Taken from wikipedia:
In linguistics, Code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals - people who speak more than one language - sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other. Thus, code-switching is the syntactically and phonologically appropriate use of more than one linguistic variety.
Dictionary.com:
the alternate use of two or more languages or varieties of language, esp. within the same discourse.
Over the years I have had to change my opinion of code-switching. When learning to use a new language in every day life (especially as a teen) it's often considered 'cool' to mix it with your own. I used to hate it, because it 'sounds horrible'. For years I honestly could not stand anyone using English words in Dutch (or worse - vice-versa!) So a time of keeping my main languages completely separated began.
Skip forward a few more years and guess what happened? On incorporating English more and more with my daily life... code-switching became the new norm.
If you have more than one language in common with someone, why tie yourself down to using just one in conversation?
For language learning purposes? That's a reason that seems valid enough, so let's not code-switch during language classes. To show respect to people who don't understand one (or more) of the languages you use? Fine, in some situations that can certainly be important. But what about at home or with your best friends?
Code-switching is not butchering your languages. In doing more research I've learnt that in multi-lingual families code-switching is often the norm and not the exception. (Unless parents are terrified of 'ruining' their children's language abilities and thus cling to any one language at one time.) Just take a few moments to think about it, if you are fluent in more than one language - and your conversation partner understands at least two of your languages - why not use the richness available to you to express yourself better?
That's all for now.
10/14/10
Reflecting on Reflecting
Random Breakfast Coffee is back! This post is a ('mildly') sarcastic one, I'm afraid. But I had to get my opinion out there, after being forced to work on this forced reflection portfolio for my studies... So bear with me, and please tell me what you think about reflecting - both the natural way as part of a continuous progress as well as the forced, fake, unproductive way colleges and universities seem to love.
Reflection on reflecting
Why does just a mention of the word 'reflection' summon up a five-metre thick brick wall for most people?
What is so vile about it that it needs to be kept at a more-than-safe distance at all times?
Why do people keep insisting on, at the very least, trying it over and over again?
In case you haven't guessed, I'm working on my SLB (a course at my university on reflection and making informed choices for your studies and your career) portfolio today. I've been trying to get properly started with the assignments for the last... few weeks. Not that I haven't done anything, I've finished my weekly journals as a good girl should, I've written a reflection (*shudders*) on the first few weeks and I've written yet another reflection exercise on what I have (supposedly) learnt here in SA, so far. Still, the mere thought of 'doing something for SLB' makes me want to stay in bed for the whole day and ignore this looming presence altogether. - I'm not the only one.
Teachers, students, adults and children alike. Most of them don't like this 'reflecting'-thing we're talking about. My aunt (and some of my fellow teachers at Japari* (remedial primary school I'm currently working at)) would say it's simply too 'wishy-washy' to make any sense. I would say most people are their own worst judges. (They are not only unfair to themselves, either ignorant or too aware of their own faults, no... usually people can't seem to make any sense whatsoever when talking about anything concerning their own person!) Others yet would say it is a natural process that should not be forced.
Reflecting is supposed to make people work more efficiently (makes you wonder why the process of 'reflecting' is so absolutely inefficient, doesn't it?) and improve them somehow. I agree. You should reflect, sometimes. Is every year enough? ... Okay, let's say it isn't. Every month? Maybe... Every week? Every day? Every few hours? What is too much?
In my opinion spending 28 hours every term is too much. Time that could be spend giving students actual lectures. Add in another subject (or two, if you get rid of the other time wasting projects... Is it that we don't have enough teachers? Or is it that people really believe making up your own silly project to 'improve your English' actually improves anything (except for – possibly – relationships between students)?)
I don't agree with SLB as a separate course. Reflection should be (and already is) a natural part of other courses, but should not be forced on people as a separate activity. First of all this intimidates people ("Oh, so we're supposed to be reflecting on something, right now.") and can actually damage the progress of some students (it's especially challenging for the shy ones among us). It also uses valuable time that could be spend on learning for tests or working on other portfolios (or giving more, better, different courses!)
