TEFL : LANGUAGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
LANGUAGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
A PAPER
Presented To Fulfill the Requirement of the Task of SEMINAR
ON TEFL
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.
Definition Of Topic
Learning a foreign language can sometimes be difficult
for learners. Now the only things that can make them interested in learning the
language, especially in monolingual countries, is the classroom environment and
the way the teacher can make them enjoy the process of learning.[1]
Students who are learning a foreign language in a dirty
classroom where nothing is on the right place and where they even have trouble
seeing the teacher or the instructor teaching, can never enjoy the learning and
thus sooner or later they find it hard to learn and they quit learning!
It is the art of the teacher to make the class enjoyable
for the students, but on the other hand, a class with
light-colored walls and nice pictures on it can make the students feel relaxed
there and be more able to learn. Also a class where it is too hot or too cold
when it's not supposed to can easily make the students feel like leaving the class
sooner.
There are some facts not many teachers may consider, but
the most important thing is to make students feel at home while they are in the
class. If they are able to feel so, they will enjoy learning and they want to keep
staying there and learning the language. While no matter how much the teacher
is trying to teach in a perfect way, if the classroom is not suitable for the
students, the teacher can never ever succeed.
Comparing the students in a poor class condition with
the ones on a better condition and with the same teacher, could show
that the students on the second class could learn things much faster and easier
that the ones on the first class, so the class environment can have psychological
effects on the students who are spending their time and money in order to learn
something.
1.
Theory of Language
Language is based on structures which
are used to convey meanings, which perform functions.
2.
Theory of Language
Learning
We see language learning as a combined
process of structural and communicative activities.
Definitions of Topic Based on Some
Dictionaries
Based on Oxford Advanced Learners
‘Dictionary and Encarta
Dictionaries,
give some definitions:
Ø ”Language” is the human use of spoken or written words as
a communication system.
Ø “Learning” (noun) is the proces of learning something.
Ø “Learning” is the aquicitiaon of knowladge or skiil.
Ø “Environment” is all the external factors influencing the
life and activities of people, plants, and animals.[3]
Ø “Environment” (noun) is the conditions that affect the
behaviour and development of somebody or something.
From
the explanation above, it can be assumed that “Language Learning Environment” is the
communication in teaching and learning influenced by environment.
B.
Problem
formulation
In
this paper, we are going to discuss about:
1. The
theories of Language Learning
Environment
2. The
objectives of Language Learning Environment
3. The
factors of Language Learning Environment
4. The
kinds of aspect in Language Learning Environment
5. The
advantages of Language Learning Environment
CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
1.
Theories
Of Language Learning Environment
A.
Theory of
Language
At least three different theoretical
views of language and the nature of language proficiency explicitly and implicitly
inform current approaches and methods in language teaching.
The first, and most traditional
of the three, is the structural view, the view that language is a system of
structurally related elements for the coding if meaning. The target of language
learning is seen to be mastery of elements of this system, which are generally
defined in term of phonological units (e.g., phonemes), grammatical units
(e.g., clauses, phrases, sentences), grammatical operations( e.g. adding,
shifting, joining or transforming elements), and lexical items(e.g. function
words and structure words).
The second view of language
is the functional view, the view that language is a vehicle for the expression
of functional meaning. The communicative movement in language teaching subscribes
to this view of language. These theory emphases the semantic and communicative
dimension rather than merely the grammatical characteristics of language, and
leads to a specification and organization of language teaching content by
categories of meaning and function rather than by elements of structure and
grammar.
The third view of language
can be called the interactional view. It sees language as a vehicle for the
realization of interpersonal relations and for the performance of social
transactions between individuals. Language is seen as a tool for the creation
and maintenance of social relations. Areas of inquiry being drawn on in the
development of interactional approaches to language teaching include
interaction analysis, conversation analysis and ethno methodology.
