3644. You Can Learn a Lot by Just Reading Books, Look

 So we have – continuing what said on the previous post – that we can learn a foreign or second language, but also we can acquire it. Subconsciously. Similar to what little children do. 

And we language learners have to receive a comprehensible input, to acquire the language. Thus we will be exposed to that input, which should be a bit above my actual level, thus we can proceed and advance in that language learning. 

All this entails practical points for the classroom. 

Remember all that was already said by Stephen Krashen from the seventies and eighties of last century. A great fellow this expert I guess. 

He also said that you can learn & acquire the target tongue by reading books, and this is good news – I do like reading books and articles. 

He puts that fiction books, like novels, help you a great deal in those learning & acquiring: those books bring everyday lexis and sayings and kinds of expressions. And even it seems better if you select those books. 

The following thing is mine: with those graded readers and books you can also learn – not just acquire. It’s what I do. 

Recently I have re-read the third sequel of Harry Potter (and the Prisoner of Azkaban) in English, and right now I’m reading a book on the Apollo missions to the moon, by Andrew Chaikin. I’ve had fun with those two books. 

I’ve tried to read a B2 graded reader – a retold story from Wuthering Heights, yet it’s rather terrible: the characters are so cruel and evil, and in just a hundred pages, I’m hesitating to read it: I’m so interested in revising that B2 English, yet the retold plot is kind of disgusting. 

So I was saying: when I read those books I also LEARN vocab and expressions and English ways of saying things, for I consciously focus on those expressions, and try and learn them by heart – I wouldn’t wonder some of those expressions are utilized when composing these blog posts! 

So summing up, comprehensible input but a bit above your level, so as to advance and progress, and loads of reading. Have a nice summer (or winter in the southern hemisphere) day.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3658. Language Facts or Communication in Class?

  I teach English to adults. It’s so great … and demanding.  Adults have some characteristic way of learning the language. For example they tend to focus on specific grammar patterns and ways of saying things in the target language. Well, it’s something I also do when learning that language myself. And it is something I cannot change. It is something we can take advantage from, anyway.  Even in that way they can learn quite a lot. You know, it doesn’t matter they would ask me questions in class that show they are focusing on grammar. It’s ok. It’s ok ever if also we as teachers facilitate there is plenty of communication in English in class.  I mean, do not confine as a teacher to teach grammar and language facts, but provide a lot of communication in class.  When some newcomer arrives at one of those groups of mine – and I’m thinking of one specific group – that new student says kind of, Oh I can see my classmates have a lot of fluency while in my case … Why do the other students have
Read more

3659. Learning a Language by (Just) Reading You Said?

  A lot of people want to learn a second or foreign language. Me too. So do I.  At the same time I teach that language I’m learning and acquiring, namely English.  And you may know that I often say that reading books and graded readers help learn and acquire those target languages. Indeed. It’s my experience, plus Stephen Krashen says it’s so, even he pinpoints and says that fiction is better than non-fiction.  Ok now I can say that only after having read a lot and used the dictionary also a lot can you learn many a word. Hundreds of them, perhaps thousands.  Only then some or many words get stuck in memory. Well, maybe you'll learn a lot of vocabulary by other means. Then you can use them when speaking or writing in the target tongue. Because you’ve gotten a massive tank of lexis.  Of course there are more words you can understand than the ones you can use when communicating. Passive vocab is ampler than active vocab.  Then you can remember many words. And use them. And perhaps it
Read more

2064. Connecting people from different countries

Image
Something we teachers of English or other languages have to bear in mind when teaching adults is that the students should learn and practice communication, and we shouldn’t confine our classes to give them facts of the languages.  Also in kids’ case.  The point isn’t for them to know information about the language, yet to learn how to communicate in that language.  Thus we could plan our classes with that aim.  I state all this because we could dedicate a long time to teach facts, information, something nearly dead, say.  In this way, besides we contribute to connect people from so varied countries. It’s something brilliant, isn’t it? / Photo from: people-happy-cheering bachflowerssingapore wordpress com
Read more

2551. Agradecimiento a TeacherLingo

Image
Desde la bonita Granada, España, agradezco mucho al equipo de TeacherLingo por la publicación de las entradas nuevas en mi blog.  ¡Muchas gracias! Ojalá sirva a profesores noveles y a todo el que lo lea. / Photo from: nature-landscape-beautiful-photos-best-desktop-landscape-hd-wallpapers-widescreen www hdwallpaperscool com. the picture is not Granada necessarily
Read more

399. Creating a story

Image
One day teacher B said to teacher A, "I'm glad, ya know?, because my elder daughter has told me she has begun to write a book, a novel. I like the idea. One person who decides to write a book, well, or a story, a shorter story, sounds great, you know? She reads a lot of novels, kind of one every two or three weeks. I'm after she wouldn't lose time of her studies - she is 15. She has a sketch of the characters and some ideas. I gently try to suggest to her possible useful tips. Beauty, creativity, fantasy, just trying to write something, are very educative, aren't them? Also reading good literature." www disneypicture net The movie is The Pacifier . Starring Vin Diesel. The movie was released in 2005. - I hadn't got a baldy on this film.
Read more