⑴Background
⑵Approach: theory of language and learning
⑶Design: objectives, syllabus, learning activities,
roles of learners, teachers, materials
⑷Procedure
⑸Conclusion

Charles A. Curran: professor of psychology at
Loyola University, Chicago

1) Counseling-Learning: psychological counseling
techniques->learning

What is counseling?: One person giving advice,
assistance, and support to another who has a
problem or is in some way in need

Teacher=Counselor/ Learner=Clients

2) Humanistic techniques: Moskowitz

….blend what the student feels, thinks, and knows with what he is
learning in the target language. Rather than self-denial, selfactualization and self-esteem are the ideals the exercises pursue.
(The techniques) help foster a climate of caring and sharing in the
foreign language class.

→Humanistic techniques engage the whole person, including the
emotions and feelings as well as linguistic knowledge and
behavioral skills.

→ Curran concludes from his counseling experience that “true”
human learning is both cognitive and affective. This is termed
whole-person learning.

3) Language alternation: A message/lesson
is presented first in native language and then
again in the second language.

Overhearing
L1
Knower
L2
L2
Learner

La Forge(1983, Curran’s student):
Language as Social Process
①Interaction between learners:
exchanges of affect
 ②Interaction between learners and knowers:
dependent
-Learner tells the knower what s/he wishes to learn,
the knower tells the learner how to say it.


→ For the whole-person learning, learner’s relationship with the
teacher is central. The process of the relationship is divided into five
stages and compared to the ontogenetic development of the child.

First stage, “birth” stage: feeling of security and belonging is
established
Second stage: the child begins to achieve independence from the
parent
Third stage: the learner speaks independently and may need to
assert his or her own identity, often rejecting unasked-for advice
Fourth stage: the learner becomes secure enough to take criticism
Last stage: learner merely works on improving style and knowledge
of linguistic approaches

Consensual validation, convalidation :
A relationship characterized by convalidation is
considered essential to the learning process and is a
key element of CLL classroom procedures.
Progress : Topic- based
- Learners nominate things that they wish to
talk about




Learners’
interests or
intentions
(student topics)
syllabus emerges
Teacher’s
reformulations of
the learners’
interests or
intentions
NO explicit linguistic, communicative objectives
NO conventional language syllabus ( the lack of syllabus)
1. Translation
Learner
1. Whisper a message
Learner
2. Translate into the
target language
3. Repeat the target
language
Learner
Teacher
2. Group work
•
-Small-group discussion of a topic
-Prepare conversation
-Preparing a summary of a topic
-Prepare a presentation of a topic
3. Recording
•
-Record students’ conversation in target language
4. Transcription
Transcribe the target language that they have
recorded
5. Analysis
Analyze and study the transcription in order to
gain particular grammar rules and usages
6. Reflection and observation
Share learners’ feelings and experience
7. Listening
Listen to what they have learned by teacher
8. Free conversation
Talk freely to other learners and teacher
ROLES OF LEARNER
ROLES OF TEACHER

Client

Counselor

Initiator

Adviser

Member of community

Encourager

Counselor for other

Translator
learners

Supporter

Facilitator

CLL places unusual demands on language
teachers.

-High proficiency in both L1, L2
-Knowledge in role of counselors in psychological counseling
-Need to resist the pressure “to teach” in the traditional
senses.
-Without conventional materials, teachers must depend on
student topics to shape and motivate the class
ADVANTAGES VS DISADVANTAGES

Learner-centered

Humanistic approach

The lack of a syllabus
difficulties in evaluation,
achievement
(lower learners’ stresses)

Focus on fluency > accuracy

Special training is needed

Created by U.S. educators concerned with the
teaching of reading and writing in the native
language

Opposed to a “decoding” approach

Emphasis on learning to read and write naturally
with a focus on real communication

language
Designed to help childrenCommunicative
and adults learn
L2teaching
in the
same way that children learn their first language
Natural approaches


Interactional perspective: language as a vehicle
for human communication
Heavy emphasis on authenticity

Psycholinguistic perspective: language as a
vehicle for internal interaction

A functional model: language as something that is
used for meaningful purposes and to carry out
authentic functions

Humanistic approaches
 Authentic
 Personalized
 self-directed
 Collaborative

Constructivist theory:
 Knowledge is socially constructed
 Focusing on the learners’ experience, need, and
interests

Major principles
 The use of authentic literature
 A focus on real and natural events
 Reading for the comprehension and for a real purpose
 Writing for a real audience
 Writing as a process through which learners explore and




discover meaning
The use of student-produced texts
Integration of reading, writing and other skills
student-centered learning
Reading and writing in partnership with other learners
A collaborator
An evaluator
A selector
A facilitator
An active
participant
Real-world materials

4 classroom features
 The use of literature
 The use of process writing
 Encouragement of cooperative learning among
students
 Concern for students’ attitude

Activities
 Individual and small group reading and writing
 Ungraded dialogue journals
 Writing portfolios/conferences
 Student-made books
 Story writing

Parallel texts
“The village on the northern side of the 38th parallel frontier
ever so quiet
and desolate
beneath the high, clear
►was
Examples
of student
activities
autumn sky. White gourds leaned on white gourds as they
swayed in the yard of an empty house.”
1. Think of the two different villages described. Which one
would you choose to live in? Why?
“Cranes” by Hwang Sun-Won (translated by Kevin O’Rourke)
2. Discuss what different kinds of stories might follow on the
th parallel
basis
of the opening
and
what
tone ofwas
the
“The
northern
village atsentences
the border
of the
38the
story
be?
ever
sowill
snug
under the bright high autumn sky. In the
space between the two main rooms of the empty farm
3.house
Write atwo
parallel
text
opening
in which
you
white
empty
gourd
was sentences
lying against
another
describe
in different
white
empty
gourd.” words a village you know.
Ask a partner which village he/she prefers.
“The Crane” by Hwang Sun-Won (translated by Kim Se-young)

Advantages of Whole Language
 Focusing on experiences and activities that are




relevant to learners’ lives and need
Using authentic materials
Facilitating the development of all aspects of a
second language
A rich array of materials that can offer an integrated
approach to ESL instruction and that can be adapted
for use in a wide variety of contexts
Many useful activities for older learners