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| (By replicatedtypo) |
A
great deal of a language teacher’s classroom work is devoted to training
repetitions that are crucial for students to acquire that specific “sound
image”. The earlier students dive in instead of staying on the sidelines, the
better—just like learning to dance to a specific piece of music. That’s why we
should still rely on “situations” or conversations with short sentences,
repeated two or three times, custom-made to be memorized and/or mimed, as well
as drills, songs, and videos. Conversations are excellent for generating
“input” or introducing new vocabulary and grammar topics. This must be followed
by some kind of “output”, whether written or spoken. By repeating basic models,
students learn about variations, levels (formal, professional, casual, slang),
styles, accents, and so forth.
Understanding
different accents while expressing yourself with your own is evidence that
you’re successfully undertaking the fascinating adventure of learning a foreign
language. We all carry our specific accent—the one from the region or social
group we belong to, a kind of imprint that shapes our identity as users—but
this primary layer might change as we move to a different region or get in
touch with different people. And just as it happens with a new project or job,
the frontier between failure and success has to do with our ability to adapt.
In the end, it’s all about communication, and that’s where we'll eventually meet.
©
Abrão Brito
Lacerda
26 02 19