Finally, I would like to ask how teachers deal with SLB. It can't be easy to grade an SLB portfolio. What do you look at? How much someone has written? Well, that's silly. I'm sure some people can make more sense in a few sentences than others do in ten pages. Are all the obligatory assignments included? - Some might not be applicable to someone's situation at all, and yet we have to do all of them. Do you even actually read everything every single student writes? (Yes? Really? I'm not too sure about that...)
And POPs and PAPs (action plans) are yet another story, I think it's safe to say that at least nine out of ten students never look at a POP or PAP again until they have to write their next portfolio. And then you just 'dream up something new' which you will, supposedly, be working on. Oh yes, you will in fact be working on these things... Subconsciously, but not in the forced, fake, way we are expected to.
Progress is a natural process that can't be stopped [if people continue to gain experience]. It can't, however, be forced. Which is what SLB is trying to do.
The resistance many people feel against 'reflecting' isn't aimed at the action itself. It merely rejects this superficial substitute that we have tried to create.
Thanks for reading, now I'll continue by spending more precious time on finding some creative ways to say that 'Yes, I have been trying to improve myself and did manage to get some work done.' Hopefully it will be enough to fill another portfolio that will take other people's precious time to read and mark. Have we done some actual 'reflection' that way, though? Who knows.
Reflection on reflecting
Why does just a mention of the word 'reflection' summon up a five-metre thick brick wall for most people?
What is so vile about it that it needs to be kept at a more-than-safe distance at all times?
Why do people keep insisting on, at the very least, trying it over and over again?
In case you haven't guessed, I'm working on my SLB (a course at my university on reflection and making informed choices for your studies and your career) portfolio today. I've been trying to get properly started with the assignments for the last... few weeks. Not that I haven't done anything, I've finished my weekly journals as a good girl should, I've written a reflection (*shudders*) on the first few weeks and I've written yet another reflection exercise on what I have (supposedly) learnt here in SA, so far. Still, the mere thought of 'doing something for SLB' makes me want to stay in bed for the whole day and ignore this looming presence altogether. - I'm not the only one.
Teachers, students, adults and children alike. Most of them don't like this 'reflecting'-thing we're talking about. My aunt (and some of my fellow teachers at Japari* (remedial primary school I'm currently working at)) would say it's simply too 'wishy-washy' to make any sense. I would say most people are their own worst judges. (They are not only unfair to themselves, either ignorant or too aware of their own faults, no... usually people can't seem to make any sense whatsoever when talking about anything concerning their own person!) Others yet would say it is a natural process that should not be forced.
Reflecting is supposed to make people work more efficiently (makes you wonder why the process of 'reflecting' is so absolutely inefficient, doesn't it?) and improve them somehow. I agree. You should reflect, sometimes. Is every year enough? ... Okay, let's say it isn't. Every month? Maybe... Every week? Every day? Every few hours? What is too much?
In my opinion spending 28 hours every term is too much. Time that could be spend giving students actual lectures. Add in another subject (or two, if you get rid of the other time wasting projects... Is it that we don't have enough teachers? Or is it that people really believe making up your own silly project to 'improve your English' actually improves anything (except for – possibly – relationships between students)?)
I don't agree with SLB as a separate course. Reflection should be (and already is) a natural part of other courses, but should not be forced on people as a separate activity. First of all this intimidates people ("Oh, so we're supposed to be reflecting on something, right now.") and can actually damage the progress of some students (it's especially challenging for the shy ones among us). It also uses valuable time that could be spend on learning for tests or working on other portfolios (or giving more, better, different courses!)
Finally, I would like to ask how teachers deal with SLB. It can't be easy to grade an SLB portfolio. What do you look at? How much someone has written? Well, that's silly. I'm sure some people can make more sense in a few sentences than others do in ten pages. Are all the obligatory assignments included? - Some might not be applicable to someone's situation at all, and yet we have to do all of them. Do you even actually read everything every single student writes? (Yes? Really? I'm not too sure about that...)
