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Turning the key: using grammar to unlock languages for adults . Association for Language Learning, March, 2013 [email protected] johnbald.typepad.com An old problem (from Chaucer, G, Prologue, late C14 ) And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly, After the scole of stratford atte bowe, For frenssh of parys was to hire unknowe. Brain cells and connections (from The Learning Brain, Blakemore and Frith, 2005) As we learn, brain cells form connections with each other that build into networks. These connections are strengthened with practice. Brain cell (from Neuroscience and Education, Teaching and Learning Research Project, 2007) Brain cell connections (from Neuroscience and Education, Teaching and Learning Research Project, 2007) Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: Six months Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: Three years The brain adapts itself to different languages Reading Aloud in English and Italian, evidence from brain scans (active areas in black) • • • Left: reading system of English and Italian combined Centre: sound processing more active in Italian Right: word form area more active in English (fromThe Learning Brain, Blakemore and Frith, 2005) The areas of the brain used for written and spoken language are interlinked and overlap (Dr. Matt Davis, MRC, Languages Today, Spring 2013) • • • Hearing Reading Both As we learn a new language… • We add to and adapt the structures formed in our brain as we learned our first language. • These structures influence the way we learn the new language, both the parts we find easy, and the errors we make. (Swan and Smith, Learner English.) • Linguistic structures include words, the way they are put together (grammar) and the way they are presented (intonation, phrasing, body language) English speakers need to adapt to: • New relationships between written and spoken language, including spelling and pronunciation. • Gender in nouns that have no physical gender, and in associated pronouns and adjectives. • Greater variation in verb forms than in English (except for Mandarin!) We promote new networks by... • Understanding the adjustments people need to make to their thinking. This includes differences and similarities between the grammar of their first language and that of the new language. • Explaining these in terms they understand • Presenting new material carefully, and at a pace people find comfortable, so that everything fits what we say and people do not have to resolve contradictions between what we say, and what they hear and see. • Teaching spoken and written language together, so that people can see the links between them • Encouraging and answering questions • Encouraging people to practise We hinder the formation of networks by • Copying, which requires people to switch their attention continually between the master version and their own. These jerky movements hinder thinking and the formation of connections. • Overloading, by presenting too much new written material at a time, or presenting spoken language that is too fast for people to understand. Copying errors from a Year 7 mixed-ability class • • • • • • Quel as âge tu. O habite tu Ou j’habites-tu Où habite a Londres. Common t’appelle tú_ Je onzo age Ja un douze Quel âge as-tu? Où habites-tu? J’habite à Londres. Comment t’appelles-tu? J’ai onze ans J’ai douze ans (experienced teacher, pupils had models of the sentences they were trying to write, from which they could copy.) Michel Thomas: a pioneer. • Use “shared words” via the Latin link. • Construct sentences using pronouns rather than new vocabulary. • Use few verbs, but a full range of tenses. • Go slowly and carefully at first, and don’t guess. But, no writing, no practice? • When we understand the links between written and spoken language, both contribute to learning. • The links between spoken and written language are not always obvious. • We need to read and write. • Practice consolidates and speeds up new neural networks, and so builds the foundation for future learning. The roots of grammatical knowledge... • The Renaissance. Gramática de la lengua castellana (1492) Antonio de Nebrija Isabella the Catholic…me preguntó que para qué podía aprovechar… (roughly) asked me what was the point... ...and of our problems with grammar. • 1542, ordered Lily’s Latin grammar, Rudimenta Grammatices (1534) to be used in all English schools. • 1586, William Bullokar, Bref Grammar for English, based on Latin rules. “The first grammar that ever waz (sic)” • 1604, Robert Cawdrey, A Table Alphabeticall. 20th Century: Linguistics Useful • verb phrase (Chomsky). A verb can be more than one word. I was going home. Confusing • Complicated terminology eg determiner , designed for analysis rather than learning • Concentration on form rather than usage, particularly in tenses in English 21st Century Grammar • Starts from the learner’s perspective • Is based on usage, including idiom as well as rules and patterns • Enables people to communicate by putting what they want to say into the words and forms of the new language • Uses plain words wherever possible • Puts first things first • Understands its limitations Priorities • Explain shared words with some examples – this builds confidence • Ensure that people understand sentence, verb and subject. • Make simple sentences using these, with shared words for vocab and pronouns for other words. • Ensure that you have positive and negative forms clear • Build out from there using your judgement, with the emphasis on structures rather than vocab. Key Terms • Sentence. Begins with capital, ends with full stop. • Verb. Most verbs do things. To be, To have, the most common verbs, don’t. The French call these verbs of state. The Chinese call them linking verbs. A verb may be a group of words. Verbs are so important, that they have a name. (aka infinitive). In English, their name begins with “to”. • Subject - not the topic of a sentence, but whoever or whatever does what the verb does (or is, or has). • Tense - old French word tens, time. In my approach, tense and time are synonymous, and we teach tense to indicate time in the new language. This is not the same as the current view of linguistics specialists • Positive and negative constructions are essential to communicate meaning. • Gender. • Noun name or category • Companion word – keep categories company in most European languages. • Some further working definitions for use as and when needed • Adjective Used to be “noun adjective” as it could not work as a name on its own. • Pronoun saves time • Adverb tells us what it goes with • Object has something done to it, or sometimes given to it (indirect) • Active/passive we don’t often use passive • Mood - if, should, might, • Link words/starter words , • Punctuation – weak strong . ! ? : ; - Application 1: French • The French like their spoken language to flow, and their written language to be precise. • All nouns