"Words are our tools"

 Today is the first day of October of 2020. New month, new experiences. 

Our class of ELT today has started talking about the words itself. I noted that before knowing the meaning of the word it is important for our students to know some statements:

- How it is pronounced.

- Which category it is (noun, verb, article, etc.) so they can connect them correctly into a sentence (the words are not isolated).

- Sometimes, we use L1 to support the learning of L2, with examples maybe. It is also another way to context the word and help them to understand it. It is, also, important to teach the words with the context, we connect them in the essence of the speech. Once you have heard a word, you create a meaning that, at first sight, fits in the context.

Another idea that caught my attention was that, as teachers, we move from the theory to how to teach it in class. To implement theory into the methodology we need strategies and technics.

Once we have these ideas storm, we move to our course theory. Today we have seen the Systemic functional linguistic (Firth, Halliday). The purpose of this system is to be able to communicate with each other. They focus on the message, not that much on the context. 

We have seen also another author, who is Hymes. The main idea I got from him explanation is that, as a teacher, it is not enough to know how the language is a schedule (linguistic structures) but how we use it to interact with others.

In the first primary courses, we provide inputs and the learner becomes the only thing important in the lesson. We do not have to teach a language per se. We need to create an environment impregnated with the language and they will progressively be acquiring the language. You teach the language to be useful, to be used in some context, you teach how can they use it. 

Also, we have seen the cognitive theories that can be summarized in one idea: they consider language acquisition as another cognitive process of the mind. And the social theories say that language is learned in and for interaction with other people (input theories, interaction hypothesis, and output hypothesis). 

- INPUT HYPOTHESIS: As a teacher, we need to provide a comprehensible and understanding inputs so our students can understand what is going on. Everything I have at hand can be a resource or material that can help me in that input process. My input is something new that brings knowledge to the students. It would be recommendable to engage this new information with the old one. 

- INTERACTION HYPOTHESIS: When you modify your speech while you are speaking to be more specific. If the teacher tells you something is wrong, you modify your speech or negotiate it to be understood. 

- OUTPUT HYPOTHESIS: Learners need to have a space to produce the speech, a discussion, conversation, role-playing, etc. Push your students to be out of their comfort zone. Here is the importance of the product, we need to see what the process has created on them. 

And, finally, the last theory we have seen was the sociocultural theory (Vygotsky). The main idea is to create a proximal development zone. As a teacher, you guide and support them to advance more. Use visuals, work in pairs to focus the attention, collaborate to secure no one is lost, start with prompts, etc. You start simplifying to being useful. 

Too much information, but, how interesting it is? Yes, completely. 

See you soon!