A problem

Josh   Wed May 31, 2006 3:53 pm GMT
This site suggests that if you make mistakes when speaking and writing English, those mistakes will habituate and become nearly impossible to correct. This, in fact, seems one of the site's central premises when attempting to "teach" non-native speakers how to speak English.

The site is wrong.

How can I make such a declaritive statement? For the last two years I have been teaching English as a Second Language to people from Spanish-speaking, African and Asian backgrounds. Before that I studied different Second Language Acquisition theories. This site's hypothesis that mistakes will habituate has been studied many times.

The hypothesis briefly states that non-native learners of English need to make sure they avoid mistakes at all costs or the mistakes will become ingrained, and thus will never stop being made.

This hypothesis has been discredited by every study that has ever measured it. In fact, we know that English is generally learned in sequences. For instance, first we learn to form all questions with "do" even if we should use "wh-" words. Another example: it takes a very long time to acquire the third person singular 's' at the end of words like, "He sleeps." I could continue, but my point is not to detail the actual sequences, but rather to suggest this: even a learner has not reached the next stage, there is no way the learner is going to be ready to make every utterance correctly. Someone who is still struggling with "do" formation of questions is not going to form questions with "what, when, why, where, or how," even when--grammatically--they should. That mistake will almost invariably correct itself as the learner advances to the next stage of English.

In other words, mistakes are normal and should be encouraged. It means the speaker is grappling with the inherent structures of the language. When they are ready they will learn the next structure.

Is there are a catch to this practice makes perfect theory? Yes. As we age, human beings have a much more difficult time learning grammatical structures, to the point that some are impossible without focused instruction on them. Teachers of English, then, need to focus some on grammar and form, but students still NEED to practice speaking and writing. If they do not, it does not matter how much the teacher teaches form and practice. Why? Without practice, the learner will never be ready to reach the next stage. which means the teacher's instruction is irrelevant.

My larger point: mistakes made when speaking and writing will not become habits. They will improve with good teaching and students' hard work. Do not believe this site when it tells you otherwise.

Josh
Elly   Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:09 pm GMT
its a bitter attack but any way your words may seem to be right ..
(Josh ) may I get your e-mail ... I d really be grateful if you can give me any help with my English language
Guest   Sun Jun 04, 2006 12:34 pm GMT
Learning grammar rules and doing filling in the blanks are boring drills. Students will not improve by leaps and bounds by doing that.
ESL classes are another way to earn quick bucks.

Not making mistakes too early is a reverse physcology so that students can atleast have enough inputs into their mind for constructing some meaningful sentences either in written or spoken form.

It would be too frustrating an experience of forming advanced structures with limited vocabulary and correct grammar structures.

When you can learn and master your language very well without making mistakes then you can learn another foreign language like this.

Tell me how many mistakes did you make when you had started learning your native language? Observing and exposing to the language is a passport to success in learning any language.

I have known some people who have been living in the USA over a decade and still make mistakes. The reason is simple, that's how they have been speaking, repeating wrong structures over and over again into their conversations and at some point they become natural and flawless setences to their ears.
Jun   Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:09 am GMT
I agree with antimoon's phylosophy,
if you don't correct a mistake at an early stage, most likely,
you will carry it for a long time, if not forever!!!
abc   Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:21 pm GMT
>>This, in fact, seems one of the site's central premises when attempting to "teach" non-native speakers how to speak English.

What does "premise" mean? Dictionary wasn't of much help..
j   Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:19 pm GMT
"What does "premise" mean? Dictionary wasn't of much help.. "

Cambridge dictionary:
premise
noun
an idea or theory on which a statement or action is based:
They had started with the premise that all men are created equal.
The research project is based on the premise stated earlier.
Dawn   Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:13 am GMT
I hope this helps.

1. The premises of a business and an institution are all the building and land that it occupies in one place.
* There is a kitchen on the premises.
* The business moved to premises in Bromton Road.

2. A premise is something that you suppose is true and that you use as basis for developing for an idea.
* The premise is that school will work harder to improve if they must compete.
abc   Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:30 pm GMT
Thanx guys. That actually helps a lot