PART 2 Background to language learning
Unit 10 Exposure and focus on form
“Learning a foreign language not only reveals how
other societies think and feel, what they have experienced and value, and how
they express themselves, it also provides a cultural mirror in which we can
more clearly see our own society.” By Chancellor Edward Lee Gorsuch
Firstly, I learn in this unit that to acquire language, learners
need to hear and write a wide variety of language at the right level for them.
Then, it is important to know three main ways in which students learn a foreign
language. Acquisition, interaction and focus on form. Also, depending on
the learning style and the age of the students to learn best
by pick it up or interact between them. For example,
children learn their first language; it means the language they
learn as a baby by pick it up automatically, teenagers learn a foreign
language interact when they learn a new language. In addition,
one way students learn a foreign language is for the exposure to
it. For example, when students hear a song or read and article.
Secondly, I believe that some investigation show
about the way an adult learns when the exposure to the language is not enough.
Teachers need to focus their attention on the form of some aspects when a
student learns a foreign language, such as how to pronounced or written, on how
its grammar is formed by them. Learners can benefit when teachers can help
students to notice forms, for example: presenting new target language to
learners by asking them to find certain grammatical patterns in listening or
reading texts.
Finally, For my personal point of view, several approaches were
commonly used in the past may not be sufficiently helpful to learners, for
example: Grammar translation
method which focused only on
grammar and translating text, the
structural approach which
focused only on learning and practicing structures or communicative approaches which just focused on using language
fluently in communication. On the other hand, correction may be the best
suitable way to focus on form, for example when student`s have some grammar
mistakes the teacher correct them and help students to improve their weakness.
Key words: learning style, first language, interact,
exposure, pick it up, Grammar
translation method, the structural approach, communicative approaches.
Bodeepongse , Porntip (2009, April 27) TKT Unit
10 Exposure and Focus on Form. Retrieved from
Cristoful, M. (2014, May 15 )Unit 10. Exposure and
focus on form. Retrieved from
Gabriela, I really appreciate what you said in your blog about the three ways of acquiring a language, but I wonder which of the three is the most important to you.
ResponderBorrarGaby, the information you have provided in this blog is very useful for teachers since it taught us that we have to use these three things with our students exposure, interaction, and focus on form in order to help them learn a second langauge. Also, the links you have posted seem interesting to read! THANKS
ResponderBorrarThis information is very important because we as teachers have to know IT,Thanks for this uuseful infomation Gabriela ... everybody need to know that there are different learning styles and learners need to be exposure to the languege .
ResponderBorrarI really appreciate the links you published since they are very important. I watched them and they were reliable
ResponderBorrarSo, I learned more for applying in my classes
Good analysis Gabi! I really consider necessary as you do that teachers must be aware of the learners' needs and to know the different leering styles in order to help his or her students.
ResponderBorrarNice ideas Gaby, mainly if we want to focus on form by correcting them but with tact and with respect. Also it is important to implement reading and many listening activities to expose them to the language. Good work!
ResponderBorrar