Key Points in Language Teaching

A bird is naturally capable of learning to fly itself if left alone in the right environment. What will happen if we bring the little bird to school, teach how to fly using syllabus, rules and instruction, homework, testing, and grading? By the time the bird completes the course, it will lose the interest to fly and will never think about flying.The bird might even think “hmm… even after so many years of schooling I can’t fly; I must be real bad at this!” -Logu Venkatachalam, Feb 2, 2017

A teacher's job is to "Learn to teach" and "Teach to learn" - Ken Robinson

"Our job is not to cover the syllabus; it is to help them discover the knowledge"




Goals

Our goal is to help them build communication competency in Tamil.

Let the learners have fun using the language (vs doing language drills)

Learning multiple languages improves cognitive skill

Make the learners responsible for learning

Do not “teach” Tamil in Tamil school

Help develop intrinsic motivation in the learners

Get an advisor or mentor

Make language learning fun and interesting.

We might be able to install languages in distant future


Principles

Teach the language in context (instead of in isolation)

It takes time to acquire and build language in our brains

அகல உழுவதை விட ஆழ உழுவது நல்லது


Approaches, Methods, and Techniques

Teach a language Organically (instead of mechanically)

Think Language Acquisition (instead of language learning)

Teach grammar inductively (instead of deductively)

“Use the language to learn” (instead of learn the language to use)

Help build the core language

Give plenty of comprehensible and compelling input

There are many effective language teaching methods

Try TBLT, FVR, CBI, TPRS.

Avoid

Grammar translation method does not help!

Worksheets can cause demotivation

Translation exercise is injurious to language acquisition

Any kind of language drill could disinterest the learners

Cancel homework, tests, and grades



Resources

Resources to learn about Language acquisition!

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