have a gender. (Very occasionally, two – le or la professeur) • The negative is tricky. • The form of verbs varies more than in English Teaching flow in French • Explain that vowels are voice sounds, and that two together can be jerky – say je ai . Can they hear the jerk? • Demonstrate the technique of dropping the first vowel and replacing it with an apostrophe. Write apostrophe on the board. Who can see that it’s a shared word with English? Explain that apostrophe comes from the Greek word for a link, and that we use it so that a letter would not be left dangling. So, we have j’ai. • Give and explain lots of examples, and practise by calling out words and having people say whether they have an apostrophe or not. Have people write constructions without looking, and check. • Write and explain the sentence J’ai un chat, noting the letter at the end of the word that is not pronounced. Make similar sentences with silent letters at the ends of words, and note that this pattern happens most of the time and not always. If you doubt it, count up to ten... Introducing Gender in French Gender came into languages, from ancient Egyptian onwards, in much the same way that gods and goddesses came into religion, though we don’t know exactly how or why. Gender virtually died out in English after the Norman Conquest, but stayed on in most languages including French. There is no completely reliable way of knowing an unfamiliar word’s gender in French. The best guide is a companion word: un or le masculine – uncle une or la feminine – lady Aunt June I call out words and have the students identify feminine ones first, as the companion words are a little more stressed. Later, they will see that feminine words are often more stressed too – Madame, Monsieur. A French person’s gender is reinforced by the endings of words in everyday speeck. Children understand this from around Y4. A woman writing about herself might say Je suis intelligente, a man Je suis intelligent. Keeping it personal reinforces the idea of gender. French verbs – negative first Gender came into languages, from ancient Egyptian onwards, in much the same way that gods and goddesses came into religion, though we don’t know exactly how or why. Gender virtually died out in English after the Norman Conquest, but stayed on in most languages including French. There is no completely reliable way of knowing an unfamiliar word’s gender in French. The best guide is a companion word: un or le masculine – uncle une or la feminine – lady Aunt June I call out words and have the students identify feminine ones first, as the companion words are a little more stressed. Later, they will see that feminine words are often more stressed too – Madame, Monsieur. A French person’s gender is reinforced by the endings of words in everyday speeck. Children understand this from around Y4. A woman writing about herself might say Je suis intelligente, a man Je suis intelligent. Keeping it personal reinforces the idea of gender. ... a suggested first order... • Colours have key features – vert, bleu, rouge, blanc, jaune, orange, noir, violet, marron. Say together, study, look away, write on sleeve. • Bonjour! (G’day). Drop the tongue to pronounce. • Sing and point (to self and people) pronouns • Sing and point être. I usually do negative first. • Sentence building with family and pets introduces gender and avoir, positive and negative. My First Steps in Spanish. • Colours. Rojo, azul, verde, amarillo, marrón introduce most of the variations between Spanish and English pronunciation, and the accent. As with French, say together, study, look away and write on sleeve. • Explain ¡Buenos Días! as a greeting, and what it means. • Sing Ser to 10 green bottles, with actions, explaining how Spanish takes advantage of its word endings to omit the short words we have to put in front of verbs. • Introduce masculine/feminine, via the idea of boys’ and girls’ words for younger children. Eg soy una niña/un niño. • Build sentences about family/pets, around tengo/no tengo. With Clicker… Extensions suggested by Y4 Sentence Modelling… • Allows people to say what they want to say • Uses all channels of communication to promote and reinforce learning • Lets people compose written sentences as they do spoken ones • Presents new structures clearly and at a pace people can control • Extends opportunities for study, explanation and questions • Eliminates the to-and-fro brain switches involved in copying • Lets us present advanced language clearly and flexibly • • Raises achievement in reading and writing Is easy to use, and can be practised on mobile devices. French Verb song (song copyright ©Joe Biswell and John Bald) Je Tu Il Elle (point to self, whole hand –finger pointing is rude) (point to a friend, whole hand – they can’t help smiling !) (point to a boy, not your tu friend) (ditto a girl) Nous Big circular sweep with both hands Vous Point to teacher with both hands – explain that vous is a mark of respect to a grown up. Ils Point to two boys both hands Elles Point to two girls both hands A possible order for verbs • Pronouns only with actions • Etre (negative with shaking of head) • Etre positive (might try with nodding head) • Some regular verbs - eg regarder, écouter, jouer, penser, manger (these bring out regular patterns) • Any other verb the children would need to use to say something. Some patterns in French verbs • Tu ends in s • ils/elles end in nt • Nous ends in -ons • Vous ends in –ez (not nous sommes) (not vous êtes and vous faites) • These patterns recur in almost all tenses, including those made with auxiliary (helping) verbs, conditionals and subjunctives. Footnote: Spanish verbs • Spanish takes a shortcut – unless there is a need to emphasise it, the pronoun is incorporated into the verb. • Spanish verbs can be sung to Ten Green Bottles, using the same gestures as for the French • Negatives are easy – just begin with no. • Tengo is a good starting point, as it can be used to say so many things, and the first person is easy to spell. Building out and self-help (free resources in blue) • • • • • • • • • • • • • Michel Thomas courses; (+ Tuttle Chinese Characters) Tony Buzan Collins Language Revolution. Google Translate - as long as you check it! Youtube eg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnIU1Ip5Vs BBC Active – wide range of languages, CD+book, apps BBC websites. Rough Guide Phrasebooks Parallel texts. Perhaps begin with Tardy, Easy Sp.Reader. www.linguee.com – how people say things in other languages. www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/ Diccionario Maria Moliner Ultimate Spanish Phrasefinder Collins Easy Learning Grammar Some References Clicker 6 + Acapello voices + app +dropbox: www.cricksoft.com The Learning Brain, Blakemore S and Frith U Blackwell 2005 Brain Systems for Language Learning, M. Davis, Languages Today, Spring 2013 Neuroscience and Education, TLRP 2007 Spell it Out. D Crystal, 2012 Learner English, Swan M and Smith B, CUP 2001