There are some strategies that teacher need to use in their classes don’t make students demotivate when they are learning English. For example, teachers have to encourage pupils in order to make them feel important. Be enthusiastic in the classroom and praise your students often. Based on the explanation above, we know that motivation is so important in learning English. Anyway, every human being has motivation; all we have to do as teacher is stimulate that motivation.

• http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02011.x/abstract 
• CHRISTOPHER, M.(2011). Article first published online: 20 OCT 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05240.x Retrived from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.15404781.1986.tb05240.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false  Rebecca L. (1994), The 
• Modern Language Journal Vol. 78, No. 4 Published by: Wiley Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/328589