Comments for Off the WAL http://www.wal.org/wordpress News and Information from the oldest nonprofit language school in Seattle, WA! Sat, 18 May 2013 13:42:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 Comment on A Great Surprise – Going on a WAL Activity – On My Own? by Kathryn Quade http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/06/15/a-great-surprise-%e2%80%93-going-on-a-wal-activity-%e2%80%93-on-my-own/#comment-906 Kathryn Quade Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:21:14 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/06/15/a-great-surprise-%e2%80%93-going-on-a-wal-activity-%e2%80%93-on-my-own/#comment-906 Debbie -- thank you for this lovely travelog. You've discovered a "not-so-hidden treasure". All of our waterfront communities are jewels in the "string of pearls" that is Kitsap County. But of course, I'm not prejudiced -- being Mayor of this wonderful city! Debbie — thank you for this lovely travelog. You’ve discovered a “not-so-hidden treasure”. All of our waterfront communities are jewels in the “string of pearls” that is Kitsap County. But of course, I’m not prejudiced — being Mayor of this wonderful city!

]]> Comment on A Great Surprise – Going on a WAL Activity – On My Own? by Jean Boyle http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/06/15/a-great-surprise-%e2%80%93-going-on-a-wal-activity-%e2%80%93-on-my-own/#comment-902 Jean Boyle Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:44:33 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/06/15/a-great-surprise-%e2%80%93-going-on-a-wal-activity-%e2%80%93-on-my-own/#comment-902 Thank you for sharing your visit to beautiful Poulsbo! We're glad you discovered this gem on the water. We hope you'll return and explore some of the other communities on the Kitsap Peninsula. Thank you for sharing your visit to beautiful Poulsbo! We’re glad you discovered this gem on the water.

We hope you’ll return and explore some of the other communities on the Kitsap Peninsula.

]]> Comment on English Language Learners and the Law by Legal Help http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/05/25/english-language-learners-and-the-law/#comment-869 Legal Help Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:30:02 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/05/25/english-language-learners-and-the-law/#comment-869 While I'm all for teaching English, I'm not sure schools should be forced to teach it. I really think it's responsibility of the parent to be sure their children speak the language of the country they're living in before they reach school age. ESL classes are just one more thing for people to complain about in our education system, it's all ready stressed, teachers are short ( good teachers that is ) and this just adds to the burden. While I’m all for teaching English, I’m not sure schools should be forced to teach it. I really think it’s responsibility of the parent to be sure their children speak the language of the country they’re living in before they reach school age.

ESL classes are just one more thing for people to complain about in our education system, it’s all ready stressed, teachers are short ( good teachers that is ) and this just adds to the burden.

]]> Comment on English Language Learners and the Law by main titles » Blog Archive » English as a Foreign or Second Language http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/05/25/english-language-learners-and-the-law/#comment-825 main titles » Blog Archive » English as a Foreign or Second Language Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:14:39 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/05/25/english-language-learners-and-the-law/#comment-825 [...] Off the WAL » Blog Archive » English Language Learners and the Law [...] […] Off the WAL » Blog Archive » English Language Learners and the Law […]

]]> Comment on Second Language Learning and Software by John Lovell http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/05/11/second-language-learning-and-software/#comment-675 John Lovell Fri, 15 May 2009 00:44:46 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/05/11/second-language-learning-and-software/#comment-675 This is a great discussion. The claim that these software are like first language learning is certainly misleading. But there is an attractiveness to the idea that first language learning might have aspects which could be used effectively. For instance, I have felt that the vocabulary of second language learning could match the vocabulary of first language in terms of sequence. Even though the software does not have the human contact element which is so important, it might be possible for future software to have such content. And it might be possible to have software to increase some elements of learning while not being capable of providing the total learning. Also more could be done in software. Writing is not an early component of first language learning, but seems like a potentially great tool in second language learning. This is a great discussion. The claim that these software are like first language learning is certainly misleading. But there is an attractiveness to the idea that first language learning might have aspects which could be used effectively. For instance, I have felt that the vocabulary of second language learning could match the vocabulary of first language in terms of sequence.

Even though the software does not have the human contact element which is so important, it might be possible for future software to have such content. And it might be possible to have software to increase some elements of learning while not being capable of providing the total learning.

Also more could be done in software. Writing is not an early component of first language learning, but seems like a potentially great tool in second language learning.

