In the first of a three part series, Laura Sigsworth considers why knowledge of the world outside their own country is important for language learners.
As obvious as it seems, students with good world knowledge are better readers and listeners. Schema theory suggests that as we learn we create mental shortcuts by organising information into units. These units, or schemata, enable our brains to deal with most ‘typical’ scenarios without too much effort, since we are able to base our responses upon our expectations. Most students who are told by their teacher that they are going to hear a conversation at a railway ticket office can reasonably expect to hear certain key language: train times, platform numbers and ticket types. Their expectations about these scenarios enable them to listen more efficiently.
However, schemata can also work against a student’s ability to understand. Their expectations are heavily influenced by the culture where they grow up. In Japan, where full-moon viewing parties are traditional, students might completely misinterpret the beginning of a spooky story that begins ‘There was a full moon….’ Their mistaken expectations mean that it could take them much longer to grasp the context of the story and so have less time to engage with any associated questions.
It is not surprising then, that research has shown that learning English is much trickier when you have non-Western schemata. We pick up so much more than we realize from these small, often culturally specific cues. Henry Widdowson has even argued that schematic knowledge is as essential a component of successful communication as linguistic knowledge, since it allows readers and listeners to interpret texts quickly and economically.
One of the most common concerns of EFL teachers working with adults and young adults is that students lack world knowledge. Standardised exams in English are more likely to include content which fits a Western schema, making it more difficult for students from non-Western backgrounds to excel.
So what can we do to help, while avoiding the trap of lecturing the students?
For more information visit our next post in this series: The importance of world knowledge to the ELT Classroom – photography.