And POPs and PAPs (action plans) are yet another story, I think it's safe to say that at least nine out of ten students never look at a POP or PAP again until they have to write their next portfolio. And then you just 'dream up something new' which you will, supposedly, be working on. Oh yes, you will in fact be working on these things... Subconsciously, but not in the forced, fake, way we are expected to.
Progress is a natural process that can't be stopped [if people continue to gain experience]. It can't, however, be forced. Which is what SLB is trying to do.
The resistance many people feel against 'reflecting' isn't aimed at the action itself. It merely rejects this superficial substitute that we have tried to create.
Thanks for reading, now I'll continue by spending more precious time on finding some creative ways to say that 'Yes, I have been trying to improve myself and did manage to get some work done.' Hopefully it will be enough to fill another portfolio that will take other people's precious time to read and mark. Have we done some actual 'reflection' that way, though? Who knows.
5/27/10
Education is not the catalyst of the [learning] process - it is only the extension.
Education* only exists as it is because of learners.
(* In this article 'education' is used to mean the institutions that (aspire to) provide a learning environment in which knowledge of any kind is acquired in a controlled fashion.)
No learners, no schools, colleges and universities. Seems simple, right?
Well, for some reason most teachers (and students) seem to believe the opposite is true. They live by the "Schools exist, therefore I learn" creed.
Exploring -> Learning -> Education
The most natural and logical way of learning seems to be this; you experience something, explore this, and in your exploration learning takes place.
Education is not the catalyst of the process - it is only the extension.
Humans have this innate curiosity that enables them to learn in the first place. I think we can all agree that everyone learns certain things before a person starts attending school. (Their native language up to a certain point, recognising concepts such as colours and emotions, how to open and close doors etc. etc.) There is no reason whatsoever to assume that people would suddenly need an institution to continue learning after a certain period of time.
Education only exists because people try to monopolise learning.
What am I trying to say here? Well... I'm studying to be a teacher. So I must have some kind of faith in this whole education thing, after all, right?
I think I do. Education is not some big evil overlord, although it might seem to act like one most of the time. Universities are places of knowledge, teachers can be useful. The only thing that we have to remind ourselves of (and we need to do this over and over again) is that the teachers are there for the students. And not the other way around.
Education should serve the learners. Serve them in empowering them to explore, give access to materials to accommodate them in the process of exploration, and thus creating a true learning environment.
Teachers have a part to play in this, they can do immensely useful work in transferring the tools needed to make the learning process more efficient. They can be guides and role models in the learning process. As long as they respect the students and acknowledge that learning happens through exploring done by the learners themselves.
Education is a tool to facilitate learning.
And that is what education should do - facilitate, not cripple.
(* In this article 'education' is used to mean the institutions that (aspire to) provide a learning environment in which knowledge of any kind is acquired in a controlled fashion.)
No learners, no schools, colleges and universities. Seems simple, right?
Well, for some reason most teachers (and students) seem to believe the opposite is true. They live by the "Schools exist, therefore I learn" creed.
Exploring -> Learning -> Education
The most natural and logical way of learning seems to be this; you experience something, explore this, and in your exploration learning takes place.
Education is not the catalyst of the process - it is only the extension.
Humans have this innate curiosity that enables them to learn in the first place. I think we can all agree that everyone learns certain things before a person starts attending school. (Their native language up to a certain point, recognising concepts such as colours and emotions, how to open and close doors etc. etc.) There is no reason whatsoever to assume that people would suddenly need an institution to continue learning after a certain period of time.
Education only exists because people try to monopolise learning.
What am I trying to say here? Well... I'm studying to be a teacher. So I must have some kind of faith in this whole education thing, after all, right?
I think I do. Education is not some big evil overlord, although it might seem to act like one most of the time. Universities are places of knowledge, teachers can be useful. The only thing that we have to remind ourselves of (and we need to do this over and over again) is that the teachers are there for the students. And not the other way around.