]]> Comment on Overcrowding in the Classroom by Bianca Andric http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2008/12/01/overcrowding-in-the-classroom/#comment-560 Bianca Andric Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:56:44 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2008/12/01/overcrowding-in-the-classroom/#comment-560 Thanks for wanting to make a change because it is really hard for us high school students and know it's extra hard on the JR high schools. To know that some one out there actually cares about this situation makes me happy because I am a student suffering with this problem. I'm not able to stay focus and engage myself in the work. It's for me to understand and when i do need up my teachers get distracted with other students thats why for my essay in english I'm writing about how Obama should set a law that public schools can have no more than 20 student classroom... Again thank you for Caring... Thanks for wanting to make a change because it is really hard for us high school students and know it’s extra hard on the JR high schools. To know that some one out there actually cares about this situation makes me happy because I am a student suffering with this problem. I’m not able to stay focus and engage myself in the work. It’s for me to understand and when i do need up my teachers get distracted with other students thats why for my essay in english I’m writing about how Obama should set a law that public schools can have no more than 20 student classroom… Again thank you for Caring…

]]> Comment on Emotions and Grammar by Jeff Carreira http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/30/emotions-and-grammar/#comment-441 Jeff Carreira Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:23:39 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/30/emotions-and-grammar/#comment-441 In recent studies and blogging have found William James's view of the sequence of events to provide unending insight and fascination. I think it stemmed from his recognition that human activity was a primary and intimately integral part of reality. Human action was not a response to reality - it was part of the creation of reality. So running from the bear acctually is intimately connected to the arising of fear. If you don't run, perhaps you wouldn't feel fear in the same way. Certainly if you didn't run, it would be hard to tell from the outside if you were feeling fear. Thank you for this throughtful discussion. In recent studies and blogging have found William James’s view of the sequence of events to provide unending insight and fascination. I think it stemmed from his recognition that human activity was a primary and intimately integral part of reality. Human action was not a response to reality - it was part of the creation of reality. So running from the bear acctually is intimately connected to the arising of fear. If you don’t run, perhaps you wouldn’t feel fear in the same way. Certainly if you didn’t run, it would be hard to tell from the outside if you were feeling fear. Thank you for this throughtful discussion.

]]> Comment on Teaching Speaking to Second Language Learners by Dr. Paul Schneider http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/23/teaching-speaking-to-second-language-learners/#comment-414 Dr. Paul Schneider Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:10:49 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/23/teaching-speaking-to-second-language-learners/#comment-414 Dr. Lovell’s second sentence does not seem to follow from his first. For children, academic language tends to be learned in the classroom. Informal second language may be picked up in a playground as a first grader. A first grader learns his second language informally in a playground just as a first language speaker increases his vocabulary that way while playing with friends. That is the way it is with children and language. As for the second sentence, not everyone is blessed with Dr. Lovell’s education. This doesn’t mean that adults talk like children; it means they may not be educated. Maybe they are refugees and have to earn a living in the U.S. There are people in this world who are perfectly happy and they are not literate and they speak well enough in languages having a written form. So therefore the answer to Dr. Lovell’s first question is e.g. perhaps they opened a convenience store instead of pursuing an education. People like to eat. I do not understand the second question although I imagine Dr. Lovell’s English has improved because he is quite educated and will continue to challenge himself the rest of his days. Sadly, this is not true of many people. Hence, his last question rests on a false assumption if I understand it all. The brief answer to the second paragraph is that the written language differs from the spoken. For example, in the written language the educated writer tends to use subordination while in speech the same person would use coordination. The second language learner doesn’t necessarily recognize register (level of formality) differences. So if the student is planning to go to a university it is important that the student have some familiarity with levels of formality in English, for example. Separation is one way to achieve this recognition with second language learners. I am sure Dr. Lovell has read an undergraduate paper or two where his student didn’t know the difference between formal and informal writing. – Dr. Paul Schneider, Director of Teacher Education Programs, WAL Dr. Lovell’s second sentence does not seem to follow from his first. For children, academic language tends to be learned in the classroom. Informal second language may be picked up in a playground as a first grader. A first grader learns his second language informally in a playground just as a first language speaker increases his vocabulary that way while playing with friends. That is the way it is with children and language. As for the second sentence, not everyone is blessed with Dr. Lovell’s education. This doesn’t mean that adults talk like children; it means they may not be educated. Maybe they are refugees and have to earn a living in the U.S. There are people in this world who are perfectly happy and they are not literate and they speak well enough in languages having a written form. So therefore the answer to Dr. Lovell’s first question is e.g. perhaps they opened a convenience store instead of pursuing an education. People like to eat. I do not understand the second question although I imagine Dr. Lovell’s English has improved because he is quite educated and will continue to challenge himself the rest of his days. Sadly, this is not true of many people. Hence, his last question rests on a false assumption if I understand it all.

