Language, learning, and teaching an overview

Taken from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedletter/v11n02/lote.html

Language, Learning, and Teaching: An Overview Critique on H.D. Brown’s First Chapter

By Federica Corradini Pre-Service Teacher, School of English Faculty of Social Sciences Universidad Latina de Costa Rica Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Post 278

Learning and teaching a language is a very complex and deep process that involves many different aspects. When analyzing all the factors that are involved, there are different characteristics that must be taken into account, for instance social and psychological background. Moreover, it is primarily necessary to understand what is meant by language, learning, teaching, and methodology.

Before going further in the world of language learning and teaching, it is also

required to have a broad idea of its development through history. In the first chapter of his book “Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fourth Edition” (2000), H. Douglas Brown points out his main ideas about the above mentioned aspects. As every teacher should consider, learning and teaching a language is not only a mere process of transmitting and receiving structural information, it is also a complex web of a whole lot of features.

The author states that it is necessary to consider the socio-cultural background of learners and teachers, what is wanted to be taught, how, when, where, and why the teaching-learning process occurs. Mr. Brown states that it is very difficult to give a strict definition of language, learning, and teaching, since they are complex processes. He also affirms that different schools of thought, and methodologies

have been

developed

through

the

years,

and

“Teaching

methodology emerged every quarter of a century, with each new method breaking from the old but […] taking with it some of the positive aspects of the previous paradigm” (Brown, 2000). He finally states that the major goal is to move beyond the teaching of structures only, in order to reach a more communicative approach.

Even the schools of thought have switched to a superficial, observational analysis to a deeper and more psychological one. Brown also underlines the fact that each teacher needs to develop his or her personal and unique approach.

Learning and teaching a language is a very deep process and for this reason I agree with the author when he states that it is essential to consider all the aspects that are involved. People tend to look at language teaching and learning very superficially; as it is stated by Brown, the development of teaching-learning procedures goes way beyond the mere application and reception of theories. It is a matter of fact that people come from different environments, which involve having different life styles, ambitions, ways of thinking, social positions, and so on. All of this definitely affects how a language needs to be taught, and why it is taught. It is also essential to make a distinction between the acquirement of language as a 2

second, or foreign one. When the circumstances change, so do the means that are used to achieve certain goals. I also think that what the author writes about the definition of language is very true: it is a complex idea, and its functioning must be understood in order to be able to teach it. Besides this, depending on how a teacher sees the language, he or she will consequently teach in a certain way.

It is also for this reason that Brown states that “Truth can be found in any theory� (Brown, 2000). I partially disagree with this statement. For sure it would be impossible to achieve universal theories, methodologies, and approaches since we are all different. Nevertheless, even if it is not possible to define what is without exception right or wrong, I personally think that there must be theories and methodologies that definitely do not work, or that on the other hand absolutely work. It has to be understood that everyone learns in a different way, and every teacher and student is unique. Yet, if a methodology does not work with barely any person, I do not see why it should continue to be used. For example, with reference to the Grammar Translation Method that is exposed at the end of the chapter (Brown, 2000), it is clear that a language cannot be taught with only grammar and syntax. A learner does not really learn the language if the only knowledge that he or she has is merely grammatical. It is necessary to put it into practice, speak, and apply the use of language itself to meaningful contexts.

As a conclusion, I would say that this useful introductory chapter (Brown, 2000) gives a clear idea of what a language teacher should take into account. As it is stated above, it is essential to understand that teaching and learning a language are complex mechanisms, and by consequence the issues that derive from these processes must be acknowledged, in order to make them effective. It is also crucial to avoid a superficial analysis of the whole teaching-learning process since, as the reader could notice, what is involved is a series of different fields: psychology, linguistics, pedagogy, sociocultural aspects of the environment, different backgrounds, and many more. By taking all these features into account, 3

the teacher and the learner can achieve much better, and definitely effective results.

References Brown, H. D. (2000). Language, Learning, and Teaching. In H. D. Brown,

Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fourth Edition (pp. 1-19).

Longman.

4