A Purposeful TPR

How shall we introduce language to beginners?

A good percentage of students who come to Tamil school are first time learners of Tamil. They may have heard or not heard any Tamil. We want them to learn Tamil, speak, read, and write. These students are exposed to English and learning Tamil is foreign to them even though it is their mother tongue. What is the easy way to introduce Tamil to them? Several ways such as grammar-translation, communicative approach etc are available. But, what will be an effective way? What ways will help the kids to acquire Tamil better and also enjoy the Tamil class?

This post explores a traditional approach, a better method, and also suggests an improvement to the popular TPR technique.

Traditional approach

In a traditional approach we start with letters, words, grammar rules, and move up. As Dr. Krashen says this is conscious learning and it is limited.

Communicative approach

A better way is to teach using communicative approach. A popular technique to introduce language to beginner in communicative approach is Total Physical Response (TPR) by Dr. James Asher of San Jose State University. After several years of research he found that it is effective to introduce language using actions. TPR suggests that we teachers take a list of commonly used actionable verbs, model it, ask the learners to repeat, and gradually make them to do the action without modelling.

A better way

No doubt TPR is a great way to introduce language to beginners. However, one thing is missing. When a learner starts a language course he/she may be good to follow the TPR direction and do the action. But, after sometime he/she may get bored with this. So, how do we make this interesting? How do we make this compelling. Sit/stand/walk sequence may be useful to learn the words, but how interesting could that be?

Purposeful TPR

What if we make this meaningful/purposeful? What if the learners learn something in addition to the language? Here is an idea.

An Example

The very first TPR lesson is sit/stand/ sequence. What if we teach the learners to do ThoppukkaraNam (தோப்புக்கரணம்)? ThoppukkaraNam is a form of physical exercise proven to help improve well being. Using this idea we can still teach the same words as the TPR first lesson.

Here is the sequence. Using informal Tamil to keep the instruction simple, at least for the first lesson. 

எழுந்திரு

உக்காரு

கையை தூக்கு

காதை தொடு

அந்த கையை தூக்கு

இன்னொரு காதை தொடு

உக்காரு

எழுந்திரு

Repeat this several times using TPR technique and they will acquire the following words in this one lesson.

எழுந்திரு, உக்காரு, கை, தூக்கு, காது, தொடு, அந்த, இன்னொரு

About 8 words and phrases, a good number for the first class.

One problem with this approach is that the TPR technique suggests we change the order of the instruction. In case of a fixed purpose changing the order may not be possible in some cases.

Conclusion

They not only learn the words and phrases, they also benefit from the exercise. Similarly, we can teach dance steps, other exercises, cooking, how to solve a math problem, and many more.

This is similar to Content Based Instruction (CBI). ஒரே கல்லில் இரண்டு மாங்காய்.

நன்றி

லோகு

A presentation on Progressive Tamil School

மே 14, 2017  - எவர்க்ரீன் பள்ளி ஆண்டுவிழாவில் Progressive Tamil School பற்றி ...

Teach Like Finland

“What makes Finland education one of the best in the world?” My curiosity lead me to read a “Finnish Lesson 2.0” by Pasi Sahlberg. The book discusses mostly about the scores, they are top etc, I was unable to extract the internals of their education system. This further lead me to read another book “Teach Like Finland” by Timothy Walker.

This book written by a teacher who moved from the US to Finland discusses 33 strategies that helps the Finnish students perform well in the PISA test. Though the following strategies make sense, looks to me, there will be more than these to it.

Let me summarize the strategies here.

Well being:

• Brain breaks
• Learn on the move
• Recharge after school
• Breathe fresh air
• Get into the wild
• Keep the peace, calm, no-rush

Belonging:

• Recruit a welfare team
• know each child
• play with your students
• celebrate their learning
• pursue a class dream
• banish the bullying
• buddy up

Autonomy:

• start with freedom
• leave margin
• offer choices
• plan with your students
• make it real
• demand responsibility

Mastery:

• Teach the essentials
• mine the textbook
• leverage the tech
• bring in the music
• coach more
• prove the learning
• discuss the grades

Mind-set:

• Seek flow
• have a thicker skin
• collaborate over coffee
• welcome the experts
• vacate on vacation
• don't forget joy

As you can see above they do not just focus on giving academic skill, they focus on developing the whole child. They follow a simple strategy. They are not crazy about using all the latest tech gadgets. They focus more on giving essential skill and less on tests, memorization, and rote learning. They do lots of hands-on-learning. They implement progressive education!