The brief answer to the second paragraph is that the written language differs from the spoken. For example, in the written language the educated writer tends to use subordination while in speech the same person would use coordination. The second language learner doesn’t necessarily recognize register (level of formality) differences. So if the student is planning to go to a university it is important that the student have some familiarity with levels of formality in English, for example. Separation is one way to achieve this recognition with second language learners. I am sure Dr. Lovell has read an undergraduate paper or two where his student didn’t know the difference between formal and informal writing.

– Dr. Paul Schneider, Director of Teacher Education Programs, WAL

]]> Comment on Teaching Speaking to Second Language Learners by John Lovell http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/23/teaching-speaking-to-second-language-learners/#comment-405 John Lovell Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:31:51 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/23/teaching-speaking-to-second-language-learners/#comment-405 It seems relevant to add what Dr. Schneider told me in a previous discussion. Students often learn fluency without accuracy and never change. So people who have spoken English as a second language for many years still sound like children with their lack of adult accuracy. Why would it be that second language learners do not continue to improve their accuracy after they master functional fluency? Or conversely why do first language learners continue to increase their accuracy? One of the points made above is that oral tasks should differ from written tasks in general. But it seems to me as though much of oral accuracy is a copy of written accuracy. Do second language speakers with accuracy problems have the same sort of problems in both oral and written production and reception? If so a learner may want to focus in a direction which is not optimal in the experience of the teacher. It seems relevant to add what Dr. Schneider told me in a previous discussion. Students often learn fluency without accuracy and never change. So people who have spoken English as a second language for many years still sound like children with their lack of adult accuracy. Why would it be that second language learners do not continue to improve their accuracy after they master functional fluency? Or conversely why do first language learners continue to increase their accuracy?

One of the points made above is that oral tasks should differ from written tasks in general. But it seems to me as though much of oral accuracy is a copy of written accuracy. Do second language speakers with accuracy problems have the same sort of problems in both oral and written production and reception? If so a learner may want to focus in a direction which is not optimal in the experience of the teacher.

]]> Comment on Pronunciation Examples by John Lovell http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/09/pronunciation-examples/#comment-324 John Lovell Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:11:57 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2009/03/09/pronunciation-examples/#comment-324 I like the music example. Baby, you can drive my car. It is so different from normal language. I wonder what it sounds like to a person who does not know the song. When we were kids, we played an accent game. What does it mean? i am going to the STORE i am going to THE store i am going TO the store i am GOING to the store i AM going to the store I am going to the store It seems like we knew the meaning from a young age, but had fun with the singing. I like phonemic spelling. Then a reading is like a song. But it is misused. Jin spells her name in Pinyin phonemics to English speakers. So they pronounce the name Gin. This is fine because she can not hear the difference. It seems like long i, short i, and short u all sound the same to her. I say she should spell in English phonemics as Jean even though that is a confused system. So I suppose that this is a distinct problem of correcting the elements which do not sound wrong to the speaker. My Cuban friends who learned English from imitating movie dialog probably had a good system. They mastered a lot of the fine details. I like the music example. Baby, you can drive my car. It is so different from normal language. I wonder what it sounds like to a person who does not know the song. When we were kids, we played an accent game. What does it mean?

i am going to the STORE
i am going to THE store
i am going TO the store
i am GOING to the store
i AM going to the store
I am going to the store

It seems like we knew the meaning from a young age, but had fun with the singing.

I like phonemic spelling. Then a reading is like a song. But it is misused. Jin spells her name in Pinyin phonemics to English speakers. So they pronounce the name Gin. This is fine because she can not hear the difference. It seems like long i, short i, and short u all sound the same to her. I say she should spell in English phonemics as Jean even though that is a confused system. So I suppose that this is a distinct problem of correcting the elements which do not sound wrong to the speaker.

My Cuban friends who learned English from imitating movie dialog probably had a good system. They mastered a lot of the fine details.

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