Week 7 McKay Chapter 1-2 Hall Chapter6

McKay Chapter1-2
More and more people who study English as a second and a foreign language study abroad in English speaking countries such as the U.S. or the U.K. every year. Such people have strong desire to learn English, because most of them want to succeed in their future of present occupation and so on. So do I. Why is it English? It is because English is as international language, which means “it is used by people of different nations to communicate with one another.”(McKay p.11) The linguistic power of English is very clear. According to McKay in chapter 1, English influence on many fields all over the world, such as economy, industry, computer science, global culture, tourism, information, and education. However, it is true that there are some factors that may impede the spread of English. I agree with the explanation why Japan is the low contact ratio between Japanese people and speakers of English by Martin.(p.19) Many Japanese still think of English as the only means to enter university. As Martin points, there is little need in Japan to use English on a daily basis. Moreover, our limited use of English has had little impact on its ability to establish integral economic ties with regions over the world.(p.19) Nevertheless, the situation is changing gradually. The globalization is proceeding, and we begin to notice the necessity of English more.

How do we(the Japanese) change our perspective toward English? We have misunderstood English study, because we have thought of it as the only one subject to enter university. As Kubota describes, one way English exerts influence in Japan is through the image that English textbooks present of language, culture, race, and ethnicity. It represents the superiority of native speakers of English.(p.23) I think English teachers have to change their attitude toward to English study. We should not bring negative images to students from books and ideas. It may be true that native speakers are superior to non-native English-speaking teachers in pronunciation, listening, vocabulary and reading, but I strongly believe that non-native English speaking teachers have the strong fields in a highly developed awareness of structure of the language and the problems their students may have in acquiring it.(p.45) Bilingual teachers of English should have the confidence and teach English to students in a proper way, not assimilation. Then, English spread more over the world as well as in Japan.

Question: Suppose that you are a non-native English-speaking teacher, and you have to teach English in outer or expanding circle countries. Students wish to learn English by native English-speaking teachers. What should you focus on or should you tell them at first?



Hall Chapter 6
For second language learners, to acquire the target language is a perpetual desire. We have learned some theories in SLA research in Introduction to TESOL. The theories explained by Hall are still difficult to understand, but it is also helpful to study the second language acquisition and to give me some clues. Model of communicative competence by Celce-Murcia et al. is a clear visual explanation.(p.107) Discourse competence is centered and related with sociocultural competence, linguistic competence, and actional competence. In addition, strategic competence weaves through all components. Reflect my English ability, my English deficiency depends on the lack of each components, especially strategic competence. Then, how do the second language learners develop each component?

Pedagogical approaches for redesigning language classrooms are the key to solve it. In Japan, I have never thought such pedagogical approaches. Then, I am interested in problem-posing approach. It encourages students to define the real-life problem, share their experiences and elaborate on what they see.(p.115) It is very effective way to learn the target language. Students can get and store a lot of knowledge, but if they do not relate the knowledge with their real-life problem, they will forget it soon. For example, since I came here, I have had some troubles in my life, such as setting up telephone, the internet, the TV and the electricity. Whenever I set up, I had to call a company and explain what I needed. At first, I wrote down many phrases before I called. Later I managed to explain what I needed, but it was still difficult for me. Anyway, I could learn some phrases and know the better way to explain.

As Hall says in summary, sociocultural perspectives is to help students to understand the means by which their activities are constructed, how to negotiate with others to position themselves in relation to these roles and identities.(p.123) I would like to teach English to students by the view by sociocultural perspectives more when I go back to Japan.