DESIRE

TO    ACQUIRE

A  SECOND LANGUAGE

NAME: LEE, KYEONGSOOK (JEAN)

TEACHER'S NAME: BENJAMIN  VALENCIA

CLASS: TESOL 75th WD

DATE:  14, APRIL, 2012

CONTENTS

Ⅰ. INTRODUCTION

Ⅱ. DISCUSSION

-CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT LEARNERS

-TRADITIONAL VS.MODERN CLASSROOMS

-TEACHER TYPES

-EFFECTIVE TEACHING

Ⅲ. CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

' Education is not a preparation for life, it is life it self. ' by Jonn Dewey.  I had experiences about learning a second language, English. It was not successful for speaking. Dr. Stephen Krashen found that listening is  the key to great speaking. I want to analyze why it was a failure, copmaring with two types, traditional and modern environment.

DISCUSSION

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT LEARNERS

There are 5 characteristics of adult learners identified by Malcolm Knowles, adults having objectives, life experiences, being autonomous, demonstrating respect, and being goal oriented. I was autonomous. I chose to study English by myself when I was 13. I was anxious for learning English. I thought my decision was right. I thought I would succeed through studying English. I knew my objective was to learn a second language.

2. TRADITIONAL VS. MODERN CLASSROOMS

I went to Seoul High School for Girls in Seoul from 1981 to 1983. English reminded me of two things in high school. They are writing and translation except listening and real speaking. I repeated after a teacher in English class, with studying it only for a test. A teacher just focused on text books. The classroom was always teacher centered. There was no communication between the teacher and me. It was thus receptive learning. I studied English under a traditional classroom. I have been working as an English teacher. I have many different kinds of activities such as a  powerpoint presentation, and kinesthic ones like changing seats, moving for guessing.  Students are centered with communications. It is a productive way to  learn.  This is a modern class.

C. TEACHER TYPES

There are different kinds of teachers' types. All of my teachers were explainers, not involvers or enablers. The teacher taught me enormous vocabulary and grammar for a test.  It was a great success to get good scores. However it was a real failure as a second language learning. If a teacher is an explainer, students could be easier to study but not for a second language.

A type of involver gives students many questions for concept checking. Eliciting from student  is  hard. Some of students answer me but others who are in lower level can't answer. Therefore, I am an involver, giving students concept questions in first period. In second period, I am an enabler. I make worksheets for them. Students need to research them individually. My teachers had a strict teaching way. One of them, English teacher always just insisted to read text books except speaking.  The students couldn't be creative for accomplishing a second language. It didn't make me confident for speaking.

D. EFFECTIVE TEACHING

Listening is the key to great speaking by Dr. Stephen Krashen. It could be hard to feel interested in listening. So I made my own film, chant, for students. It makes students concentrate on my class with singing, watching and listening. Therefore a teacher needs to prepare for many kinds of activities basically. A teacher gives all of students chances to speak out. A teacher makes students active participated. It would be an effective teaching.

CONCLUSION

I always wonder about one thing. What is a real success for learning second language?  I have been an autonomous learner, and involver with an enabler  as a teacher. Having a positive mind set first, and a mentor as a teacher. Actually, I want my students to be confident, having a desire to express themselves in English for speaking.