Experiences to learn English

Student's name : Jung Myoung Ju                                    Professor : David Moroney

Date: 2008.11.20

table of contents

Introduction --2

Literature Review--2

Beginning of learning English--3

Learning English again--4

Enjoy English in the Philippines--4

Result--4

Conclusion--5

Reference--5

Introduction

I felt nervous when I was given an essay assignment. Because I'm unfamiliar to write in English and the western style of writing is totally different than the Asian style of writing. (Guidelines for Writing Assignment by David moroney.2008)  However, it wasn't  fundamental reason.

we got exposed to English in a foreign language environment during schooldays not in a second language. That means we do not speak English in every life. Most of us had studied English for a long time in this circumstance. Despite studied English for a long time, Why still did I fear English?  I have both experiences, in a second language and in a foreign language. I decided to find reasons through my experiences.

Literature  Review

The explainer: the kind of teacher who knows the subject matter very well, but have limited knowledge of teaching methodology. This kind of teacher relies mainly on 'explaining' or 'lecturing' as a way of conveying information to the students. (Scrivener,2005:25)

The involver: the kind of teacher who also knows the subject matter that is being dealt with and is also familiar with teaching methodology. (Scrivener,2005:25)

respect: a positive and non-judgmental regard for another person (Scrivener,2005:24)

empathy: being able to see things from the other persons's perspective, as if looking through their eyes (Scrivener,2005:24)

GTM: this method was used for the purpose of helping students read and appreciate foreign language literature. It helps students read literature in the target language and have students more familiar with their L1. Also language learning helps students grow intellectually. (Larsen-Freeman2007:11)

DM: As a method when the goal of instruction become learning how to use a foreign language to communicate. (Larsen-Freeman2007:23)

ALM: This is an oral based approach and drills students in the use of  grammatical sentence patterns. This method is based on the idea that students should from new habits in L2 and overcome bad habits in L2 to learn a second language. Students practice limited sentences within a context according to this method. (Larsen-Freeman2007:35-50)

False beginner: some one who has studied the language before, but appears to have forgotten most of it. Progress can be fast, as the 'lost' language may return relatively quickly. A true beginner, by contrast, has none of this deep-stored knowledge, and progress will likely be much slower. (Scrivener,2005:422)

Pairwork: Students working with one other student. This may be to discuss something, to check answers, to do a communicative activity, etc  (Scrivener,2005:424)

Beginning of learning English

Back in the1980s and the early 1990s, most students in Korea started to learn English as their first  foreign language when they entered middle schools, differently from students in 2000s (Li, 1998: 681)

In the early 1990s, many students started to learn English in the middle school including me. When I studied it at the first time, I felt confused and difficult. Because it wasn't familiar and phonics and pronunciation wasn't perfect.

My first English teacher, Mr.Kim, His teaching style was just like the explainer. He focused on explaining grammar and vocabulary. He didn't care students' feelings and just conveying information to the students. The students are listening, perhaps occasionally answering questions and perhaps making notes.( Scrivener 2007 :25)  Such things made me boring. In addition  he didn't teach students how to read and speak. So many students felt shy to speak something and unfamiliar reading something loudly. And some of them noted down English text at Hangul pronunciation. As time passed by, I began to lose interest in English class and finally decided to attend conversation academy.

The decision brought big change to me. An academy teacher, Mr. Lee differed with school's. He had fluent ability to speak and gave chances to speak to students.  His teaching style was the involver and used DM & ALM. Students spent a lot of time on activities. He didn't allow students to speak native language and didn't scold about a mistake. During studying  in academy I could escape in school English that memorized vocabulary and translated text book for the test ,This is GTM. When I lost interest in English, he gave me many chances that listened to pronunciation. Before I spoke and read something. And then, he helped me speak dialog. By these methods, he inspired confidence and interest in English as a foreign language.

Learning English again

Studying English in high school was terrible. Most of students studied English for the test. (e.g. translating a reading passage, memorizing vocabulary)  So when I entered university, I began to study English again as a false beginner.

My major was German literature so I could attend conversation in English class to liberal arts. In there, I met the first native teacher, Mrs.A. -I didn't remember her name exactly.  The class at the university is active more than high school's. The class at high school was traditional class of the teacher centered. Traditional class means non native teachers lecture that focus on grammar and students just listen to teacher's lecture, on the other hand, the class at university was modern class of student centered. Modern classroom has activity more and gives chances to speak more to students. There was a positive learning atmosphere in university's class. But too many students (30people)took a course. Mrs.A used pair work to students. So sometimes it made a noisy and I had difficulty in concentrating on this class. Of course, although it's a good start, a positive learning atmosphere isn't everything. Being jokey, chatty and easy-going doesn't necessarily lead to good teaching - one of my teachers was very friendly and  funny, but her lessons ended up in confusion.  I joyful to learn English as a foreign language but there was limit. I got lessons that sometimes need stricter teacher and need right teaching method according to circumstance.

Enjoy English in the Philippines

I had an opportunity to learn English in the Philippines for 6 weeks. Although it was too short period, It was the first experience to me to learn English in a second language environment. I took one to one class with Mr. Ray, my teacher. At the first class time, he made me make survey about my information and interested field. And he used the data in class. He knew that I read books for children, and suggest that read more difficult book. He inspired motivation and confidence to me by these methods. We could have a good relationship during studying English. He used EAR ,this is, respect, empathy and authenticity. (Scrivener 2007:24)

As I studied there, could get expose to in a second language environment and had clear goal about learning English.

Result

According to writer's experiences, There are many kinds of teachers and many teaching methods.

The First, In a foreign language environment, I had taken education of the grammar centered during middle school and high school. Teachers of the season also taught of similar method. For example explaining or lecturing to covey information to students. Such kinds of  class made me boring and lost interest.  The Second, In a foreign language environment, I had taken education  of speaking centered by native teacher. That was not bad but there were limits, this is ,native teacher couldn't understand students' level and couldn't control  class atmosphere.  The third, In a second language environment, I had taken education of speaking centered. At that time my teacher, Mr.Ray  tried to analyze students' level and use right method. I was satisfied with his class. I could enjoy learning language. In my case, the third way is the best. Because I think that in process learning language most important thing is motivation. He gave it to me.

Conclusion

It is difficult for me to say what method is right or wrong. But I realized that teacher's role is important in process that learning language and what teaching Method is efficient. So, after the TESOL course, I want to become a teacher who inspires confidence and motivation to my students.

Reference

Li, D.(1998) "It's Always More Difficult Than You Plan and Imagine": Teachers' Perceived Difficulties in Introducing the Communicative Approach in South Korea. TESOL QUARTERLY  [online], 32:  677-703.  Available from : http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0039-

David Moroney.(2008) Guidelines for Writing Assignments. Korea, Times media tesol

Larsen-Freeman, D.(2007). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford: United Kingdom, Oxford University Press.

Scrivener, J. (2005). Learning Teaching. Oxford: United Kingdom, Macmillan Education.