Group items tagged

In this blog, Dr. Gianfranco Conti, Phd., founder of The Language Gym, discusses Schmidt's "Noticing Hypothesis" - noticing the gap between the first and second language. Noticing the gap and the similarities between the L1 and L2 is an important piece of language acquisition. Benefits to implementing this strategy include improving reading, pronunciation, grammar instruction, spelling, and essay writing.

(week 9: Jason Caputo and Ericka Posey) This article is accessible via jstor from the link above and can also be searched from the title via UMUC library. This article discusses research on online communities and the interaction between L2 (language learners) with L1 (native) speakers. It examines the benefits of participation in these communities as part of the learning experience. The research in the article supports the use of authentic experiences, even online, as a driver of language acquisition and student motivation to improve. Authentic experiences like those found online fill a gap in typical learning environments by giving cultural and linguistic context to communication. Though you may not teach a language or be able to include online communities directly into your course material, this article highlights the need to expand your instruction outside the four walls of your classroom. Provide opportunities for learning and assessment that reflect student interests and real world situations. The more student interests are taken into account, the greater their passion for learning. The more reflective of real world experiences, the deeper the learning experience. Thorne, S. L., Black, R. W., & Sykes, J. M. (2009). Second Language Use, Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest Communities and Online Gaming. The Modern Language Journal, 93, 802-821. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00974.x

It is no longer assumed that productive language competence naturally develops from receptive language competence. Now the noticing and the focused output hypotheses are considered in order to arrive at solutions for addressing the gap between receptive and productive competence.