3555. We Can Learn a Language without Realizing We Are Doing It!

We are still at the beginning of a new academic year. And it’s good we teachers and our students alike be enthused. Even now that we are going through this Covid-19 crisis. 

Anyway, what I’m saying on this post may affect any time around the school year. 

I teach English. Currently to adults. And I do know that students can learn the language, but also they can acquire it, i.e. learn it subconsciously. 

We learners of English also acquire the tongue if exposed to it at a level we can understand, better if the texts are a bit above our level. This is, finely tuned at a level which is a bit above us. 

The scholar who explained all this theory is well-known, Stephen D. Krashen (Chicago, 1941). 

He also said that if the learner reads books freely, he will acquire a lot of the target language. 

It’s also my experience: I’ve learned a lot of English through reading, and keep on doing so. 

Presently I read Jules Verne’s Five Weeks in a Balloon. In an unabridged version, published by Wordsworth Classics. And I have some fun, which is also important. 

As well this current year I’m about to give an impulse to reading amid my dear students. Most of them will get graded readers, which is an open door to learning and acquiring. 

By the way, while typing a new post, often comes to mind one word I have read somewhere… 

Alike, it may be sensible to make up a classroom library, from which the people may pick up readers freely. Always with books in accordance to age and in accordance to human dignity. 

So reading as a booster of language learning… and acquiring. Some of my students have a nice high level: they will be able to choose readers at an advanced level or even unabridged books. 

Important, as I said, is to enjoy reading. When I read the aforementioned novel I more or less enjoy it, and I read one page and then I revise that page by focusing on specific words randomly, and thus I make up a mental photo of such and such words and try to keep them to the reserve of my mind. I can assure you that memory is elastic: you can make it bigger by exercising. 

As well by doing that you somewhat prevent from developing Alzheimer. So reading books is a great way of learning and acquiring a second or foreign language, though we will have to also practice the other skills: listening, speaking and writing – together with reading. And keep in mind that each learner has his own unique way of reading and learning. Have a nice week.