LLivinivingg iteraciterac

yyJoseph G. Tillman, Joseph G. Tillman,

PhDPhD

LL

A word is deadA word is deadWhen it is said,When it is said,

Some say.Some say.I say it justI say it just

Begins to liveBegins to liveThat day.That day.

Emily Dickinson, Emily Dickinson, "A Word""A Word"

……what people learn what people learn when they learn language when they learn language

is not separate parts is not separate parts (words, sounds, sentences)(words, sounds, sentences)

but a supersystembut a supersystemof of social practicessocial practices

whose conventions and whose conventions and systematicitysystematicity

both constrain and liberate.both constrain and liberate.

C. Edelsky, 1993C. Edelsky, 1993

Linguistics is…Linguistics is…the scientific study of language.the scientific study of language.

Sociolinguistics is…Sociolinguistics is…the study of the social role of language.the study of the social role of language.

Psycholinguistics Psycholinguistics is…is…the study of the mental processesthe study of the mental processes

involved in language production.involved in language production.

The Nature ofThe Nature ofLanguage Language AbilitiesAbilities

Living LiteracyLiving Literacy Outline

Part 1 Web-Spinning

Part 2 Spinning of

Yarns

Part 3 Spin Control

PART 1:PART 1:

Web-Web-SpinningSpinning

The Language InstinctThe Language Instinct

LanguageLanguageis so tightly wovenis so tightly woven

into human experienceinto human experiencethat it is scarcely that it is scarcely

impossibleimpossible to imagine life without it.to imagine life without it.

Steven PinkerSteven PinkerThe Language InstinctThe Language Instinct

A common language A common language connects the members of a connects the members of a

communitycommunityinto an information-sharing into an information-sharing

networknetworkwith formidable collective with formidable collective

powers.powers.

Steven PinkerSteven PinkerThe Language InstinctThe Language Instinct

Word Word OriginsOrigins

Language is a complex, specialized Language is a complex, specialized skill,skill,

which develops in the child which develops in the child spontaneously, spontaneously,

without conscious effort or formal without conscious effort or formal instruction,instruction,

is deployed without awarenessis deployed without awarenessof its underlying logic,of its underlying logic,

is qualitatively the same in every is qualitatively the same in every individual, and is distinct from individual, and is distinct from

more general abilitiesmore general abilitiesto process information or behave to process information or behave

intelligently.intelligently.

Steven PinkerSteven PinkerThe Language InstinctThe Language Instinct

George Bernard Shaw complained George Bernard Shaw complained thatthatfishfish

could just as sensibly be spelledcould just as sensibly be spelledghotighoti

ghgh as in as in toughtough, , oo as in as in womenwomen,,titi as in as in nationnation

-and that only institutional inertiaand that only institutional inertia- prevents the adoptionprevents the adoption

of a more rational of a more rational spell-it-like-it-sounds system.spell-it-like-it-sounds system.

...English is a zany,...English is a zany,logic-defying tongue,logic-defying tongue,

in which one drives on a in which one drives on a parkwayparkway

and parks in a driveway,and parks in a driveway,plays at a recitalplays at a recital

and recites at a play.and recites at a play.

Thinking of language as an Thinking of language as an instinctinstinct

conveys the ideaconveys the ideathat people know how to talkthat people know how to talk

in more or less the same in more or less the same sensesense

that spiders know how to that spiders know how to spin webs.spin webs.

Web-spinning was not Web-spinning was not inventedinvented

by some unsung spider by some unsung spider geniusgenius

and does not depend on and does not depend on having hadhaving had

the right educationthe right educationor on having an aptitude foror on having an aptitude for

architecture or the architecture or the construction trades.construction trades.

Rather, spiders spin spider Rather, spiders spin spider webs because they have spider webs because they have spider

brains, which give them the brains, which give them the urge to spin and the urge to spin and the

competence to succeed.competence to succeed.

The essence of languageThe essence of languageis human activityis human activity

- activity on the part of one - activity on the part of one individual to make himself individual to make himself

understood,understood,and activity on the part of and activity on the part of

the other the other to understand what was in to understand what was in

the mindthe mindof the first.of the first.

O. Jespersen, 1904O. Jespersen, 1904How to Teach a Foreign LanguageHow to Teach a Foreign Language

The unconscious The unconscious systemsystem

of communicationof communication

Stephen KrashenStephen Krashen

PART 2:PART 2:

Spinning of Spinning of YarnsYarns

TheThe

Language AcquisitionLanguage Acquisition ProcessProcess

Comprehensible InputComprehensible Input

IntakeIntake

AffectiveAffectiveFilterFilter

...through Meaningful ...through Meaningful CommunicationCommunication

Comprehensible Comprehensible InputInput

……the development of literacy andthe development of literacy andthe development of language in the development of language in

generalgeneraloccur in only one way:occur in only one way:

when we understand messages.when we understand messages.

i + 1i + 1

……language is acquired most language is acquired most effectivelyeffectively

when it is learned for when it is learned for communicationcommunication

in meaningful and significantin meaningful and significantsocial situations.social situations.

...through Meaningful ...through Meaningful CommunicationCommunication

F. Genesee, 1994F. Genesee, 1994Integrating Language and ContentIntegrating Language and Content

The forms of natural languageThe forms of natural languagecannot be separatedcannot be separated

from its communicative function.from its communicative function.

