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Super Surprises
I’ve worked at WAL for many years as an activities coordinator with our English language students. At the beginning of each new term, I must plan a menu of things to do, see or play so that the students can enjoy using the English language skills they are learning at WAL.
But sometimes… I just need MORE time to think up something. Getting that perfect “idea” at the beginning of a session just doesn’t come very easily. There are times you just can’t get an old idea out of your head. How do I let myself think of ideas that are new and different for our students, and yet still have an excitement about it for myself as well?
How about by thinking of NO IDEAS at first? (Do I have your curiosity now?)
Not long ago, I found an activity that’s become a favorite every session. It’s called, “Super Surprise Thursdays” at WAL! At the beginning of a term, I just tell students something is coming on a particular Thursday, but not WHAT. It’s not until the day before or day of the event do I tell them what it’s about. It’s been fun, spontaneous, and keeps everyone on their toes. Whether it’s a surprise guest speaker, a game, or an Italian movie with a free pasta lunch on a given Thursday — I like “treating” the students to something enjoyable and unexpected.
I guess it must be that my brain needs extra time to ruminate and think of what would be fun for the students – in regards to their personalities and interests. But it seems to always work out. But I guess I wouldn’t be thinking about these things all the time if I didn’t LOVE working with my students.
And I guess that’s the best ingredient of all—our students! And that’s no surprise at all, that’s for sure!
–Debbie Chan, WAL
Election Campaign Language
Presidential debate John McCain Barack Obama Black and white 08
Originally uploaded by Haneybabe
There is a great thing that can be done with language in our culture, that is, the rules of politeness are suspended during presidential elections. We are allowed to call presidential candidates names, tell lies, and alter the pragmatics of the language. This is an old practice and we take great pride in it. Our parents should teach us never to use vulgar language except during presidential elections. Cindy McCain, for example, said, “Barack Obama is conducting the dirtiest campaign in history.” Historian Kathleen Hall Jamison tells us that our founding fathers intended our elections to be dignified. Elections were to be a dignified, deliberative activity, carried out by a few wealthy men. In 1796 Benjamin Franklin’s grandson wrote of Washington: “If ever a nation was debauched by a man, the American nation has been debauched by Washington.” Things didn’t begin well.
Thomas Jefferson was attacked as an “infidel.” The President of Yale at the time was not a supporter of Jefferson and said of his election, “we may see our wives and daughters the victims of legal prostitution.” My favorite quote about Jefferson came from a Connecticut newspaper: “His election would mean murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will openly be taught and practiced.” John Adams was accused of sending his secretary of state to France to come back with four women, two for himself and two for the Secretary.
Andrew Jackson called his opponent, John Quincy Adams, a “pimp,” though Jackson’s meaning was that Adams worked for the Russian Czar. Jackson later called the bachelor James Buchanan, who lived with a senator, “Aunt Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy.”
In fact we have often criticized TV debates and wished they had hearkened back to Lincoln and Douglas. Surprise! They called each other names while arguing over Dred Scott and the Missouri Compromise. Calling Lincoln a “little abolition orator” was something like calling him a liberal, I guess. Douglas said that “Lincoln could ruin more liquor than all the boys of the town together.” On second thought, perhaps that one was a compliment.
At WAL we try and keep topical about language issues. We feel a historical obligation to say that during presidential elections, name-calling and other forms of language that are not appropriate in normal discourse, have our cultural approval. Let it not be said that we do not take communicative language teaching seriously at WAL. Lincoln – always the gentleman – said in his debates, “Judge Douglas is an obstinate animal but I mean no disrespect!” When I discuss the varieties of language, I mean no disrespect.
The politics of an accent
Originally uploaded by Celeste Van Kirk
It is ironic that we are celebrating Noah Webster’s birthday – the founder of American English would be 250 years old this week. It should be recalled, but seldom is, that when his dictionary of American English appeared, only about 60% of Americans spoke English. This was in 1800 I believe. Webster was concerned about our spelling mostly; he wanted to make it easier. He removed the “u” from the British “colour” and the redundant “k” in “musick.” Unlike the French, he thought “centre” should be spelled “center” as it sounds. We all know many other examples.