Education should serve the learners. Serve them in empowering them to explore, give access to materials to accommodate them in the process of exploration, and thus creating a true learning environment.
Teachers have a part to play in this, they can do immensely useful work in transferring the tools needed to make the learning process more efficient. They can be guides and role models in the learning process. As long as they respect the students and acknowledge that learning happens through exploring done by the learners themselves.
Education is a tool to facilitate learning.
And that is what education should do - facilitate, not cripple.
5/9/10
The myth that is 'perfectionism'
Perfectionism doesn't make anything perfect.
There, I said it. Don't believe me? Well let's take a look at the definition:
Perfectionism - 2. a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less. (Thanks to dictionary.com)
If perfectionism rejects anything less than perfect, it naturally follows that it doesn't *make* anything perfect. Instead, it simply rejects it. Now, in reality this creates an awkward problem, or tendency, in perfectionists.
"I can't do it perfectly. So instead, I won't do it at all!"
A common situation for perfectionists to be in - I know I used to (and up to a certain extent still do) operate like that.
Several other problems arise because of this - not getting the desired results, not fulfilling your potential, being bored because hobbies aren't useful or perfect (so you might as well not do it)... and we could make this list much, much longer if we wanted to.
So what do we do to fix it? Hmm, I think we shouldn't even try to fix this, because that approach just brings us right back to being perfectionists (oh the vicious circle!). Instead, we might want to try to give up. But... in a different way than the 'I can't do it so I won't do it at all'-perfectionist way.
Fun.
It should be about fun. Life, learning, relationships, hobbies. Everything should be about fun (or if you dislike the word fun (another perfectionist tendency I'm afraid) try substituting it by 'interesting')!
Now I would like to avoid simply copying what has been said before, so I will just point all you language learners and other perfectionists to Khatzumoto over at AJATT. He has written loads of good articles about fun and (language) learning. His style might be a bit too rude/direct for some of us, but it is a passionate blog - so be sure to take a look.
(These are focussed on learners of Japanese, however the advice given is useful for learning any language... or learning in general.)
Eat your dessert first.
No fun, no good
Now why am I writing this article now, on a Sunday morning when I could probably do something more useful? (But I won't, because writing this is fun, and fun is important!) Well, I just made a discovery. (Or I did yesterday.)
I have been learning Japanese for the past 3 years, and while I'm far from fluent, I do consider myself to be at the intermediate level. I do get discouraged at times though, and - being the perfectionist I am - feel like giving up. (But also like the perfectionist I am, I realise I've spent too many hours on this language, and love it too much, to give up now.) Why? Because at times like those, I'm not having fun.
Yesterday however, I was watching Durarara!! (anime) and halfway through the episode I suddenly realised "I'm actually enjoying this." It made me smile, and made me realise that I had made watching anime (or Japanese movies and drama series) into something I had to do to learn Japanese. Not to watch it for its entertainment value - no, simply to beat myself up over how many words I still didn't understand, over how many sentences I would miss completely because my eyes would just glaze over and my brain would just tell me "Overload. Japanese is not English so I don't get it."
But watching that episode, I got into the actual story for once, and wondered what Ryugamine meant when he told the girl she had to "自首" herself to the police. So for the first time in months, I got out my "Kanji sono mama" DS dictionary to look up what じしゅ meant. And after that I wanted to know what 反省 was - for the same reason. Not because I necessarily wanted to learn more words at that point, I just wanted to know what Ryugamine was talking about, because I wanted to understand the story, nothing more and nothing less.
(Yes I did add those words to Anki, but I think I won't forget them anyway - not when having fun and wanting to understand it like that.)
And, to end on a study-related note... What does this chatting about fun mean for assignments you have to do for school/university/college? Well, it depends. I guess for me it means that when I have to do an assignment that is just plain boring and won't teach me anything new, I'll just try to do it well - but not perfectly - and carry on with the next thing that is interesting or fun. If it is a big assignment that seems boring, I try to find any fun/interesting aspects it might have.
