While reading the peanut butter chapter (P&B ch 2) I was initially frustrated that it was virtually the same reading as last week. (Especially when I got to my good buddy Chomsky.) However, I liked the manner in which Krashen's five hypotheses were written about. I liked the idea that a person can learn a language without acquiring the ability to use it. To me I feel that learning the language is a step of acquisition.
The Natural Order Hypothesis makes sense to me. I know that there are aspects of English usage (especially writing) that come with a chemical change in the brain. People can understand the concept earlier, but not be able to consistently apply it until that chemical has flipped a switch. This fits with the idea that aspects of a language are acquired in a particular order. This is where I can begin to see the possibilities of innate language theories.
The wait time is another concept I find interesting. It matches up to what we talked about last week. We discussed being uncomfortable speaking in our L2s. Krashen says to not push, that people will produce the language when they are ready.
Another form of this is also called "think time." The idea is to wait 3-5 seconds after posing a question to clarify or call on students to answer. I'm wondering if this time needs to be longer in an ESL classroom?
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I agree that we need to make sure we don't push the students, but we also need to encourage them. I always told my students that if they remain silent, they will not learn to speak, that they need to try, however mistake-filled their speech might be.
Think time is a very good practice, I believe. I would hold the pause for maybe 3-7 seconds, depending on the difficulty of the question and the students. It also depends on how they react to the question: are they really trying to find an answer or did they give up and switch their attention to something else.
It's good to know that reading about the theories again frustrated you. I actually appreciated the review.
As for think time, I've found it useful letting students know beforehand that they will have to share something, especially if it's something that is helpful to the other students. Students then have time to prepare. Alternatively, if I find that a student is not ready to answer a question at the time I pose it, I tell the student that I will come back to him/her (and actually do so!).
Yes I think for ESL students that time should be longer. because it is a matter of process especially elementary students need this time because mostly they need to translate their thoughts from L1 to L2.
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