The Linguist On Language

In the US, there is controversy about whether the way that many Black Americans speak is a language (sometimes cal ed Ebonics) or not. However, I was recently told, by a leading Black American educator, that most Black parents would like their children to speak mainstream English, at least outside of the home. There, I believe, the issue is not so much the accent, which is real y a Southern accent, but the use of words. It is quite possible to have a very erudite way of using the language and stil speak with an accent that is similar to that of a "rapper."

So my view is that phrasing and vocabulary are more important than accent in al situations.

To reduce accent or not

Very few language learners do not want to emulate the pronunciation of some native speaker group. That is the model, whether it is achieved or not. Very fe w native speakers of a language do not react more positively, at least initial y, to a person speaking in a familiar or native accent, even though in time this initial impression can be overcome.

So it is not necessarily helpful to pretend that learners do not want to reduce their accent nor that it is unimportant. It is useful to tell learners that they should not be unduly preoccupied about their accent, but to suggest that it does not matter is not, in my view, a good idea.

One of the best ways to reduce an accent is to listen repeatedly to a limited amount of content. Repeating along, with an emphasis on rhythm and intonation is particularly helpful. It can also be helpful to memorize short paragraphs and repeat them often. And of course it is important to relax and not worry about one's accent even as we try to improve.

I am not American, but if and when people with Hispanic ancestry become the majority in the US, most of them wil likely speak English with the same accent as their neighbours and fel ow citizens of other different ancestries.

I find that this political y correct attitude "your accent is part of your culture" is patronizing towards new citizens of the United States, who are trying to speak like everyone else. I know that I make mistakes in grammar and pronunciation, when I speak another language. It does not bother me. However, I do not pretend that my incorrect way of speaking is just ―a cultural trait." To speak like a native is still the ideal, even though I cannot achieve it. Speaking the way I do is not a "cultural trait". I do not believe that those people who speak another language wel are less able to represent their own culture. I believe this is just another example of political y correct "feel good" nonsense.

CHAPTER VII: LEARNING TECHNIQUES

We al have slightly different approaches to learning. Here are some observations on learning techniques that I use.

Learn like children

Language teaching based on explaining the language and its rules is stil the norm in most schools. This method has been quite unsuccessful. Unless such classroom instruction is accompanied by a considerable amount of listening and exposure outside the classroom, most students simply end up not speaking or even understanding the spoken language after 10 years or more of classroom study of that language. This represents a spectacular failure. With the same effort put into math, most students end up able to do quite complicated math. The same is not true for language study. It is time to try something else.

We do not explain a first language to children. We do not put pressure on children to speak.

They speak when they are ready. And then we do not correct children. We just let them enjoy discovering the language on their own.

We need to use the same approach for second language study. We need to help the learners enjoy discovering the language, and we need to encourage them to do so. Adults already have a wide range of concepts and words in their own language, so that they can learn much faster than children, if they are as motivated and as positive and as determined as a child at play.

The role of the teacher begins with showing the learner how to find interesting content at an appropriate level to listen to and read. Ideal y the teacher is able to show the learner how to start using authentic content, i.e. not learner language, at a very early stage. The teacher can then point out some efficient techniques for observing and discovering how the new language works.

Mastering a language

Can we master another language? Can we master our own? Can we achieve native -like fluency in a second language? What do these terms mean?

In my previous post I said that we can never master a foreign language. Julien commented that we cannot even master our own language, so we are even less likely to be able to master a second or third language.