To make this a bit more 'real'. For me it meant that when I feel I 'hate' grammar, I actually do some research at a ridiculous level. If that means reading about (un)ergative verbs when I don't even know what the words transitive and intransitive mean... well, so be it. (I do know now - simply because I wanted to know what (un)ergative verbs are. - oh and yes, don't laugh at me for not knowing the words transitive and intransitive after 3 years of Japanese - I understand the concept, I didn't know the words... oops)) Dive into the really specific, geeky, completely-useless-for-your-current-level bits of the topic you have to learn about... if that is what makes it fun to you. And after that go back to what you actually have to do, it might seem easier and more fun/interesting. (If that doesn't work for you, try to find something else that *IS* fun about the topic. It can be ridiculously easy too!)
Hard to summarise, but I suppose the best I can do (not perfect, by the way!) is
"Embrace what is less than perfect, and make it work for you by having fun."
Next post: How to cure boredom
There, I said it. Don't believe me? Well let's take a look at the definition:
Perfectionism - 2. a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less. (Thanks to dictionary.com)
If perfectionism rejects anything less than perfect, it naturally follows that it doesn't *make* anything perfect. Instead, it simply rejects it. Now, in reality this creates an awkward problem, or tendency, in perfectionists.
"I can't do it perfectly. So instead, I won't do it at all!"
A common situation for perfectionists to be in - I know I used to (and up to a certain extent still do) operate like that.
Several other problems arise because of this - not getting the desired results, not fulfilling your potential, being bored because hobbies aren't useful or perfect (so you might as well not do it)... and we could make this list much, much longer if we wanted to.
So what do we do to fix it? Hmm, I think we shouldn't even try to fix this, because that approach just brings us right back to being perfectionists (oh the vicious circle!). Instead, we might want to try to give up. But... in a different way than the 'I can't do it so I won't do it at all'-perfectionist way.
Fun.
It should be about fun. Life, learning, relationships, hobbies. Everything should be about fun (or if you dislike the word fun (another perfectionist tendency I'm afraid) try substituting it by 'interesting')!
Now I would like to avoid simply copying what has been said before, so I will just point all you language learners and other perfectionists to Khatzumoto over at AJATT. He has written loads of good articles about fun and (language) learning. His style might be a bit too rude/direct for some of us, but it is a passionate blog - so be sure to take a look.
(These are focussed on learners of Japanese, however the advice given is useful for learning any language... or learning in general.)
Eat your dessert first.
No fun, no good
Now why am I writing this article now, on a Sunday morning when I could probably do something more useful? (But I won't, because writing this is fun, and fun is important!) Well, I just made a discovery. (Or I did yesterday.)
I have been learning Japanese for the past 3 years, and while I'm far from fluent, I do consider myself to be at the intermediate level. I do get discouraged at times though, and - being the perfectionist I am - feel like giving up. (But also like the perfectionist I am, I realise I've spent too many hours on this language, and love it too much, to give up now.) Why? Because at times like those, I'm not having fun.
Yesterday however, I was watching Durarara!! (anime) and halfway through the episode I suddenly realised "I'm actually enjoying this." It made me smile, and made me realise that I had made watching anime (or Japanese movies and drama series) into something I had to do to learn Japanese. Not to watch it for its entertainment value - no, simply to beat myself up over how many words I still didn't understand, over how many sentences I would miss completely because my eyes would just glaze over and my brain would just tell me "Overload. Japanese is not English so I don't get it."
But watching that episode, I got into the actual story for once, and wondered what Ryugamine meant when he told the girl she had to "自首" herself to the police. So for the first time in months, I got out my "Kanji sono mama" DS dictionary to look up what じしゅ meant. And after that I wanted to know what 反省 was - for the same reason. Not because I necessarily wanted to learn more words at that point, I just wanted to know what Ryugamine was talking about, because I wanted to understand the story, nothing more and nothing less.
(Yes I did add those words to Anki, but I think I won't forget them anyway - not when having fun and wanting to understand it like that.)
