Laura Patsko joins us for the third and final Pedagogy Pop-up, this time looking at the 10 things an adult needs in order to learn a second language.
Linguistic and pedagogical research can show us the key things a person really needs in order to learn a second language, rather than the ‘nice to haves’. In 10 minutes I’ll explore 10 key requirements based on this – but please note, just because this list is short, it doesn’t mean its contents are simple, easy or quick!
What do we mean by linguistic and pedagogical?
Linguistic = The language itself. The content matter. What is the person learning?
Pedagogical = What the learner needs to do. The learning process. How does a person learn?
So, first of all, I want to suggest that linguistically, learners need to understand use and form.
1. Use
If learners can recognise how and when linguistic structures are used, they will start to understand what meanings people attach to them, as meaning ultimately derives from use. And we know from research that meaningful practice tends to lead to longer-term gains:
Here’s an example: “mouse”
- It can have different meanings, and can change meaning (e.g. animal/computer tool);
- It could have positive/negative associations (e.g. quiet as a mouse vs. timid as a mouse);
- It could refer to a generic thing or a specific person (e.g. someone called Dr Anthony Mouse);
- And if I scream it while I’m in the kitchen, you’d immediately be conscious of an abrupt change in my emotional state!
Clearly, the use of language is very important in making sense of it.
2. Form
By this I mean how a word, phrase, grammatical structure or passage of text is actually constructed, either written or spoken.
For example: “mouse trap”
- Word parts: noun + noun = compound noun.
- Spelling: M-O-U-S-E [space] T-R-A-P.
- Regular plural (not “mice trap”)
- Pronunciation: 2 syllables, one per word, first one is usually more prominent; made up of 7 phonemes (with some variation between accents)
So if use and form are what to learn, that still leaves 8 things on our list related to how to learn.
3. Motivation and 4. Opportunity to use the language
To paraphrase Pit Corder (1967, pg. 164): given motivation and exposure, it’s inevitable that a person will learn a language. This is a bit of a “chicken and egg” situation – it’s often hard to tell whether opportunities to use the language spark the motivation, or whether motivation to practise prompts the learner to find opportunities. Either way, both are required in order to learn.
5. Goals
Closely related to motivation, a learner needs goals. These could be short-term or long-term but with no idea of the destination, the learning journey will probably be less effective. So the focus of study needs to be relevant to the learner’s real-life needs, whether immediate or future.
6. Feedback
The learner will also need feedback on their attempts. Feedback could come from a teacher or guide of some sort; but it could also come from peers. For example, if I try to use my second language to buy something in a shop and the staff don’t understand what I’m asking for, that in itself is a form of real-time feedback.
The next 3 requirements are closely inter-related:
7. Repetition
Learners need both repeated exposure and repeated production – in different contexts. Unfortunately, there is no widely agreed number of how many times someone needs to encounter a new word/phrase/structure in order to remember it, but we know they need to meet it again and again.
8. Memory
Remembering and forgetting exist in a very complex dynamic. We know there is a crucial link between memory and learning; and we know from research that successfully remembering something increases the chance that you’ll successfully remember it in the future.
We also know from research that simply studying items again is not enough: memory, like so many things in life, is best strengthened by testing it and receiving feedback on whether you got it right.
9. Noticing
Arguably, to learn something in the first place, we need to notice it. Learners need to pay conscious attention to what they’re exposed to. They also need to notice the gap between what they know/produce and what more proficient speakers of the language know/produce.
And finally…
10. Tolerance of ambiguity
This refers to a person’s capacity to feel comfortable with situations or stimuli that don’t offer enough cues to be easily categorised or structured, e.g. when we encounter something and we don’t know quite what to make of it.
Those of us with experience of learning a second language will know very well how often we find ourselves in such situations. And the ability to tolerate such ambiguity, to not be constrained by what we expect but just to deal with what we find, may well be a key characteristic of the “good language learner.”
For further information, watch the recording of my pop-up talk below:
Interested in learning more from the Pedagogy Pop-up Series?
#1: Everything you always wanted to know about pronunciation (but were too afraid to ask)
#2: What works in Computer assisted language learning (CALL)?