But speaking and spelling are two entirely different areas. Sarah Palin’s accent has produced renewed interests in the variety of our accents. Recently the comedian Robin Williams said Palin’s accent is “like Tina Fey meets Fargo.” This bit of humor caused an angry editorial in Anchorage. Nevertheless one can argue she makes an “o” sound like the Scandinavians and Germans in the areas around Fargo, North Dakota. But on the other hand, dropping the “g” is a language phenomenon found in Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota. Then again, to count the word “terrorist” as having only two syllables can be found in parts of Mississippi.
Some Linguists argue that her accent is genuine Alaskan and they point to several areas. I suspect they have a point, since we are living in times that may produce population shifts if people must search the country for work as they did in the 1930’s. My own hypothesis takes into account the Joad family in Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. President Franklin Roosevelt opened up the Alaskan territories for development during the Great Depression. People from all over the country traveled in groups as they did 100 years before that in wagon trains going west. They stayed together in smaller groups, keeping their accents, but they were well-integrated by the time Sarah Palin’s family moved to Alaska. I am hardly an authority on accents but I would not be greatly surprised if many of the 9,000 people in her town spoke with a similar accent to that of Sarah Palin. In our TESL program, we address the vagaries of speech and the diversity they bring to spoken American English. In particular, Teaching Spoken Language, Principles of Language Teaching and Learning, and Introduction to Linguistics all touch on these points. I only wish Noah Webster could have been around to witness what he brought about by creating American English!
Is Gendered Language Sexist?
Hilary Clinton speaks in Elyria, Oh
Originally uploaded by bridget commisso-caswell
In this political year, we are particularly sensitive to gender-specific language which may brand one as a sexist. There are certain speech patterns that are followed by gender and they have been known for a long time. Here are a few patterns which we hardly notice are even gender specific.
1. In all styles women tend to use less local, idiomatic language than men.
2. In formal contexts women seem to be more conscious of prestige patterns than men.
3. Lower to middle class women make major shifts in style from the least formal to the more prestigious.
4. Non-standard idiomatic forms are more often associated with working class men than with working class women.
There are no surprises I think in any of the above. I’m not really saying more than just “women do not swear as much as men.” The interesting question is why are men more attracted to non-standard forms of language than are women? We do know that there is prestige attached to a certain style of “in-language.” Most “clubs” from the Cub Scouts to the Elks have some “in-language” associated with them that only members know.
One explanation for the gender difference in language is that women occupy more socially insecure positions in our culture than men. Certainly part of the problem Hilary Clinton was having with the press was linguistic expression even though it was often couched in different terms. If women speak in more standardized forms they may have greater access to male territories. However, that is rife with danger as well, as we have witnessed in the primaries. Language reflects one’s perceived position in a culture and if one tries a new position, it can take a while to find a comfort level with the new language forms.
Back to School
Originally uploaded by Danarah
Welcome back to school, teachers and students! With all of this fall’s discussion about Bellevue School District’s Curriculum Web, we wanted to take a look at how curricula are created for our local ELL classes.
We hear from teachers in our ELL Endorsement program all the time about the curricula their districts expect them to teach. They run the gamut from pre-prepared lesson plans to a list of texts they must use for developing a program to a lack of any formal guidance. These differences can mean major issues for the districts. What happens when a student must move frequently from one school to another within the district? Will s/he transition more or less seamlessly into a new ELL classroom? Or are the differences between classes too great to bridge the learning gap?
Yet another reason why it’s so important that teachers, who are charged with bringing cohesion to their classrooms, have a clear understanding of the principles underlying how their students learn in order to best create a class that serves these students’ needs (even if the teacher is working with a curriculum set-in-stone by the district). In the Washington Academy of Languages TESL program, we are always concerned with these priorities and encourage our teachers to think holistically about the best way to manage a district’s demands with their own knowledge of best practices.
What do you think? Are you an ELL teacher with thoughts about curricula? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.
World Language News
Wednesday Morning Sunrise at Kerry Park
Originally uploaded by Cap’n Surly
From the World Languages dispatch desk, here’s a rundown of the World Language news. Read on for an update of our class schedule – now with more schedule options! And don’t miss info regarding WAL joining the twenty-first century online!
For those of you busy folks whose schedule does not permit you to take classes six hours per week in the evening, we’ve created morning classes in French, Italian and Spanish. Classes are shortened from 3 hours twice a week to just one and a half hour per day, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Currently, classes are only offered for beginning levels, but if you give us the demand for higher levels, we’ll be sure to deliver. So, please give us your requests for higher-level morning classes!