And, to end on a study-related note... What does this chatting about fun mean for assignments you have to do for school/university/college? Well, it depends. I guess for me it means that when I have to do an assignment that is just plain boring and won't teach me anything new, I'll just try to do it well - but not perfectly - and carry on with the next thing that is interesting or fun. If it is a big assignment that seems boring, I try to find any fun/interesting aspects it might have.
To make this a bit more 'real'. For me it meant that when I feel I 'hate' grammar, I actually do some research at a ridiculous level. If that means reading about (un)ergative verbs when I don't even know what the words transitive and intransitive mean... well, so be it. (I do know now - simply because I wanted to know what (un)ergative verbs are. - oh and yes, don't laugh at me for not knowing the words transitive and intransitive after 3 years of Japanese - I understand the concept, I didn't know the words... oops)) Dive into the really specific, geeky, completely-useless-for-your-current-level bits of the topic you have to learn about... if that is what makes it fun to you. And after that go back to what you actually have to do, it might seem easier and more fun/interesting. (If that doesn't work for you, try to find something else that *IS* fun about the topic. It can be ridiculously easy too!)
Hard to summarise, but I suppose the best I can do (not perfect, by the way!) is
"Embrace what is less than perfect, and make it work for you by having fun."
Next post: How to cure boredom
4/23/10
So you would like to know my secret?
I'm one of the top students of my class, and yet my test weeks usually feel more like free time than anything else. How can this be? :) Well, I'm going to let you in on the secret (if I have any readers, that is...).
In reality, I'm actually extremely lazy.
Yes, that's right, the 'nerd' 'geek' or 'Hermione' of the group is actually... lazy?! Oh yes.
You see, I don't like stressing, I don't like wasting time on cramming information during the test week, only to forget it the minute after, or in the worst case scenario a minute before, the exam. So that's where my secret 'weapon' makes its appearance.
I use a 'trick' to prepare for my tests, I would even go as far as to call it 'almost cheating', because it sure feels like that!
I'm using Anki an SRS to prepare for most of my exams. And it's not your ordinary flashcard program, believe me. (There is lots of information to be found online about SRS's - go google it - writing a complete essay on this would be a waste of my (and your) time - and that is the beauty of the SRS - it saves you time!)
But it all comes down to this:
The program is smart enough to organise your cards (the questions, facts etc) so that you're not wasting time on anything you already know. It uses an algorithm ( (c) smart people) to space the reviews in a smart way, enabling you to memorise much more information in less time. It is like... one of those "optimise my PC!" programs, but for your brain! ... I guess.
You see, in spending 5-10 minutes a day on adding new information, and reviewing you can go to an exam, feeling like you 'didn't do anything to prepare for it', and still pass the exam, and not just pass it, no OWN the stupid thing. (Hey, it's how I got 87% in phonetics - it works!)
Give it a try - it might not be your thing, but it's not all that hard.
... I wanted to include a list of articles on 'how to use an SRS for...' but I can't seem to find any good ones right now, the Anki website itself has some good information, and well... google ;)
In reality, I'm actually extremely lazy.
Yes, that's right, the 'nerd' 'geek' or 'Hermione' of the group is actually... lazy?! Oh yes.
You see, I don't like stressing, I don't like wasting time on cramming information during the test week, only to forget it the minute after, or in the worst case scenario a minute before, the exam. So that's where my secret 'weapon' makes its appearance.
I use a 'trick' to prepare for my tests, I would even go as far as to call it 'almost cheating', because it sure feels like that!
I'm using Anki an SRS to prepare for most of my exams. And it's not your ordinary flashcard program, believe me. (There is lots of information to be found online about SRS's - go google it - writing a complete essay on this would be a waste of my (and your) time - and that is the beauty of the SRS - it saves you time!)
But it all comes down to this:
The program is smart enough to organise your cards (the questions, facts etc) so that you're not wasting time on anything you already know. It uses an algorithm ( (c) smart people) to space the reviews in a smart way, enabling you to memorise much more information in less time. It is like... one of those "optimise my PC!" programs, but for your brain! ... I guess.
