Now off to get more bananas… :-D

Thanks for all of your comments.

I have to say Pete, I chuckled when I re-read the article adopting your wavelength… hmm.. I’ll have to consider people with a one track mind in my future writing :-0

Jokes aside, in order to produce a worth reply to your comments, I’ve consulted Paula Westberg, Managing Director of Lanta International Language School, and the fountain of knowledge for which I am a vessel…

The science regarding the place of reading and writing in learning a second language is less detailed. Reading is seen as a very important part of learning a new language, but the scientific literature of Asher, Ray and Kraschen only presents examples from languages which use our latin alphabet. Paula has found limited information on reading when it comes to first learning a new alphabet and then using it to learn new vocabulary etc. Having said that, LILS believes that learning to read Thai is very valuable and helps to learn pronunciation. Later on, reading the language provides more input, which leads to further learning. The school therefore takes an all round approach and teaches reading, writing, listening and speaking, as they believe that is the most effective.

AK – thank you for your valuable views on adult versus child brain functioning.

The researchers the article refers to (Kraschen, Asher, Ray) say that we don’t lose the language “module” that we use as children, but rather we “cover it” with analytical and logical skills. This means that the adult analytical brain takes over and tries to learn by analyzing rather that experiencing.. Catherine, your comment about needing to translate is a prime example :-)

Traditional methods of teaching languages tend to teach to the analytical brain only, whereas LILS try to teach to both the analytical and experiencing brain – i.e. both right and left brain hemispheres. They find this approach faster, and both more rewarding and fun for the student.

Another thing that differs between children and adults is that the community will meet the two age groups in completely different ways. Adults tend to talk to children with simple language and many repetitions (a principle adopted in LILS courses), while adults seldom meet that “adjusted language”. This makes it much easier for children to learn from immersion.

Children also have to learn the language to be able to participate and play with other children. Adults often get by using English or friends who translate, and generally don’t have the same pressure to learn as children do.

The main point is, that the “module” of learning we held as children, does still exist, it’s just a little hidden. Subtly introducing teaching methods targeted at that module can have a very powerful effect.

Paula agrees that it is also useful to use English or the students native language when teaching Thai, and English is used within their courses. However, their courses emphasize listening comprehension far more than traditional methods of teaching. They believe (and have witnessed) that students learn better from input and repetitions rather than memorizing and applying grammar rules.

Well – as a newby to WLT – I hope my comment is a worthy reply. :-) I look forward to chatting with you all more in the future…

p.s. Catherine – keep eating those bananas :-)

Catherine Wentworths last blog post..YouTube: Thai Tylenol Ad and Tones

Having said that, I do agree that repetition is a very helpful technique, and I’m sure getting proper rest and energy doesn’t hurt :)