A Conversation with Janet Goodwin, Applied Linguistics, UCLA

[orNoelle910]

LOL.

[jhamien920]

What a very nice conversation. Useful...

[sotaqueamericano1]

I am a General and Applied Linguistics teacher at a teacher training college in Argentina that prepares students who wish to become either techers of EFL, as well as Translators. I think this video is great! I'm definetely going to show it to my students in Argentina!!!!

[rastermode]

I am one of the student in the 1986 pronunciation class. If I'm correct, that was the first class Janet ever taught in UCLA. After all these years, she is still one of the best teacher I ever have. It's good to see her again!

[thibaulthalpern]

They have people from Canada take this course? That's a little strange.

[akaso405]

the Canadian student was the model, not a student in her class.

[splandreth]

I have worked with Professor Goodwin and had the opportunity to help some of these graduate students. She doesn't teach the grad students to mimic anyone, nor does she push any culture on anyone. She makes connections among graduate and undergraduate students and allows them to help one another. Her programs have been extremely successful. Please make sure you know the details of what goes on before you make criticisms.

[lordennis01]

This is creepy, they are forcing the culture down the kid's throught.

[ButterBricks]

How so ? What culture ?

[lordennis01]

They are teaching international students, so they have, presumably, their own culture.

They are then taught to indentify and emulate the students they are studying, as if it is the only accepted way to speak. So, in this sense, you are forcing the American culture down their throat*.

And why undergraduates, and not say.. Noam Chomsky? I would certainly think that his speech is far more superior to that of most undergraduates, and therefore a better choice to emulate.

[ButterBricks]

Ok, I see were your coming from.

~ Hmmm, It's a bit like how the teach immigrants from India how to assimilate into western culture. Always found that strange; legislated curriculum teaching masses of people how to blend in, what to wear. Odd, but none the less, straight-forward.

[quomodocumque]

way off base bro. She is teaching Graduate students to listen to how undergrad native speakers speak. She isn't forcing any culture, she is helping them to improve their English by analyzing how native speakers actually use the language. The students come to her for help and asked her to teach them. Learning English does not make you an Anglo, just an English speaker.

[lordennis01]

I don't think students come to her for help, but if you can find it where she says they do I will withdraw the comment. She said she teaches courses, that has nothing to do with people coming to her for help. Furthermore learning english has its effects, especially in the manner that they teach it.

[tame1999]

You should learn how to write clearly and coherently. She touches on a very crucial defect in this country's foreign language education system: emphasizing proper forms and not giving equal treatment to everyday, common speech. Your comments hint at something conspiratorial about her efforts man.

[lordennis01]

I am not emphasizing anything conspiratorial, what I was critisizing her about was that she is teaching foreign students to mimic undergraduates, as if that is the appropriate way to learn english. If, you actually read what I've wrote, that wouldn't be so perplexing.

[ljhoeniges]

I'm sure she never forced anyone to do anything. They wanted to fit in, Rosetta Stone doesn't teach how to talk casually.

[lordennis01]

I don't think she forced anyone either. Taking a class and asking for help are two completely different things however. I can recall my own experience in undergrad school. And I agree, this is better than silly programs like Rosetta Stone (that's pure junk in my opinion). If you want to learn how to talk, just follow some politicians around, you'll learn a lot. For example, I remember some of Robert Kennedy's speeches to be quite eloquent. Learning to talk, I think, is important.

[bapyou]

What's a throught?

[lordennis01]

Was meant to be throat, I can't spell well :P.