Remarks on language acquisition and literacy: Language acquisition and teaching, free reading, "Test-prep" and its consequences, the use of the first language, writing, and the great native speaker teacher debate
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25170/ijelt.v10i1.1505Keywords:
comprehensible input, language acquisition, TPR, Natural approach, TPRS, sheltered subject matter teaching, free voluntary reading, writingAbstract
This paper reviews the arguments for comprehensible input (the "comprehension hypothesis" and discusses some of its applications to beginning and intermediate language teaching, including free voluntary reading as a bridge from conversational to academic language. The comprehension hypothesis provides some guidance on the proper use of the first language in second language teaching and helps explain what writing can and cannot do. Finally, the comprehension hypothesis contributes to the Great Native Speaker Teacher debate: We want teachers (1) to understand language acquisition, (2) to understand language pedagogy, and (3) to speak the language well. My point is that number (3) alone is not enough, even if the teacher is a native speaker.
References
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Krashen, S., Lee, SY. & McQuillan, J. (2012). Is the library important? Multivariate studies at the national and international level. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 8(1), 26-36.
Lee, S.Y. (2005). Facilitating and inhibiting factors on EFL writing: A model testing with SEM. Language Learning, 55(2): 335-374.
Lee, S.Y. and Krashen, S. (2003). Writer’s block in a Chinese sample. Perceptual and Motor Skills 97, 537-542.
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Lao, C.Y. & Krashen, S. (1998). Implementation of mother-tongue teaching in Hong Kong secondary schools: some recent reports. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, US Dept. of Education.
Loh, EKY & Tse, SK (2009). The relationship between motivation to read Chinese and English and its impact on the Chinese and English reading performance of Chinese students. Chinese Education and Society, 42(3), 66-90.
Loh, E.K.Y. & Krashen, S. (2015). Patterns in PIRLS performance: The importance of liking to read, SES, and the effect of test prep. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning 3(1). http://ajouronline.com/index.php?journal=AJEEL
Mason, B. (2004). The effect of adding supplementary writing to an extensive reading program. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 1(1), 2–16.
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Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. Jossey-Bass.
Mullis, I., Martin, M., Foy, P., & Drucker K. (2012). PIRLS (2011) International Results in Reading. Amsterdam: IEA (International A sociation for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement).
Pilgreen, J. (2000). The SSR Handbook: How to organize and manage a sustained silent reading program. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Ravitch, D., & C. Finn. (1987). What do our 17-year-olds know? New York: Harper and Row.
Sari, R. (2013). Is it possible to improve writing without writing practice? International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 8,1.
Schatz, A., Panko, A., Pierce, K. & Krashen, S. (2010). Children underestimate how much their friends and classmates read. Knowledge Quest, 38(5), 70-71.
Simonton, D. K. 1988. Scientific genius. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Smith, F. (2004). Understanding reading. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Sixth Edition.
Stanovich, K. and A. Cunningham. (1993). Where does knowledge come from? Specific associations between print exposure and information acquisition. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(2), 211-229.
Truscott, J. (1996). The case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes. Language Learning, 46, 327–369.
Truscott, J. (2005). The continuing problems of oral grammar correction. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 1(2), 17-22.
Truscott, J. (2007). The effect of error correction on learners’ ability to write accurately. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16(4), 255-272.
Tse, S. K., Xiao, X. Y., Ko, H. W., Lam, J. W. I., Hui, S. Y., & Ng, H. W. (in press). Do reading practices make a difference? The analysis of PIRLS data for Hong Kong and Taiwan fourth-grade students. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education.
West, R., K. Stanovich, & H. Mitchell. (1993). Reading in the real world and its correlates. Reading Research Quarterly, 28, 35-50.
Asher, J. (1966). The learning strategy of the total physical response: a review. The Modern Language Journal, 50, 79-84.
Asher, J. (1969). The total physical response approach to second language learning. The Modern Language Journal, 53, 3-17.
Beebe, L. (1985). Input: Choosing the right stuff. In Gass, S. & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition. New York: Newbury House (pp. 404-414).
Bialystok, E., Craik, F., Klein, R., and Viswanathan, (2004). Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task. Psychology and Aging, 19(2), 290-303.
Bialystok E, Craik FI, and Freedman M. 2007. Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia. Neuropsychologia, 45(2):459-64
Cummins, J. (1981). The role of primary language development in promoting educational success for language minority students. In: California State Department of Education (Ed.), Schooling and Language Minority Students: A Theoretical Framework. Evaluation, Dissemination and Assessment Center, California State University, Los Angeles.
Crawford, J. and Krashen, S. 2015. English Learners in American Classrooms: 101 Questions, 101 Answers. Portland: DiversityLearningK-12.
Dupuy, B. (2000). Content-based instruction: Can it help ease the transition from beginning to advanced foreign language classes? Foreign Language Annals, 33(2), 205-223.
Elbow, P. (1973). Writing without teachers. New York: Oxford Press.
Elley, W. (1992). How in the world do students read? Amsterdam: The international association for the evaluation of educational achievement.
Fink, R. (1995/96). Successful dyslexics: A constructivist study of passionate interest reading. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 39(4), 268-80.
Flurkey, A., & Xu, J.. Eds. (2003). On the revolution in reading: The selected writings of Kenneth S. Goodman. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Howe, M. (1999). Genius explained. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon: Oxford.
