Dr. Stephen Krashen Plenary KOTESOL International Conference 2011

Stephen Krashen... This American linguist and professor born in Illinois, revolutionized the way we thought about second language learning. Not much is said about his personal life. Regarding his educational background, it is known that he obtained a Ph.D in linguistics at the University of California in 1972.  From the late 1970s onwards he proposed a series of hypotheses, that supported his theory of second language acquisition. There are five main hypotheses. These are the following:

The acquisition learning hypothesis: It tells us that there are two systems in second language performance. One is the acquired system (Product of a subconscious process. Requires meaningful interaction in the target language), and the other is the learned system (Product of formal instruction).

The monitor hypothesis: The monitoring function is the practical result of learned grammar. According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs the role of the monitor. The monitor acts in planning, editing and correcting function when the specific conditions are met. Despite the importance of conscious learning, Krashen suggested learner should be focused more on unconscious one. Due to the fact that thinking to much about the accuracy of our sentences before uttering would slow down the learning process.

The input hypothesis: It is only concerned with acquisition. According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses when they receive the second language input that is one step beyond their current stage of linguistic competence. For instance, if a learner is at a stage ¨i¨, the acquisition takes place when they are exposed to ¨Comprehensible input¨ that belongs to level ¨i plus 1¨. Ergo, we can define Comprehensible input as the target language that the learner would not be able to produce.

The Natural Order hypothesis: Acquisition of grammatical structures follows a natural order, which is predictable. For a given language, some grammatical structures tend to be acquired early while others late. This order was independent of the learner´s age, L1 background, conditions of exposure to the target language, etc.

Affective filter hypothesis: In order for meaningful learning to take place, learners should be motivated and relaxed.  Otherwise, it would be a lot harder to acquire or learn a second language. The mental block that is created when our anxiety levels are high is called an affective filter. When it is high, we cannot concentrate, and so the filter impedes language acquisition. On the other hand, when the affective filter is low, we feel relaxed and confident. Therefore, we can receive comprehensible input in the best way possible.

Most of us know this guy is a world-wide known genius in the field of linguistics who does not need to be fawned on whatsoever. Besides, in his speeches, his theories are explained in such a simple way, that there is no need for them to be reworded. Apart from that, he knows how to regale his audience with his fantastic sense of humor. We can infer this instance from Krashen way of seeing second language learning. An aspiring English learner, should contrive to learn this language despite not living in an English speaking country. If they use the right tools to achieve their purpose, there is no reason why they should not succeed. In fact Stephen said once that we all learn a second language the same way. I will leave you with one of his talks before I mop up this writing. P.S. Think about your second language learning. Is it worth it to flit from course to course without learning much? Which approach should you consider?

Shaka Senghor: Why your worst deeds don't define you

Who does not want to be chary about the actions one takes?. However, in some cases your personality can drastically change. Why? The environment in which a person grows up plays an important role in their lives. Besides, adverse situations that may come up during that persons´ life are crucial in shaping their behavior. This time I encountered Shaka Senghor´s talk. This amazing public speaker, professor and author had to deal with more than just the usual vicissitudes of life. Shaka´s parents got divorced while he was a freshman in College. To cap it all, one night he was standing in the corner of his block in Detroit, he got shot three times. After he recovered from his wounds, (he did survived) he took the wrong path. Unfortunately, Shaka became enmeshed in a world of drug dealing. 14 months after his accident he shot and killed a suspect. He got sentenced to 23 years in prison for second degree murder. Notwithstanding, his life was not finished.

Shaka himself quoted Socrates who said ¨ An unexamined life is not worth living¨. For instance after a few years of being incarcerated, Shaka got a letter from his son. The little boy had found out his dad had murdered a man. He said ¨Mama told me why you were in prison: murder. Pray to Jesus, so he can forgive you¨ . Even though Mr. Senghor was not actually religious, those words struck him. Further, Shaka  relied on atomism to analyze his life and begin his transformation . He had grown a liking for literature and writing. We could say that despite his situation, Shaka´s enthusiasm for life never waned.  Not only had Shaka changed his ways after many years, he had also made headway and even got a degree. He did not just sat on his bum thinking about the worries that were niggling at him during his time in jail. Shaka may have waded through lots of assignments and tests for years. Be that as it may, it was all worth it. In 2010, he got released. Among the things that fashed him the most, were new technological devices.  For instance, having to get used to using smartphones was a challenge for Shaka. Nevertheless, after all he had overcome, almost nothing seemed impossible. Had Shaka amortized his debt to society.  Now he is a professor at University of Michigan and an activist against violence. To professor Senghor´s (we can call him like that now) your worst deeds do not define you. His claims and thoughts about human capabilities are more than anything  undergirded by years of experience and thorough work.