Conclusion

What all the strategies we can use in our Tamil schools? While I am quick to say “all”, we may not be able to implement some of them, and some may not give us an optimum result.

I can think of doing the following and gradually grow up.

• Give brain breaks; for a 90 minutes class, we can give 10 minutes after 40 minutes.
• Learn on the move; let the learning be based on activities.

• know each child
• play with your students
• celebrate their learning
• pursue a class dream
• buddy up

• offer choices
• plan with your students
• make it real
• demand responsibility

• Teach the essentials
• mine the textbook
• leverage the tech
• bring in the music
• coach more
• prove the learning

• don't forget joy

Promote joyful teaching and learning in the classroom!

நன்றி

லோகு

A Progressive Tamil School

How do we make our Tamil education in the diaspora better?

What does better mean?

Make them talk in Tamil as quick and as fluent as possible.

Help them enjoy learning Tamil in Tamil schools.

Give them a learning experience they will cherish for long time.

Is this possible? Taking clues from successful schools and countries, yes, this is possible.

See my presentation on this: Progressive Tamil School.

See this to know the difference between traditional education and progressive education

நன்றி

லோகு

உயிர், மெய், உயிர்மெய்; அதுதான் தமிழ்!

மொழியை நாம் மற்றவர்களிடம் கருத்து பரிமாற்றம் செய்துக்கொள்ள பயன்படுத்துகிறோம். இந்த கருத்து பரிமாற்றம் என்பது பேச்சு வழியிலும் எழுத்து வழியிலும் செய்கிறோம். பேச்சு வழியில் பயன்படுத்த ஒலி, வார்த்தை, பொருள், வாக்கியம் போன்றவை இல்லாமல் அதை சரியாக பயன்படுத்த முடியாது. எழுத்து வழியில் பயன்படுத்த எழுத்து, வார்த்தை, பொருள், வாக்கியம், இலக்கணம் போன்றவை மிக அவசியம்.

எழுத்து வழக்கில் தமிழில் உள்ள எழுத்துக்களை உயிர், மெய், உயிர்மெய் என்று பெயரிட்டுள்ளார்கள். இது போல எழுத்துகளை பெயரிட்டவர்களின் அறிவுக்கூர்மையை நினைத்து வியக்காமல் இருக்க முடியவில்லை.

எந்த உயிரினத்துக்கும் மெய்(உடல்) முக்கியம், அது வாழ உயிர் முக்கியம். உயிரும் முக்கியம் உடலும் முக்கியம். இவையிரண்டும் சேர்ந்து இருந்தால் தான் அந்த உயிரினம் செயல்பட முடியும்.

அதனால், தமிழ் மொழியில் உள்ள எழுத்துக்களுக்கு இப்படி உயிர் என்றும் மெய் என்றும் பெயரிட்டவர்களின் அறிவுக்கூர்மையை மீண்டும் யோசித்து பாருங்கள். இது போல வேறு எந்தெந்த உலக மொழிகளில் இப்படி பெயர் வைத்துள்ளார்கள் என்று தெரியவில்லை.

ஆங்கிலத்தில் எடுத்துக்கொண்டால் vowel என்றும் consonant என்றும் தான் சொல்கிறார்கள். Vowel என்பதற்கு உயிர் என்பதற்கும் எவ்வளவு வித்தியாசம் இருக்கிறது பார்த்தீர்களா? அதுபோலவே consonant என்பதற்கு மெய் என்பதற்கும் எவ்வளவு வித்தியாசம் இருக்கிறது பார்த்தீர்களா? மேலும் Vowel-constant என்பதற்கு உயிர்மெய் என்பதற்கும் எவ்வளவு வித்தியாசம் இருக்கிறது பார்த்தீர்களா?

