Social context of language learning

1. Social context of language
learning
What is social context referred to?
A setting in which learning takes place
Classroom settings vary in terms of :
•teacher/student ratios
•teacher preparation
•instruction
•technological backup
•availability of teaching materials
•the relative importance of learning an L2

2. • Is learning a second language ‘on the street’
same as learning in a class room?
• Which way do you think would be most
effective?
• Is there anything special about natural
language learning?
• Should we create the same environment in
our class rooms? Can we?
• Are there special contributions that only
instruction and not natural exposure can
provide?

3.  Natural acquisition contexts
 Informal learning occurs through direct
participation and observation
◦ Workplace,
◦ Home
◦ media
◦ International conferences
◦ Business meetings

4. Types of natural acquisition
contexts
• Majority language contexts
monolingual – immigrant learners of L2 English in USA,
UK, Australia
bilingual – speakers of L1 French learning L2 English in
Canada
• Official language contexts – ‘New Englishes’ of
countries like Nigeria, India
• International contexts – L2 used for interpersonal
communication (the use of L2 English for business
communication in Japan)
• Minority L2 contexts –L1 speakers of English learning
Punjabi in London

5. Educational acquisition contexts
Educational settings such as schools and
universities
Formal learning takes place through
conscious attention to rules and
principles
Emphasizes on mastery of subject matter

6. The L2 classroom context
 The role relationships between teacher
and student influence learning in a
classroom
 Traditional Instruction
◦ Grammar-translation
◦ Audiolingual
◦ Students learn vocabulary and grammar
◦ Goal is often to pass an examination
◦ Teacher typically acts as a ‘knower/informer’
and the learner as an ‘information seeker’

7.  Communicative Instruction
◦ Emphasis on interaction, conversation and
language use
◦ Often topics are of general interest to the
learner
◦ The teacher can be a ‘producer’ or ‘referee’
and the learner ‘actor’ or ‘player’

8. Innovative approaches
(communicative language teaching)
 Learners are rarely corrected
 Language is not presented step by step.
Wide variety of vocabulary and
structures
 Many hours each day
 Different kinds of language events:
greetings, arguments, newspapers etc…
 Emphasis on getting meaning across
clearly

9.  Learner encounters many people who
speak that language
 Have to use limited 2nd language ability to
respond to questions and get information
 Modified input available in many one to
one interactions

10. Traditional instruction
 Errors are frequently corrected
 Input simplified and sequenced by teacher.
 Few hours per week
 Teacher is the only proficient speaker student
has contact with
 Limited range of discourse types
 Pressure to speak and write accurately
 Teacher often uses native language to give
instruction or in other classroom management
events

11. Communicative language teaching
 Limited error correction. Meaning is
emphasized
 Input is simplified and made
comprehensible through contextual cues.
 Limited time for learning
 Limited contact with proficient native
speakers/more exposure to interlanguage
of other learners

12.  Variety of discourse types are presented
through role playing and real life material
 Little pressure to perform at high levels
of accuracy.
 Modified input - teacher makes every
effort to speak at the level of language
learners can understand

13. THANK YOU!