Classroom Foreign Language Teaching

Alexander Arguelles presents a series of video reviews and demonstrations of those foreign language learning series that he has found most useful in his own studies. For further information about the series, please refer to http://www.foreignlanguageexpertise.c...

• Category

  Education

[caeliean]

I actually had a really good experience with a summer language institute in Chicoutimi, Quebec. There was a signed oath at the beginning that students use only French, or leave. Classes were mornings 4hrs, 5 days a week, with activities and sports filling out the other times (all in French). There were 14 people in my class and it was the biggest at the school. Most students were also in home-stays. My French blossomed more in those 6 weeks than in 20 years of public school.

[laurentius88]

Are some languages more difficult than others? Doesn't it just depend on your previous language experience - your native language plus others that you have learned or studied? I think for an Estonian, learning Finnish would be rather easy :-)

[Esoparagon]

Language teaching seems so ineffective that it makes me feel bad about the idea of taking it up as a career. I wouldn't want to spend my life being paid to waste students time and produce nothing of value. 

[robnoftz]

You mentioned the attrition rate of classroom instruction so I checked the enrollment at the community college I attended. 86 students enrolled in 1st semester Spanish, and in the 4th semester which is the highest level this school offers, only 8 students enrolled. You bring up some very good points about the conditions. In one 1st semester class 28 people enrolled. The class meets twice per week for 2.25 hours each class. The pace is very demanding for the average student.

[Étienne Nantel]

Hey! à tu manger de la tourtierre du lac!?

[tsopa999]

This guy is works in Russia: all the books behind him are Russian and he's sitting in a class of a Russian school or uni.

[bavwill]

Would you say that learning the student's mother tongue is vital to getting successful results?

[svsimon]

In my experience, the most important thing is to integrate all the components in language learning such as grammar, reading, speaking in every class. Whenever grammar class has had one teacher and reading another and speaking another, withouth the teatchers actually working together, you will probably fail learning this new language. You cant learn how to drive just by studying for the written test, you must also sit behind the wheel and face traffic.

[Cosmored]

I found some good teaching material.

Google "Ferd'nand". These are comics without words. First I have he students describe what's happening and practice structures such as the subjunctive. Then I have them role play the situation. The result has been very good.

[Craig Ashton]

Mr. Arguelles has produced an elegant description of what I and my colleagues knew intuitively. The key factor in language learning is not the teacher but the student. A good teacher will always search for a hook. Something which pulls in the student and ensures they will do what you tell them.

My expression is woefully inadequate in comparison to this man's. I'm delighted to have my own ideas confirmed so soundly. Thank you!

[Craig Ashton]

Thenextscientist

you bring up a good point, I'd like to offer a possible answer.

What Mr. Arguelles is describing is an overall strategy. He explains that teachers and students differ and that the strategy must be adapted in each case.

In the case of dyslexia, his strategy will work IF the correct tactics are employed. I can't give statistics but I imagine that foreign language teaching for dyslexic students is undeveloped and your past teachers did not know the correct response