The Competition ModelThe Competition Model

MacWhinney, Bates, & Kliegl, 1984MacWhinney, Bates, & Kliegl, 1984

Linguistic Perspectives on Linguistic Perspectives on LanguageLanguage

Within any language the meaning of Within any language the meaning of elements may differ widely:elements may differ widely:

o Phonetics (speech sounds)Phonetics (speech sounds)o Phonology (sound patterns)Phonology (sound patterns)o Morphology (minimal units of Morphology (minimal units of

meaning)meaning)o Syntax (grammatical structure)Syntax (grammatical structure)o Semantics (the meaning of words)Semantics (the meaning of words)o Pragmatics (language use in Pragmatics (language use in

context)context)

Control over one’s linguistic Control over one’s linguistic knowledge.knowledge.Perceptual SkillsPerceptual SkillsCognitive SkillsCognitive SkillsSocial SkillsSocial Skills

The more each of these skills is The more each of these skills is routinized, the greater the ease routinized, the greater the ease with which they can be put to with which they can be put to use.use.

McLaughlin, 1990McLaughlin, 1990

AutomaticityAutomaticity

Changes madeChanges madeto internalized representationto internalized representation

as a result of new learning.as a result of new learning.

Newly learned informationNewly learned informationmust be reorganized and must be reorganized and

restructured.restructured.

= New Schema= New Schema

McLaughlin, 1990McLaughlin, 1990

RestructuringRestructuring

Krashen suggested that the Affective Krashen suggested that the Affective FilterFilter

is not present or is not operative in is not present or is not operative in young children. young children.

Do you agree with this claim?Do you agree with this claim?

Can it be used to account for child-Can it be used to account for child-adult differences? adult differences?

Why or why not?Why or why not?

Affective FilterAffective Filter

Not to let a word get in the Not to let a word get in the wayway

of its sentenceof its sentenceNor to let a sentence get in Nor to let a sentence get in the waythe way

of its intention,of its intention,But to send your mind out to But to send your mind out to meet themeet the

intentionintentionas a guest;as a guest;That is understanding.That is understanding.

Chinese proverb, Fourth Century B.C.Chinese proverb, Fourth Century B.C.

IntakeIntake

Accessing or BuildingAccessing or BuildingLinguistic KnowledgeLinguistic Knowledge

Perceptive Perceptive SkillsSkills

Jab

berw

ock

Jab

berw

ock

yy

‘‘Twas brillig, and the slithy Twas brillig, and the slithy tovestoves

Did gyre and gimble in the Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:wabe:

All mimsy were the All mimsy were the borogroves,borogroves,

And the mome raths And the mome raths outgrabe.’outgrabe.’

Cognitive SkillsCognitive Skills

““It seems very pretty,”It seems very pretty,”[Alice] said when she had [Alice] said when she had

finished it,finished it,““but it’s but it’s ratherrather hard to hard to

understand!”understand!”(You see she didn’t like to (You see she didn’t like to

confess,confess,even to herself,even to herself,

that she couldn’t make it out that she couldn’t make it out at all).at all).

““Somehow it seemsSomehow it seemsto fill my head with ideasto fill my head with ideas- only I don’t know exactly- only I don’t know exactly

what they are!”what they are!”

Social SkillsSocial Skills

‘‘You seem very cleverYou seem very cleverat explaining words, Sir,’ at explaining words, Sir,’ said Alice. ‘Would you said Alice. ‘Would you

kindly tell mekindly tell methe meaning of the poem the meaning of the poem called “Jabberwocky”?’called “Jabberwocky”?’

GISTGIST

““However,However,somebodysomebody killed killed

somethingsomething::that’s clear, at any rate - that’s clear, at any rate -

.”.”

PART 3:PART 3:

Spin ControlSpin Control

...The most effective programs ...The most effective programs will be those that involvewill be those that involve

the whole learnerthe whole learnerin the experience of languagein the experience of language

as a network of relationsas a network of relationsbetween people, things, and events.between people, things, and events.

S. Savignon, 1983S. Savignon, 1983Communicative Competence: Theory and Communicative Competence: Theory and

Classroom PracticeClassroom Practice

This would not necessarily meanThis would not necessarily meanchanging or disguising the changing or disguising the

classroomclassroomin the hope that it will momentarily in the hope that it will momentarily

serveserveas some kind of “communicative as some kind of “communicative

situation”situation”resembling situations in the resembling situations in the

outside world.outside world.

M. Breen & C. Candlin, 1979M. Breen & C. Candlin, 1979Essentials of a Communicative Essentials of a Communicative

CurriculumCurriculum

M. Breen & C. Candlin, 1979M. Breen & C. Candlin, 1979Essentials of a Communicative Essentials of a Communicative

CurriculumCurriculum

The classroom itselfThe classroom itselfhas a unique social has a unique social

environmentenvironmentwith its own human with its own human

activitiesactivitiesand its own conventionsand its own conventions

governing those activities.governing those activities.

RepresentationRepresentation……level of analysis and mental level of analysis and mental

organizationorganizationof linguistic informationof linguistic information

ControlControl……speed and efficiency with which that speed and efficiency with which that

informationinformationcan be accessed.can be accessed.

Bialystok and Sharwood Smith, 1985Bialystok and Sharwood Smith, 1985

Knowledge of a Knowledge of a LanguageLanguage

Metacognitive StrategiesMetacognitive Strategies for Second Language for Second Language

LearnersLearners

Self-regulatory strategies that help studentsSelf-regulatory strategies that help studentsplan, monitor, and self-evaluate.plan, monitor, and self-evaluate.

The words you chooseThe words you chooseto say somethingto say something

are just as importantare just as importantas the decision to speak.as the decision to speak.

AnonymousAnonymous