Foreign Languages Introduction
Input --------> Intake --------> Developing Language Competence --------> Output
(Adapted from Lee and VanPatten, 1995)
What is generally accepted is that learners have internal mechanisms in the brain that organize and store language. The question is what kind of language data do these mechanisms need in order to operate efficiently and effectively?
The concept of input is relevant to this question. Input is defined as language that the learner hears (or sees) and attends to for its meaning (comprehensible input). It contrasts with output or what the learner produces. Therefore, learners need a great deal of comprehensible input in their foreign language classrooms. They also need opportunities to use the language in communicative interaction. Although input may be responsible for the evolution of the language system in the learnerís head, having to produce language to convey real world messages develops the speed required for effective communication.
Bachman (1990) suggests that communicative language competence is composed of organizational competence -- knowing the way language is organized and pragmatic competence --knowing the function of language as well as its appropriateness in a given setting. Our job as teachers of adult learners of second languages is to provide a language rich environment along with appropriate input activities so that learners can, over time, begin to develop an internal system or representation of the language they are learning and to give them ample opportunities to access that system in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes.
A Model for Problem-Centered Foreign Language Units
Basal texts are the norm for foreign language programs at the first two or three levels. These texts contain countless grammatical paradigms followed by mechanical exercises that are intended to give students practice in producing the grammatical element accurately. The problem that exists for pre-service teachers is how to incorporate explicit grammar instruction into classes without sacrificing either communication or learner-centered activities. Therefore, I want my students to solve the following problem.I. Decide on a paradigm that you want to teach.II. Choose one or two pieces of the paradigm to focus on.
III. Create at least three meaning-bearing input activities that focus on the forms (pieces) you have chosen.
A. Meaning-bearing input must contain a message that the learner is attempting to understand. Remember that early-stage learners have limited attentional capacity and that making meaning and making form-meaning connections compete for learners' attention. Therefore, since the form that you are focusing on is new to them, use vocabulary that they already know.B. Keep the following guidelines in mind as you create your input activities:
a) Be sure that your input activities move from sentence level to connected discourse and that they include both oral and written input.b) Keep in mind the hypotheses about L2 input-processing strategies, and create your input activities so that learners are forced to attend to the gramatical forms.
c) Have the learners do something with the input.
(Adapted from Lee & Van Patten, 1995)IV. Create at least three output tasks that focus on the same forms as above and that require students to convey messages.
A. Remember that communicating already-known information has been shown to be a poor way to facilitate the development of the processes underlying access. Have your learners find out something they don't already know.B. Keep the following guidelines in mind as you create your output activities:
a) Be sure that your output activities move from sentence level to connected discourse and that they include both oral and written output.b) Require that others respond to the content of the output in some of the tasks.