Krashen, S. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. London & New York: Longman.
Krashen, S. (1991). Sheltered subject matter teaching. Cross Currents 18: 183-188. Reprinted in J. Oller (Ed.) Methods that work. Boston: Heinle & Heinle (pp. 143-148).
Krashen, S. (1996). Does Chinese literacy transfer to English? CAAPE (California Association of Asian Pacific American Education) Newsletter, Spring, 3-5.
Krashen, S. (1999). Condemned without a trial: Bogus arguments against bilingual education. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing Co.
Krashen, S. (2003). Explorations in language acquisition and language use: The Taipei lectures. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Krashen, S. (2004). The Power of reading(2 edition). Westport: Libraries
Krashen, S. (2011a). The compelling (not just interesting) input hypothesis. The English Connection (KOTESOL), 15 (3), 1.
Krashen, S. (2011b). Free voluntary reading. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Krashen, S. (2011c). Nonengagement in sustained silent reading: How extensive is it? What can it teach us? Colorado Reading Council Journal 22, 5-10.
Krashen, S. (2011d). Why we should stop scolding teenagers and their schools: Frequency of leisure reading. Language Magazine 11(4), 18-21.
Krashen, S. (2013a). The case for non-targeted, comprehensible input Journal of Bilingual Education Research & Instruction, 15(1), 102-110.
Krashen, S. (2013b). Does SIOP research support SIOP claims? International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 8 (1), 11-24.
Krashen, S. (2013c). Access to books and time to read versus the common core standards and tests. English Journal 103(2): 21-39.
Krashen, S. (2014). Comprehensible input-based methods versus traditional methods. http://skrashen.blogspot.hk/2014/08/comprensible-input-based-methods-vs.html
Krashen, S. & Terrell, T. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. New York: Prentice-Hall. Translated into Japanese by K. Fujimori, published in Japan by Taishukan Publishing Co.
Krashen, S. Tse, L. & J. McQuillan, J. (Eds.) (1988). Heritage language development. Culver City: Language Education Associates. Heritage language development: Some practical arguments.
Krashen, S., Lee, SY. & McQuillan, J. (2012). Is the library important? Multivariate studies at the national and international level. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 8(1), 26-36.
Lee, S.Y. (2005). Facilitating and inhibiting factors on EFL writing: A model testing with SEM. Language Learning, 55(2): 335-374.
Lee, S.Y. and Krashen, S. (2003). Writer’s block in a Chinese sample. Perceptual and Motor Skills 97, 537-542.
Lee, S.Y., Lao, C. & Krashen, S. (In press). Children underestimate how much others read: A confirmation using Chinese 7th graders in Hefei, China. Language and Language Teaching.
Lao, C.Y. & Krashen, S. (1998). Implementation of mother-tongue teaching in Hong Kong secondary schools: some recent reports. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, US Dept. of Education.
Loh, EKY & Tse, SK (2009). The relationship between motivation to read Chinese and English and its impact on the Chinese and English reading performance of Chinese students. Chinese Education and Society, 42(3), 66-90.
Loh, E.K.Y. & Krashen, S. (2015). Patterns in PIRLS performance: The importance of liking to read, SES, and the effect of test prep. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning 3(1). http://ajouronline.com/index.php?journal=AJEEL
Mason, B. (2004). The effect of adding supplementary writing to an extensive reading program. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 1(1), 2–16.
McField, G. & McField, D. (2014). The consistent outcome of bilingual education programs: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses. In Grace McField (Ed.), The Miseducation of English learners. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing (pp. 267-299).
Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. Jossey-Bass.
Mullis, I., Martin, M., Foy, P., & Drucker K. (2012). PIRLS (2011) International Results in Reading. Amsterdam: IEA (International A sociation for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement).
Pilgreen, J. (2000). The SSR Handbook: How to organize and manage a sustained silent reading program. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Ravitch, D., & C. Finn. (1987). What do our 17-year-olds know? New York: Harper and Row.
Sari, R. (2013). Is it possible to improve writing without writing practice? International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 8,1.
Schatz, A., Panko, A., Pierce, K. & Krashen, S. (2010). Children underestimate how much their friends and classmates read. Knowledge Quest, 38(5), 70-71.
Simonton, D. K. 1988. Scientific genius. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Smith, F. (2004). Understanding reading. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Sixth Edition.
Stanovich, K. and A. Cunningham. (1993). Where does knowledge come from? Specific associations between print exposure and information acquisition. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(2), 211-229.
Truscott, J. (1996). The case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes. Language Learning, 46, 327–369.
Truscott, J. (2005). The continuing problems of oral grammar correction. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 1(2), 17-22.
Truscott, J. (2007). The effect of error correction on learners’ ability to write accurately. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16(4), 255-272.
Tse, S. K., Xiao, X. Y., Ko, H. W., Lam, J. W. I., Hui, S. Y., & Ng, H. W. (in press). Do reading practices make a difference? The analysis of PIRLS data for Hong Kong and Taiwan fourth-grade students. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education.
West, R., K. Stanovich, & H. Mitchell. (1993). Reading in the real world and its correlates. Reading Research Quarterly, 28, 35-50.
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2015-05-31
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