You see, in spending 5-10 minutes a day on adding new information, and reviewing you can go to an exam, feeling like you 'didn't do anything to prepare for it', and still pass the exam, and not just pass it, no OWN the stupid thing. (Hey, it's how I got 87% in phonetics - it works!)
Give it a try - it might not be your thing, but it's not all that hard.
... I wanted to include a list of articles on 'how to use an SRS for...' but I can't seem to find any good ones right now, the Anki website itself has some good information, and well... google ;)
4/20/10
Re-inventing clichés! - On reading in your target language
What are you reading at the moment? The latest novel about vampires? The manual for the DVD player you just got? A cheesy love story (one of those you wouldn't even tell your best friend about)? Why not read it in your target language?
... Oh, you're not ready yet...
Well, guess what... reading in your target language, yes even before you are ready, can be a lot of fun!
All you need to get started is a very basic vocabulary and a very basic knowledge of the grammar.
One of the books I've recently finished reading was "Der Thron der Libelle" by Wolfgang Hohlbein. Now, German is my... L4 I suppose, but it is one of my target languages... I do intend on being able to use it at a level similar to English at some point in the future. However, I'm not actively studying/learning German at the moment. Does that mean I'm not 'ready' to read books in German? No, in fact, it might make it even more interesting! And I'll tell you why.
Clichés are transformed into something completely new when you're reading in a language you're not yet fluent in!
I read a lot, especially fantasy. A lot of fantasy stories can seem very cliché by now, in English. Yet another average young man who finds himself suddenly endowed with a super special awesome power he needs to use to save the world! Yet another princess roughly dragged out of her castle and into the cruel world, having to re-invent herself completely to be able to survive. ... This probably sounds very familiar...
Try reading this in Japanese, or German, or Spanish... or whichever language you are learning. Especially when you don't feel 'ready' to tackle a novel just yet.
Suddenly this princess seems much more special, and this young man with his magic powers? Well, it's like you've never read a story like that before!
It's like trying to keep up with a movie that is just too fast-paced for your eyes. Yes you're reading it, but what did Gewitter mean again? What is happening? Why is the tower suddenly burning? Oh wait, there was a horrible thunderstorm?!
Sometimes over half of what is happening might be too hard to understand, and it feels like you're completely losing track of the storyline, until you suddenly do understand a few sentences and you realise your dear princess has been kidnapped by some scary-looking guy who was pretending to be a guard.
Even ignoring all the new words you will learn reading a novel (even when you're not trying, and not making any new lists to use in Anki (or your preferred SRS)), it can be such a surprisingly entertaining experience!
Don't wait until you're ready; you already are.
... Oh, you're not ready yet...
Well, guess what... reading in your target language, yes even before you are ready, can be a lot of fun!
All you need to get started is a very basic vocabulary and a very basic knowledge of the grammar.
One of the books I've recently finished reading was "Der Thron der Libelle" by Wolfgang Hohlbein. Now, German is my... L4 I suppose, but it is one of my target languages... I do intend on being able to use it at a level similar to English at some point in the future. However, I'm not actively studying/learning German at the moment. Does that mean I'm not 'ready' to read books in German? No, in fact, it might make it even more interesting! And I'll tell you why.
Clichés are transformed into something completely new when you're reading in a language you're not yet fluent in!
I read a lot, especially fantasy. A lot of fantasy stories can seem very cliché by now, in English. Yet another average young man who finds himself suddenly endowed with a super special awesome power he needs to use to save the world! Yet another princess roughly dragged out of her castle and into the cruel world, having to re-invent herself completely to be able to survive. ... This probably sounds very familiar...
Try reading this in Japanese, or German, or Spanish... or whichever language you are learning. Especially when you don't feel 'ready' to tackle a novel just yet.
Suddenly this princess seems much more special, and this young man with his magic powers? Well, it's like you've never read a story like that before!
