[LD-SIG Discussion List] Two cheers for diversity (and why not three?)

[Andy Barfield]

Jim and everyone,

Does it need to be the same language that everyone goes
for? Does it even need to be a language? Why not basketball,
learning the violin, or learning to uni cycle ???

Perhaps many people have different things that they want
to learn, and having a diverse range of learning interests
in play within such a project might be just as / even
more / not at all as / interesting and valuable as limiting it
to one language?

Cheers,

Andy


> From: Ronald James <jamesmartinronald at yahoo.co.jp>
> To: discuss at ld-sig.org
> Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 08:15:33 +0900 (JST)
> Subject: Re: [LD-SIG Discussion List] discuss Digest, Vol 21, Issue 3
> Dear Steve, Ellen, anyone,
>
> thanks for your responses - I'm agreeably provoked by your
> response, Steve, and encouraged by yours, Ellen. Last year
> when I started Spanish it was with a reason similar to
> your Swahili idea, Steve - no current need and no plan to
> use it, a bit like the majority of our students' position
> re English. I was thinking of that project partly as
> something to be written up, but I think the main benefit
> is in how it changes me and helps me understand the
> motivational and other struggles faced by many English
> learners in Japan.
>
> As for Korean, it would be a bit different from the
> beginning. As I was trying to explain to a student
> yesterday, Spanish was a challenge (just to keep going!)
> but I see Korean as an adventure, since my aim is to use
> it with real Korean speakers here or in Korea, even
> minimally. And that may well be my focus - how to get the
> language being learned out of the classroom or textbook,
> how to help make it an adventure for my students, rather
> than just a challenge or struggle with TOEIC and TOEFL
> scores the only carrot drawing them on...
>
> Anyway, I think that there are lots of ways of approaching
> this - your Rosetta Stone idea sounds like a lot of fun,
> too, Steve. You just need to find a few people who would
> be prepared to take it on. And our different approaches,
> languages, experiences, could all  help increase our
> understanding and motivation as teachers. (Sorry if it
> sounds a bit pompous or whatever!)
>
> I think that perhaps the main language target for people
> here who don't count their time in Japan in decades is
> Japanese, unless they are native Japanese speakers. And
> naturally, taking on another foreign language might not
> seem the best use of time...
>
> Perhaps there are some Japanese speaking teachers of
> English who are/would like to start a new foreign
> language? To understand where our learners are, and where
> we no longer are with our "good" language.
>
> Anyway, that's more than enough for today! Provocative,
> supportive, off-the-wall responses welcome!
>
> Jim