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The Best Way to Teach English to Teenagers
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By Ayumi, Section Culture
Posted on Wed Jan 14, 2004 at 09:09:41 PM PST
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The purpose of this essay is to analyze the best way to teach English to teenagers as a second language. And I will discuss the Japanese traditional grammar translation method, communicative method cooperating with native teachers, and teaching culture thorough English method. All around the world, a lot of people are learning English. To my surprise, even people live in USA are learning English, because there are a lot of immigrants from other countries. As one of the students who want to acquire skill of English use, I would like to investigate the most effective way to teach English.
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First of all, I would like to mention "Japanese traditional grammar translation method." Last year, in Japan the Ministry of Education decided to change some parts of "Course of Study." One of the reasons is that recently Japanese citizens have criticized Japanese traditional style of teaching English in junior high and high school. For a long time in Japan, Japanese teachers have taught English focusing on grammar usage. As a result, a lot of Japanese adults cry "School English education was useless! Because I have studied English for more than 6 years, but I still cannot understand English!" Actually in Japan the rate of teenagers who attend school is very high. And most of them are forced to study English in junior high and high school for 6 years. Nevertheless, the score of TOEFL was worst in Asia in 1999.
During The last days of the Tokugawa period, Western cultures flowed into Japan. Before then, government applied National Isolation and permitted only studying Dutch. However at that time, government has decided to start English learning to absorb Western knowledge. At the first, the purpose was to understand Western knowledge, so main part of study English was reading. People needed to know only meaning, not pronunciation. So, Japanese substituted Japanese system of syllabic writing "Kana" for English pronunciations.
Like these Japanese invented original English Interpretation method. And this method has spread among scholars. This English Interpretation method is one of the translation methods. We can divide translation methods into four groups; English Interpretation method, Grammar-Translation method, Practice method, and mastery method. Characteristics of English Interpretation method is that it was invented by Japanese for Japanese. By using this method, learners will not understand total meaning of the sentences but translate English words into their mother languages word by word. Grammar-Translation method was systematized by a German scholar named Plotz. This method is also mainly using translation into learners' mother languages to understand English sentences. Its weak point is teachers so concentrate on reading and writing that they tend to neglect listening and speaking sections. Then, Practice method and Mastery method are similar. Both of them make learners memorize English sentences. Through oral practice learners can master native English pronunciations. On the other hands, it has no creativity because of learners' repetition.
Secondly I would like to mention more communicative teaching method. In my junior high and high school, there were native English teachers. They came to our English class once a week and taught us English. However I might not be able to say "teach", because we only enjoyed easy English conversation with them. At least I can say that it was an enjoyable way to communicate with foreigners. To us, foreigners were rare and curious.
Recently such kind of system has rooted in Japanese junior and high school. Tuchiya said that most of native teachers have no license to teach English in Japan, so in many cases, they have to share their classes.They are ordinarily called ALT (Assistant Language Teacher). This Team teaching started in 1987.
There are mainly 3 purpose of ALT adoption. The first one is offering real English. And the second one is embodiment of Western cultures. The final one is offering students opportunities to communicate with native people in English. Japanese teachers cannot avoid intentionality to talk with students in English. And students will feel somewhat strange to talk with Japanese in English. However, it is quite natural to talk with native speakers. What is more, students can experience achievement of communicate with native teachers in their elementary English. This experience will give students great confidence, and it will be motivation to learning English later.
Now, I would like to introduce another example of communicative method cooperating with native teachers. Here is example of a famous private English conversation school. In 1878, Berlitz, an American who was born in Germany, invented the Natural method. He found that translation method which was popular in those days was not useful. And he established language schools in the US and taught English through the natural method. Natural method is designed for learners to learn English naturally as mother tongue. His theory of teaching was based on Rousseau's naturalism. And he insists "Learners should to learn English kids' order. Because kids acquire language ability naturally in listening, speaking, reading, and writing order." His teaching method mainly concentrates on conversation. And learners can acquire vocabulary in the context. They do not teach translation. And they never use help of mother tongue.
Such kind of method called direct method has a big weak point. It is that teachers have difficulty to recognize whether or not students understand what native teachers speak. Of course students' mother tongue is not English, so it is hard for them to understand English words perfectly. And it is possible that teachers do not notice students misunderstand English words. Compared with teaching method using mother tongue, there is uncertainty.
Finally, I would like to mention more practical method based on ESL method in USA. We might be able to say gradually English has become a world language. A lot of people are using English. English can be divided into three types; English as a mother Tongue, English as a second language, and English as a foreign language. Former two is American, British, or Canadian's point of view. And latter is mainly European or Asian's point of view.
In USA, 11.5% of population is people who were born in other countries. And another research showed that 18% of population over age 5 is people who do not use English in their house. In the country of immigration USA, people cannot survive without English. And nowadays ESL courses have become a valuable tool for helping these people to quickly learn useful English. Now I will introduce one ESL class example. Typically, as in one ESL class in Montgomery Country, Maryland, the students are tested, placed in appropriate classes, and trained in communication skills involving English. From studying and applying various styles of writing to doing mock court, political speeches the instructions are alive and functional often incorporating significant current events, such as the aftermath of a hurricane.The characteristic of this type of teaching is that both teachers and learners' purpose is quite clear. Also, the strength of ESL is that it breaks down cultural barriers. By using languages which are linked to its culture, ESL encourages students to experience the cultural patterns which language bring. For example, learners can learn tempo of fighting or how to make a joke! Japanese schools are spending more hours teaching English, but one wonder is how it is being taught. In USA, some public schools introduce a foreign language to young children by teaching arithmetic and music in that language. While the Japanese tend to focus on mastering the language before moving on to other skills, this method, on the contrary, focus the students on using the language immediately before acquisition.ESL is like a boat in the ocean. Learners can dive into ocean, because ESL will help them. They take risk, but certainly they acquire techniques go along with people.
In conclusion, I think communicative method cooperating with native teachers is the best way to teach English to teenagers. From my research, I found a lot of teaching methods, and analyzed these advantage points and disadvantage ones. Before writing this essay, I estimated that ESL method was the most effective way to teach English. In fact, I would like to try ESL method to learn English because it seems to be more practical than any other methods. However, when I was searching various materials, I came to pay attention at the purpose to learn English.
The first one, Japanese traditional grammar translation method, is better way to teach English to teenagers. Especially to students who have never studied English, it is effective way. Through this method, students can understand English words by translating to their mother tongue, so it is easy to understand to beginners. And in Japan, this method has been used for a long years. It has already rooted and had actual result. It might be the easiest way to start to study English to Japanese. On the other hands, it has weak point. As most of Japanese have already realized, through this method they cannot acquire English communication skill. That is why I cannot say this is the best way, however I can say it is better way to beginners.
And third one, ESL method, is better way to people who need to acquire more practical or immediate English skill. As I showed before, in USA a lot of businessmen or immigrants are learning through this method. Replacing with teenagers, if they are enough interested in Western culture or English learning, it is hard to motivate them because of Japanese original disadvantage in acquisition of English. The first disadvantage is that Japan has never dominated as a colony by Western countries. The second one is that in Japanese society the rule or necessity has not defined yet. Then the third one is that in linguistics, English and Japanese belong to different groups, so they have different forms in various situations such like word order, or pronunciation.
The way to teach English should be flexible. It should be up to students' purpose of learning and motivation, so I chose communicative method. Thorough this method, teachers can develop students' curiosity and interest to English learning, Western cultures, and Western people. This method can use the both advantages Japanese and native teachers have. |
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