Also, research seems to show that interaction has a lot of positive benefits in language learning. But there are ways to have interaction in a class without requiring students to produce a lot of language.
TPR includes interaction because the students are listening to the teacher and trying to understand respond to the teacher’s instructions. Or maybe they are answering questions with a “yes” or “no” or something.
Jeff,
Have you (or has anyone else) tried out the Polyglot method mentioned in your post above ? It’s an interesting video.
I’m thinking of giving it a go to kick-start my German, which has been floundering on the rocks for some time now and I feel like doing something a bit different.
Does it work ? Or rather, does it work as well as its proponent in the video suggests ?
I haven’t tried it yet, but of course it works. I’m 100% sure of it. Just about any pedagogical or mnemonical source state that the more senses we use, the better the results will get (Dillemme mentions it as well). The sentence patterns must get into the brain somehow, whether we like it or not and whether we choose to read, listen, study grammar formally… (everything IS grammar, by the way), and thus it makes a lot of sense to say the sentences out loud.
I’ve heard that their successful students, as David Long, learn to speak like a native speaker, without a foreign accent.
I don’t speak Thai and, obviously, I can’t say much about his ability to speak. This is just what I’ve heard.
For what I can remember they say that spontaneous speech is not harmful, even if it is wrong. That the problem doesn’t come from being wrong, it comes from forcing yourself to do what you are not ready to.
I think that one of the points of silent period is to give the students the opportunity to internalize the pronunciation of the words deeply into their brains.
They say that the brain prefers to “remember” what you say instead of what you listen.
According to their theory, If you listen correctly and speak incorrectly, you’re more likely to remember the incorrect pronunciation.
I kind of agree with them. There are some really annoying musics that I’m forced to listen everywhere I go and when I think about them I can remember the voice of the singer perfectly.
While with the musics I like to hear and that I usually sing while listening or alone, I often mix my pronunciation and intonation with the singer’s one.
That’s the same for the podcasts I listen to.
“If you listen correctly and speak incorrectly, you’re more likely to remember the incorrect pronunciation.”
Then there’s something wrong with the “method”… why do you speak incorrectly if you listen correctly? Some “get it” immediately, others probably don’t “get it” no matter how many thousands of hours they spend on listening.
Of course we can learn good pronunciation. It just seems as if speaking isn’t top priority for the ALG people (OK, it’s not my top priority either, but I definitely open my mouth in the beginning stages).
Here some thought on Silent Period
http://bit.ly/hurTLh
It is from AJ Hoge’s old blog. Those that are studying English may know him, he has some content in the library.
It seems he has gone through a lot of stuff to create that article.
Just a quote from what you’ll see at this link:
"We do not require students to perform when they are not ready and willing to do so. Speaking is always voluntary, hence it is genuine speaking in contrast to the embarrassed, strained output THAT PASSES FOR speaking in some methods.”
hahaha
There’s here a critique AJ made on the AUA program.
http://bit.ly/fwgaQQ
Here’s Keith. He uses the ALG method watching TV programmes.
http://bit.ly/eq0vsE
He has just finished his silent period for Chinese (2000 hours). Let’s see how can he speak. At least those of you who understand Chinese…lol
“I’ll refrain from criticizing myself and let you all criticize me instead.” he said.
By the way, Keith also is a user of LingQ, he may join the conversation here, who knows.
PS: I’m having problems with my internet connectiion. I hope the links are working correctly.
In the context of the Natural Approach, the Silent Period involves being exposed to large amounts of meaningful, comprehensive input. So, it’s not enough just to listen - you have to understand (more or less) and be interested in what you’re listening to.
From what I saw on the website, they employ teachers, so it’s an interactive kind of listening.
Listening for 2,000 hours is great, but it depends a lot on what you are listening to.