பல ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் முன்பே நம் மொழியை வளர்க்க உழைத்த நம் முன்னோர்களை நினைத்து மலைக்காமல் இருக்க முடியவில்லை.

அப்படியிருக்க நம் மொழியை அறிமுகப் படுத்தும்போது, ஆங்கிலத்தில் vowel என்றும், consonant என்றும், vowel-consonant என்றும் சொல்வது சரியா?

சரி என்ன செய்யலாம்? நம் மாணவர்களுக்கு முதலில் உயிர் என்றால் என்ன, மெய் என்றால் என்ன, உயிர்மெய் என்றால் என்ன என்பதை புரிந்துகொள்ளுமளவுக்கு தமிழை சொல்லிக்கொடுத்துவிட்டு பிறகு இந்த எழுத்துகளை உயிர் எழுத்து என்றும், மெய் எழுத்து என்றும், உயிர்மெய் எழுத்து என்றும் சொல்லிகொடுக்கலாமே.

நன்றி
லோகு

Paradigm shift in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

Paradigm shift

(a) Based on 40+ years of research and study by leading experts like Dr. Krashen (Comprehensible Input), (b) based on what John Dewey said (Education and Experience) 100 years ago, (c ) based on what Gouin said (The Art of teaching and studying languages) 150 year ago, a paradigm shift is taking place in the SLA field. The SLA landscape is changing. A big shift from traditional approach to modern approach is taking place . The leading organization in the field, ACTFL, is actively promoting this new approach. By, new approach I do not mean something invented few years ago; this has been evolving for about 40 years. The schools, organizations, and countries that realized this shift are enjoying the benefit. Those who are not, or are married to old school of thinking are being left behind with empty bags.

The Change

Most of us will remember a company called Kodak. At one point Kodak was a world leader in photography. What happened now? With digital photography and things like Instagram, a paradigm shift was taking place and Kodak has either failed to see the new wave or refused to change itself. What happened? It went from hero to zero.

It is time for us to change as well. Change is not easy. But, change is the only constant and resistance to change will be costly. So, we have no choice than changing.

What is the change?

The paradigm shift happening in the SLA field is as follows:

Move from traditional approach to modern communicative approach.

Move from language based teaching to competency based approach.

Move from form based approach to meaning making based approach.

Move from mechanical approach to organic approach.

Move from explicit grammar practice, worksheets, spelling activities to community based communication approach.

Move from testing and grading to enjoying and having fun using the language approach.

Move from Academic Oriented approach to Open Exploration approach. 

Move from Language Learning approach to Language Acquisition approach.

Why the change?

It is proven in several studies and from real classroom activities that the old approach to teaching a language does not work very well. The success rate is very low. Unfortunately, the approach goes in the opposite way of how we all acquire language naturally. So, it is up to us to move from the approach with very low success rate to an approach with higher success rate.

Conclusion

Lots of materials are available on language education in the web. Some of them are books and articles by Dr. Krashen (http://sdkrashen.com), workshops by ACTFL, OWL, Dr Ray, Internet resources such as YouTube videos, ACTFL (http://actfl.org), http://OWLanguage.com. Let us understand what is happening, get more information, train ourselves, and be part of the change.

  

Yes, this change is real. The benefits are huge. Let us hop on to the new train and benefit from this.

Thanks

Logu

Age based language teaching approaches

Younger is not always better when it comes to learning a second language

This is a nice article. Some key points from this article are:

• the best age to start learning a second language can vary significantly, depending on how the language is being learned.
• About Chomsky’s Universal grammar
• There is no age limit to learn a language; given the right language exposure, one can acquire a language at any age.
• Language immersion environment best for young children; Living, learning and playing in a second language environment on a regular basis is an ideal learning context for young children.
• Learning in classroom best for early teens
• Self-guided learning best for adults.

Younger kids - Adult learners: Organic way

If Mechanical way is the only option - wait until Adulthood.

What is the purpose of learning the language?

Mechanical way is hurtful to little kids. They need lots of comprehensible and compelling input to acquire a language.