Now you can find us on Facebook, the popular internet social networking website! We’ve created a group (search for “Washington Academy of Languages”) for those interested in WAL, as well as past and present students. Join the forums, keep current with the latest session dates, and tell everyone you know to visit us too! It’s a great way to keep in touch with previous students, share photos and find out what’s happening at WAL.
Our Bus Adventure to Somewhere
As activities coordinator for our international students at WAL who are learning English as a Second Language, I have a lot of fun. Plus, a lot of “on the job” adventures to share. Let me tell you about one…
A few weeks ago, a small group of students and I went to Seattle Premier Outlets in Tulalip, WA, We wanted to experience American bargain shopping at its best! The one problem: this trip required taking 3 buses from downtown Seattle! For anyone who has spent much time in Seattle, you know how treacherous this can be.
First, we took Sound Transit #510 to Everett. That was fine – until a passenger heard a strange sound… it was a nearly flat tire! So, the bus driver called a new bus for us. Unfortunately, we missed our connecting bus at the Everett Transit Center.
At the Center, we waited for Community Transit #201. During this time, a young fellow had asked us if we had a quarter to spare. Having lived all my life in the city, my immediate response was “sorry – no.” Soon, I noticed him talking to one of our students. I assumed for the same thing – and I saw him go on to other bus riders at the station.
This fellow came back and began to speak in an agitated tone to another unwary student of ours. He said he didn’t need our “?%&! money” anyway! Being the mother hen I am, I approached the two and was immediately given a loud earful of swear words and names by this fellow for butting in. Once I said the students were with me and that I’m responsible for them, the fellow eventually walked away.
Our bus finally came and we made it to Marysville. We had time to spare, so we took photos and ordered teriyaki to go to save (shopping) time for later. We came back to catch Community Transit #221, but it never came. Who knew that these buses are allowed be 5 minutes early? That’s what the Community Transit operator on the phone told me… So, we missed ANOTHER BUS!
Finally, we got to the outlets. But our bus stop was about a half-mile away, next to the casino! In the end, we survived. We were happy with our purchases. Now that surely was a “bus adventure to somewhere.”
Please share any stories like this in the comments.
Silence
Originally uploaded by amaroak – quite a life
Our mission at WAL is to facilitate cross-cultural communication. But is all communication achieved through speech? No, people communicate through silence as well as spoken language. It is a way to express oneself non-verbally and it can be very powerful.
Different cultures understand silence in different ways. In Western and Middle Eastern cultures, people tend to be uncomfortable with longer silences and may even view extended silence as asocial or anti-social.
Contrarily, in many eastern and Native American cultures, longer silences are the norm and carry positive connotations of respectfulness, discretion or truthfulness. Negative connotations such as embarrassment or defiance are also possible. I once had a Japanese student who found her employer to be demeaning. At the time, she could not quit work, so she handled the situation by refusing to speak at all until she was able to leave the job six months later.
While a Westerner starts to feel discomfort after 6 or 7 seconds of silence, a Japanese speaker may be quite comfortable after 20 seconds. As a result, the length of silent periods may cause someone outside of the culture to misinterpret what is occurring. For example, a Western teacher may infer that their Asian student doesn’t know the answer or is not willing to speak. A Japanese speaker, on the other hand, may find a western speaker rude or foolish when they jump into commenting without much pause.
Silence can speak volumes, so they say…
The Rules of Second Language Acquisition
Originally uploaded by marttj
What have I learned about second language acquisition?
1. That it is systematic, rule-governed and yet it is a creative process of discovery.
2. It involves acting on received language input by trying to make responses and by making plenty of mistakes in the new language.
3. It involves interacting with others and using language as a tool for differing purposes.
4. Learning is accomplished by people with different personalities and different learning styles.
5. It takes time.
A classroom should be a rich environment providing for a variety of experiences. Each learner has to be encouraged to use his/her languages in new ways. Each student needs to speak with peers and instructors should recognize and respect individual differences.
The learner must take risks. Risk taking is essential in second language learning. It can be a little scary but risk taking was the way each of us acquired our first language. Social interaction and cultural understandings are essential to learning a language as well. Learning a language is a wonderful mind altering experience which lasts much longer than any artificial mind altering experience.
At WAL we accommodate diverse learning styles within the context of our semi-intensive language program.