BES -054 (Pedagogy of Language)
Q.1. What is the difference between language learning and language acquisition? Discuss the
significance of social context in learning and acquisition of language with the help of examples.
Answer: Language learning can be regarded as a change in the behaviour pattern, so that a human being
can do something, whether it is to walk, or ride a bicycle, or tie shoe-laces, or speak. Environment plays
very important role in influencing all kinds of behaviour, whether verbal or non-verbal. The sense organs
of humans and animals are turned to receiving many kinds of stimulus from the outer world. A baby
watches the way the mother’s lips move to utter a sound and hear the sound. It moves its lips in the same
way to utter the same soound.Basic imitation thus become a form of learning. In this way, the behaviour is
reinforced. This forms an observable behaviour pattern. They form a set of speech sounds that are the first
step in language learning.Language learning is not communicative. It is the result of direct instruction in
the rules of language. And it certainly is not an age-appropriate activity for your young learners. In
language learning, students have conscious knowledge of the new language and can talk about that
knowledge.
Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend
language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate. Language acquisition is
one of the quintessential human traits,[1] because non-humans do not communicate by using
language. Language acquisition usually refers to first-language acquisition, which studies infants'
acquisition of their native language. This is distinguished from second-language acquisition, which
deals with the acquisition (in both children and adults) of additional languages. The capacity to
successfully use language requires one to acquire a range of tools including phonology, morphology,
syntax, semantics, and an extensive vocabulary. Language can be vocalized as in speech, or manual as
in sign. The human language capacity is represented in the brain. Even though the human language
capacity is finite, one can say and understand an infinite number of sentences, which is based on a
syntactic principle called recursion. Evidence suggests that every individual has three recursive
mechanisms that allow sentences to go indeterminately. These three mechanisms
are: relativization, complementation and coordination. Furthermore, there are actually two main guiding
principles in first-language acquisition, that is, speech perception always precedes speech
production and the gradually evolving system by which a child learns a language is built up one step at a
time, beginning with the distinction between individual phonemes.
Social interactions theory is an explanation of language development emphasizing the role of social
interaction between the developing child and linguistically knowledgeable adults. It is based largely on
the socio-cultural theories of Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky, and made prominent in the Western
world by Jerome Bruner . The social context is considered to be of utmost important in sociolinguistics.
The sociolinguistic reality of relatively homogenous society of America is very different form the
heterogeneity of India. Language is also often used as tool of power in all spheres of social life, be it
education, religion,media,administration and so on. In India 1652 languages are spoken. It is enough
reason to believe that there is a great deal of diversity. Yet, despite this diversity and linguistic variation,
there seems to be unity. Here an individual in India to maintain multiple identities. For example, a
Gujrati speaker in Delhi may be speaking in Gujrati at home with his family members, English in his
office, Hindi with his friends and yet another language in another context. The purpose of learning
language need to examine in social requirement.
.
Unlike other approaches, it emphasizes the role of feedback and reinforcement in language acquisition.
Specifically, it asserts that much of a child's linguistic growth stems from modeling of and interaction
with parents and other adults, who very frequently provide instructive correction. Another key idea
within the theory of social interactions is that of the zone of proximal development. Briefly, this is a
theoretical construct denoting the set of tasks a child is capable of performing with guidance, but not
alone. As applied to language, it describes the set of linguistic tasks (proper syntax, suitable vocabulary
usage, etc.) a child cannot carry out on their own at a given time, but can learn to carry out if assisted by
an able adult.
Q. 2. Devise a task based activity to access all four language skills for either English
or Hindi language. Specify the assessment criteria indication how learner’s
performance in using these skills will be judged.
Answer: In learning language a teacher need to focus on the development of the four basic skills among
the children. As a language teacher it our duty that one should develop the four basic skills e.g.
Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. We choose topic from English book of class – 3. The poem
is about the movement of the different creatures. The following tasks based activities can be devised to
cover all the four competencies.
How Creatures Move
The lion walks on padded paws,
The squirrel leaps from limb to limb,
While flies can crawl straight up a wall,
And seals can dive and swim.
The worm he wiggles all around,
The monkey swings by his tail,
And birds may hop upon the ground
Or spread their wings and sail.
But boys and girls
Have much more fun:
They leap and dance
And walk and run.
Listening Skills: Children’s ability to speak and listen is fundamentally to their language development,
learning in school and to their social development. Young learners are said to learn most through
listening than through any other means. Listening activity can be conducted in a disciplined manner. A
little lapse in attention can lead to loss of information. A listening activity becomes meaningful and easy
to comprehend when it is constructed around a contextualized task.
After listening assessment of the learning must be checked. Learners after the test can be rated as good
listener, competent listener, listener of adequate ability, listener of limited ability and weak listener. The
following question may be asked:
a) What is the poem about?
b) How do lion walk?
c) How do squirrel move?
d) How do monkeys move?
e) How do you move?
Assessment: Students listening ability can be assess by asking the simple question based on the poem.
This will help to know how much attentive they are. Grades may be awarded to them according to the
response of the student on the following criteria.
Area
Grade
Good listener
A+
Competent listener
A
Listener of adequate
ability
Listener of limited ability
B
Weak listener
D
C
Speaking: Since speaking is a social skill it is not easy to assess. There are following indicators:
Articulation, Voice quality, Posture, vocabulary, Body language, Positive thinking, Appropriate voice
volume, Pacing etc. After a lesson is taught the learners can get into a discussion mode. This has to be
carefully monitored so that it does not turn irrelevant and repetitive. Total class must be involve when
facilitation the discussion. To test the speaking skills a teacher need to plan the speaking test.
Assessment: Assessment of the speaking skill of the above mention poem can be done by the following
ways:
 Recite the poem with proper gesture.
 Pronounce the following words properly.
Reading: Indian learners are exposed in schools. Learners are expected to read, sometimes aloud in
class but most of the time silently on their own. Purpose of reading may be different. The common
purpose of the reading are reading for pleasure, reading for information and academic reading. Reading
skills includes the development of the following skills and sub skills:
 Recognising the script.
 Understanding the stated information
 Understanding the conceptual meaning
 Indintifying the main idea from the supporting details
 Understanding the communicative skill
Assessment: Assessment of the reading skills among the children can be done by asking the following questions:
Read the following poem with proper rhythm and rhyme.
Writing Skills: We know that writing is related t the cognitive development of a child. It involves thinking,
visulalizing and problem – solving along with the necessary motor skills. It is a way for the child to communicate
thoughts, observations and impressions which grows progressively more complex. Assessment and feedback of
the writing of children is an important aspect of the writing process. Work on the development of writing skills I
children emphasizes the strength and weakness of the child. Evaluation is therefore is a process by which a
teacher helps the child to “improve” her/his writing skill. At elementary there are three types of writing
controlled or guided writing, communicative writing and open or free writing.
Assessment: based on the poem the following writing tasks can be assigned:
a) Fill in the blanks
The lion walks on padded paws,
………………………………………..
While flies can crawl straight up a wall,
………………………………………..
b)
Write the poem neatly
………………………………………
………………………………………
……………………………………
………………………………………
c)
Answer the questions:
d) Make sentences using these words
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Dance : …………………………………………………………..
Crawl : ……………………………………………………………
Lion: ………………………………………………………………
Monkey: ………………………………………………………..
Based on the performance,neatness, use of capitals and punctuation grades may be awarded to them.
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With best wishes