Interactional theories focus on the patters of moves, acts, negotiation, and
interaction found in conversational exchanges. Language teaching content,
according to this view, maybe specified and organized by patterns of exchange
and interaction or maybe left unspecified, to be shaped by the inclination of
learners as interaction.
B.
Theory of
Language Learning
Although specific theories
of the nature of language may provide the bases for a particular teaching
method, other methods derive primarily from a theory of language learning. A
leaning theory underlying an approach or method responds to two questions: (a)
what are the psycholinguistic and cognitive processes involved in language
learning? (b) What are the conditions that need to be met in order for these
learning processes to be activated? Learning theories associated with methods
at the level of approach may emphasize either one or both of these dimensions.
Process-oriented theories build on learning processes, such as habit formation,
induction, differencing, hypothesis testing, and generalization.
Conditions-oriented theories emphasize the nature of the human and physical
context in which language learning takes place.
Stephen D.
Krashen’s Monitor Model of second language development (1981) is an examples of
a learning theory on which method (the Natural Approach) has been built.
Monitor theory address both the process and the condition dimensions of
learning. At the level of process, Krashen, distinguishes between acquisition
and learning. Acquisition refers to
the natural assimilation of language rules through using language for
communication. Learning refers to the
formal study of language rules and is a conscious process.
According
to Krashen, however, learning is available only as a “monitor”. The monitor is
the repository of conscious grammatical knowledge about language that is
learned through formal instruction and that is called upon in the editing of
utterances produced through the acquired system. Krashen’s theory also
addresses the conditions necessary for the process of “acquisition” to take
place. Krashen describes these in term of the type of “input” the learner
receives. Input must be comprehensible, slightly above the learner’s present
level of competent, interesting or relevant, not grammatically sequenced, in
sufficient quantity, and experienced in law-anxiety contexts.
Charles A.
Curran in his writings on Counseling-Learning (1972), for example, focuses
primarily on the conditions necessary for successful learning. He believes the
atmosphere of the classroom is a crucial factor, and his method seeks to
ameliorate the feelings of intimidation and insecurity that many learners
experience. James Asher’s Total Physical Response (1997) is likewise method
that derives primarily from learning theory rather than from a theory of the
nature of language. Asher’s learning theory addresses both the process and the
condition aspects of learning. It is bases on the belief that child language
learning is based on motor activity, on coordinating.
2.
Objectives
Of Language Learning Environment
1.
To know students’
capability, students’ condition, students’ characteristics, and classrooms’
atmosphere.
2.
Getting acquainted the
subjects toward the students.
3.
To know how to make the
teaching learning condition more education.
4.
Make students
comfortable and feel study like in their home.
3.
Factors Of Language Learning
Environment
A. The
External Environment
1. Use
visual display around the room to highlight key topics, key words and key
concepts.
2. Use
visual display to tell the story of the topic which is being studied
3. Ensure
visual display provides a good balance of images, symbols, picture, color and
text.
4. Paint
games on playground surfaces
5. Purchase
games equipment, which encourages physical activity and co-operative play
6. Increase
the provision of litter and recycling bins
7. Places & People
This node contains the places where
we can find useful ‘information’ for increasing my language and cultural
competence and the people ‘living’ in those places who can contribute to my
learning process. At present our ‘learning environment’ is mainly made up of
university education (English courses, lab lessons, literature classes) Web 2.0
(our blog and those of our classmates, podcasting, del.icio.us, Bloglines,
YouTube, Myhappyplanet, Facebook) and some young students we are coaching in
English (sometimes giving private lessons allows us to refresh ‘real life
English’, that is the basic vocabulary used every day at home, at the
restaurant, on the telephone, in a shop, etc.). In the near future we hope to
travel a bit abroad and find a job that allows us to enrich our language
knowledge (e.g. translator, clerk in a foreign trade office, English teacher).