Christopher Emdin: Teach teachers how to create magic

We all know that conventional teaching is not so engaging. Teaching is more than just passing down knowledge. Many youngsters have even dropped out high school because they felt demotivated.  Traditional educators blear learner´s imagination. You see, today´s teacher has to have a wide variety of skills. The more prepared the y are, the better. Besides, I have already talked about how applying learning theories such us ¨Constructivism¨ and ¨Cognitivism¨ into the classroom can make a difference. This particular time, I run into Christopher Edmin´s speech. He is a widely commended pioneer educator and rapper who for years has been using Hip Hop as a technique for making better teachers. Chris mentioned how important it is for educators to be good story tellers, entertainers, orators, among others. In other words, having inspiring and powerful educators in a school can prevent students from faltering in their commitment to their studies. Further, Chris also talked about how teachers should go out into the hood. For instance, they can learn and pick up lots of techniques from preachers at black churches, rappers, and even barbers. Therefore, if you're a trainee teacher for example, and you see you have got a singing talent. It would be a good idea for you to start taking courses, joining choirs or whatnot. Thus, you can use that talent to complement your teaching. By the way, why do you think Mr. Edmin mentioned African-American churches?. Well, because he knows first-hand how talented and engaging preachers at those churches are. ¨Pentecostal pedagogy¨ is one of the terms Chris used. To instance how these preacher catch their audience´s attention, I would say this: Before starting a service, these preachers utter phrases such as "Can I get an Amen" a couple of times; so that they can beguile their audiences. He also told us a little about how mimicking the way rappers move and how they use their analogies can be helpful. If we apply those techniques properly in our classes that is.

What Chris is trying to convey is not that we should teach in a haphazard fashion, and forget about traditional methods. What he means is that we can add a plus to those boring classes. Ergo, we will be able to spark magic into our students eyes.

 

Viruses: Viral Replication and The Mysterious Common Cold

Colds....so annoying and execrable are they. We have all suffered from them on numerous occasions. The usual symptoms are: Sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, low grade fever and headaches. Before it was thought that you could treat cold with antibiotics. Big mistake, antibiotics kill bacteria. Nonetheless, colds are caused by a viruses. More specifically Rhino-viruses. Besides, a cold can last up to ten days after its incubation. Ergo, the only cure possible is time. Thus, not even the best pill can arrest a cold until it is time for it to go away. By the way, did you know that in the case of smokers, a cold can last up to 14 days?. How to stave it off? For starters, you can get the flu vaccine or the pneumococcal vaccine. They both can prevent complications that a cold can trigger. Moreover, exercising boost your immune system and thus decreases your chances of getting sick. Further, a good night sleep can raise your defenses too. ¨Artroben¨ nasal sprays are also recommended; due to the fact that they treat symptoms such as congestion more effectively. Last but not least, vitamin C, which has to ingested in a dose of 500 mg per day. It works way better in athletes studies have shown. In fact they say that for the average Joe, its effects are minimal. However, I would not stop eating oranges if I were you. Lastly, I would mention to ingest lots of liquid. What the doctor tells in a flowery language each time to go to his office with a minor cold case. Anyhow, how do we contract colds? Well all know that if we frequent in crowded places, we are more exposed to get them. Some idiot sneezing in those jam-packed areas and not covering their faces can infect us. Besides, a hand shake with a sick person who has just touch their nose can also screw us up. There are lots of more ways to get infected. Furthermore, since the Rhino-virus (just like any other virus) is covert from the eye, it is almost impossible to know you have a cold before its symptoms are shown. To sum up I would say that a common cold per se cannot harm you that much. Notwithstanding, when there are complications, you could even get a pneumonia. Ergo, I would recommend you to apportion household chores among your family to always keep your home out of germs. Also, remember that places and vehicles such as public transport units, are sources of infection. Hence, I would advice you to always carry a handkerchief in your pocket.

Genie (Secret of the Wild Child)

