The Linguist On Language

March 5, 2006 - (I said this over three years ago. It is becoming more and more relevant every year)

For those people who are familiar with computers, we are entering a world where the classroom, the teacher and the textbook will no longer determine the activities of most language learners. With the Internet, podcasting, blogging, and all the related technology, a language learner will have access to unlimited content in the target language. It will not be up to the teacher to impose his or her political message, or introduce his or her favourite movie or book to a passive class. Technology will enable the learner to find content of real interest to read and listen to. Technology will make sure that content can be chosen that is at the appropriate level of difficulty for the learner. Technology will make it possible for the learner to understand this content and to systematical y learn new words and phrases from this content.

The role of the language teacher will change from that of teacher to that of coach. The teacher will be required to stimulate and encourage. The teacher will have to be a model of normal (correct) usage and should have the ability to engage the learner in discussion on a wide variety of subjects in the target language. The teacher will provide feedback and advice on how to improve in areas of weakness. The teacher should be able to correct writing.

The increasing avalanche of information, both in text and audio form, on the Internet, will change the established paradigms of education, and erode the monopoly enjoyed by schools, universities, and other established institutions in education.

People who want to learn will search out the best and most interesting and effective sources of information and education from around the world. People will exchange their respective areas of expertise and skill without regard to formal credentials or institutional prestige. The seekers of education will be able to judge the value of the education that different participants have to offer in this new developing market place of ideas and information.

That is our vision. That is what we are working on in our rewrite of The Linguist s ystem into LingQ. It will be a total y new learning experience with the active participation of all . Everyone can be a learner and a teacher. Everyone can be a linguist!

Convivium, sharing life on the Internet

A Roman banquet was known as a "convivium". It was an occasion where friends got together to share a part of their lives, to share talk and food.

Dante Alighieri wrote a philosophical essay cal ed "convivio" were the participants shared their thoughts in poetry and prose.

Ivan Illitch, famous Austrian educator, wrote about "convivial" learning communities as an alternative to formal schooling.

I feel excited about what is starting to happen at LingQ, and I apologize that we are not able to open the system up to more people. We are doing all we can to get the LingQ system up and fully operating for our existing English language learners from The Linguist.

One of the ideas that is at the core of the LingQ concept is that learners who speak different native languages, and are trying to learn other languages, can help each other. We are hoping that our members will create lively and interesting content in their own language. This is starting to happen already, in French, Spanish and Russian. People are composing interesting original material and recording it. Others are interviewing their spouses and friends, recording it and transcribing it. This content is gradually being loaded onto LingQ although we do not have learners for these languages right now. We expect that others will also start to do so in a great variety of languages.

When we launch official y in July, this content will be available for our learners in a variety of languages. We expect this content will only grow. Some is deliberately easy. Some is more difficult. Al of this content can be integrated with LingQ,

In the future, as learners download this content to listen to it and read it, and to save words and phrases, the authors of this content will be able to earn "points" towards their own language learning. This will be only one part of the "convivial" learning community that we hope to create.

Teacher as guide

The role of the teacher surely is one of coach, guide, reliable source of friendly feedback and encouragement. The non-native teacher can fulfill this role. There is ample native language content available in audio and text form on the Internet and elsewhere. Massive input is what is going to help the students the most. The non-native teacher can guide the learners to appropriate content and, hopeful y, let them choose things of interest to them.