It's like trying to keep up with a movie that is just too fast-paced for your eyes. Yes you're reading it, but what did Gewitter mean again? What is happening? Why is the tower suddenly burning? Oh wait, there was a horrible thunderstorm?!
Sometimes over half of what is happening might be too hard to understand, and it feels like you're completely losing track of the storyline, until you suddenly do understand a few sentences and you realise your dear princess has been kidnapped by some scary-looking guy who was pretending to be a guard.
Even ignoring all the new words you will learn reading a novel (even when you're not trying, and not making any new lists to use in Anki (or your preferred SRS)), it can be such a surprisingly entertaining experience!
Don't wait until you're ready; you already are.
4/19/10
On reading and teaching literature
I love reading. Sometimes it can be hard to find the time (although public transport is a blessing when it comes to finding the time to read), but it's definitely worth the effort. Last year I set myself a challenge to read fifty books (because I was volunteering anyway and had enough time to do this), I completed the challenge by reading 51 books I hadn't read before. In doing this I probably doubled the amount of books I've read in my life up until now, and it gave me a very different perspective on reading. I explored different genres and authors I wouldn't have tried to read before this challenge, and I loved it.
While I believe teaching about literature, or reading in general, is very important, we have to take care when we do. It is all too easy to ruin the experience that comes with reading a novel because someone wants to, by forcing them to. Giving learners options seems like a good way to counteract this potential problem. However it would also mean that it might be impossible to discuss a book with the whole class. Book clubs or small groups working on the same book could be a fun and workable in-between solution.
As to the question 'what should be read in secondary school?' ... who knows? I don't think there is an actual 'everyone should have read these books'-list, especially because reading is such an individual activity. You can't, in reality, read a book 'together' (unless you're reading it to someone, but even then it's a personal experience and everyone will hear/read something they experience differently.). And while you can discuss a novel and its literary style - the experience is still your own. Because of this I think it would be most worthwhile to focus on this personal aspect. Making learners aware of the fact that, yes even to them, reading can be fun. And in doing fun activities, they will learn more and learn more efficiently.
This logically leads to the conclusion that what should be read in secondary school, should mostly be decided by the learners themselves. Naturally some guidance is necessary, and learners shouldn't read (too many novels) at a level lower than they are able to read. Being aware of what is popular and what learners are reading outside of the classroom can be a useful pointer in deciding which books to make available as choices for the learners to read. If, for example, Twilight is very popular right now, then it might be a good idea to do some research into other novels about vampires.
Being flexible and enabling learners to be involved in the process of deciding what to read is key to teaching literature.
While I believe teaching about literature, or reading in general, is very important, we have to take care when we do. It is all too easy to ruin the experience that comes with reading a novel because someone wants to, by forcing them to. Giving learners options seems like a good way to counteract this potential problem. However it would also mean that it might be impossible to discuss a book with the whole class. Book clubs or small groups working on the same book could be a fun and workable in-between solution.
As to the question 'what should be read in secondary school?' ... who knows? I don't think there is an actual 'everyone should have read these books'-list, especially because reading is such an individual activity. You can't, in reality, read a book 'together' (unless you're reading it to someone, but even then it's a personal experience and everyone will hear/read something they experience differently.). And while you can discuss a novel and its literary style - the experience is still your own. Because of this I think it would be most worthwhile to focus on this personal aspect. Making learners aware of the fact that, yes even to them, reading can be fun. And in doing fun activities, they will learn more and learn more efficiently.
This logically leads to the conclusion that what should be read in secondary school, should mostly be decided by the learners themselves. Naturally some guidance is necessary, and learners shouldn't read (too many novels) at a level lower than they are able to read. Being aware of what is popular and what learners are reading outside of the classroom can be a useful pointer in deciding which books to make available as choices for the learners to read. If, for example, Twilight is very popular right now, then it might be a good idea to do some research into other novels about vampires.
Being flexible and enabling learners to be involved in the process of deciding what to read is key to teaching literature.
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