All things
considered, representing our own PLE was very useful; it forced us to
categorize the tools we’ve got at our disposal to improve my English; this way
I realized that in the last few months I’ve begun using tools through which,
finally, we are learning informal and colloquial language. We are especially
referring to social networks such as Myhappyplanet.com; this is a language learning
community, a place to learn a language naturally by interacting with
people around the world that speak the language(s) you want to learn and want
to learn the language(s) you speak. Lastly, our map shows what a small role
formal, academic education plays in our ‘Learning Environment’. That was a bit
surprising but quite good now that we are finishing university and need to find
out new ways to keep up my lifelong learning!
B. The
Internal Environment
1. Display
more pupil’s work in public areas and classroom
2. Pupils
know where material, equipment and another learning resources are kept
3. Language Competence
This was the most complex and difficult part to
represent graphically. We pointed out what learning tools we’ve been using or
we’ll use in the near future to increase my ‘language competence’, by making a
distinction between the four main skills it consists of (listening, speaking,
reading, writing); then, within each skill we distinguished between formal and
informal learning contexts. Remember that with ‘formal’ we don’t mean only
formal education (i.e. education at school, university or other courses), but
any context that can help me to learn formal English (e.g. future jobs, media,
academic writing); in other words, it is a matter of register. In order to
highlight tools that are helpful to develop two or more skills at the same
time, I used the same colour; for example, SkyPe is written in light blue so
you can easily notice that it’s a tool we make use of for all the four skills:
to practice listening/speaking if you have a phone exchange, or to practice
reading/writing if you have a chat.
4.
Cultural Competence
The ways through which we can increase our knowledge
about Language Learning (lifestyle, food, traditions, holidays, educational
system, religion, government, history, literature, etc.); again we
distinguished between formal and informal tools.[4]
5.
Information
Under ‘Retrieving’ we tried to answer to the question:
“How can we gather new information, i.e. material that can be
exploited for my language learning (grammar rules & exercises, handbooks,
podcasts, essays, software, social networks, etc.)?”. Under ‘Storing’, on the
other hand, we included all the devices we use for keeping and arranging
information (feeds, bookmarks, tags, folders, and links in my blog).
4.
The Kinds Of Aspects in Language
Learning Environment
1. Condition of classroom.
2. The material or topic in teaching
and learning.
3. Teacher capability.
4. The tools to support teaching and
learning.
5. Student’s condition.
6. The condition around the place or
class.
5. The Advantages Of Language Learning
Environment
a.
To make students be active and
interest in teaching and learning.
b.
Getting information about student’s
conditions.
c.
To make easy in teaching and
learning process.
d.
Getting acquainted the subjects
towards the students in teaching and learning process.
e.
Making the students communicative in teaching
learning process.
f.
Understanding the students is ready
to learn.
g.
To know the effectiveness of the
strategies on serving in teaching language.
6. The Disadvantages Of Language
Learning Environment
1.
When the class is dirty of
uncomfortable, students cannot study effectively and interactive.
2.
Some students leave their teaching
learning because they are feel so bored.
3.
Teacher must be more creative and
prepare the material based on the situation and condition, because teacher will
be difficult and not success when the students cannot receive the material
because of some problem in around of class.
4.
Teachers have to be patient to face
the real condition of the environment or atmosphere in teaching and learning.
5.
If the teacher cannot make teaching
and learning class enjoy, for the next meeting only some of students who come
to teacher class.
6.
We need some technology to support
teaching and learning more interactive.
CHAPTER
3
CONCLUSION
“Language
Learning Environment” is the communication
in teaching and learning influenced by environment.
Objectives
of Language Learning Environment
To know students’
capability, students’ condition, students’ characteristics, and classrooms’
atmosphere. Getting acquainted the subjects toward the students. To know how to
make the teaching learning condition more education. Make students comfortable
and feel study like in their home.
Factors Of Language Learning Environment: external and internal factors.
There are some advantages and disadvantages of Language Learning
Environment based on teacher and students.
REFERENCES
A S Hornby. 2000. Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary( 8thedition, plus entries from the oxford guide to British
and American culture)
Microsoft®
Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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