Something unexpected happened the afternoon of November 4th, 1970 in  Los Angeles, CA. Child welfare authorities had found out about the case of Genie. A 13 year old feral child who had been extricated by one of them after being locked to a potty-chair in her room. This monstrosity of a case took place in Arcadia, CA.  The girl had been kept in isolation and fed like a prisoner for 13 years. Her cruel and psychologically unstable father committed suicide when he found out the authorities were trying to catch up with him. Conversely, Genie's mother claimed she too had been a victim of her husband's mistreat. After her discovery, Genie was taken to a children´s hospital. She could not develop human speech due to her parents extreme abuse. She was rehabilitated little by little. Genie started to explore the world´s nature with some help. To instance some experiences: On different occasions, she was taken to field trips to the zoo, the amusement park, among others.  However, researchers and psychologist saw her more as a subject in language acquisition than a patient later on. Genie had been taken from different foster homes to hospitals for several years. Even though she was helped, she was also abused by strict psychologists. For instance. she even was admonished for puking on one occasion. Nonetheless, most of her dedicated foster parents and educator managed to make her develop a wide English vocabulary. There was one problem though. She struggled constructing structured sentences. Genie really could not develop the ability to arrange sentences accurately. Ergo, she was taught sign language by sending her to an institute for the deaf. A form of communication which she came to excel at. As I mentioned before, it is not that someone had extended Genies foster parents millions of dollars for rehabilitating her. Be that as it may, these people did know it was going to be extremely expensive to do so. After several years, Genie was taken back with her mother. Notwithstanding, she could not tolerate it. Ergo, she moved to an adult foster home. Anyhow, even before Genie had been found, theories of language acquisition were being developed. From 1960 onwards two successful linguists had something to say. On one hand logician and linguist Noam Chomsky, said that we all are born with the principles of language. They are in our genes. On the other hand, neuropsychologist and linguist Eric Lenneberg, argued that even though we indeed were born with language principles, there was a deadline for applying them (Critical period hypothesis). Therefore, trying to learn an oral language by puberty seemed impossible. Finally, there was a case similar to Genie´s. Victor of Aveyron was found in 1800 at age 12 in the woods of Southern France. He was taken up by a young physician and could never develop oral language proficiently either. One interesting characteristic of these cases I wild like to bring up: Both Victor and her counterpart were accustomed to exposure and cold. Further, they were also thought to be mentally retarded from birth. Although, some experts disproved these claims.

1980 USA Hockey Team Story

We all know about the rivalry between the USA and Russia. Besides, in 1980, almost a decade after the Marshall plan (Cold War), the situation between them was still rough. These two powerhouses had been deeply at loggerheads over the implementation of their political systems in Western Europe. Not many contretemps that would detriment their relationship took place. Besides the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets in 1979 that is. Anyhow, I would like to get to the crux of this writing now. Hockey has always been big not only in Europe, but also in North America. Let us say that during that time the rivalry between the bullies of the Americas and Europe, was transferred into the pitch. The Soviets had the best team on earth. Whereas the Americans had just gathered a bunch of strong-willed college boys to form their national team. What was the reason for these teams to train so hard even before 1980?. The winter Olympics' were about to start. The American had to work really hard to bolster their reputations. On the other hand, the year of the Olympics, the Soviets had just won a world cup. They seemed unbeatable. No defense was good enough to guard against their attacks. Further, The Soviets´ relationship with their coach was not so good.  Therefore, these guys got cocky. The Americans had been progressing little by little. Their coach had chosen the best college hockey players he could find. They even managed to win the Pre-Olympic tournament. Notwithstanding, their toughest challenge was yet to come. Three days before the winter Olympics, the US and Russia played an exhibitions game. The Soviets crushed the Americans by 10 to 3 that day. Ergo they became even cockier. The Americans did not try to overcompensate for anything. They just kept training hard. The big day finally came. These two teams got matched in the semi-finals. The Americans had a Herculean task to achieve. After the Russians got ahead at the beginning of the first period, they just waited for it to finish. However, The American evened the score by the end of it. The Russian coach was so mad that he switched the best goalie in the world for the second period. The American pulled off the unthinkable. They got to beat the Soviets 4 to 3 by scoring at the last minute. Since the game was not broadcasted live, American office workers filed in trying to get home and watch the game at night. Whereas, the Russians found out about the score the next Saturday morning. By the way, this game was known such as ¨The miracle on ice¨. Due to the fact that the underdogs (US team), were able to outsmart and beat the big bullies (Russian team). Nonetheless, there was one more game to be played. The Americans had to face Finland in the final. Only one team was going to be able to sashay out of the field  (Madison Square Garden)  with the gold medal. The Finns took the lead by 2 to 1. That is why during the intermission, the American coach told his team as follows. " If you lose this game, you will take that failure to your grave" Motivated by their coach's words the underdog team went on to score two more times and take the gold medal...

What Makes a Great Tenor?

What makes a great tenor?, is it a lot of hard work?, is it pure talent?. I will be talking a little bit about this topic in the following writing:

You see, I had already been talking about singing, since I am taking a short course. It seems I am pretty excited about it. They say that if you can sing classical music, then you can sing anything. Even though I have problems trying to sing with my diaphragm, I am hanging in there. Unfortunately the lack of interest in art from third world countries for art, makes it difficult for youngsters to pursue a music career. Not exactly do music classes have to be orchestrated here for instance. It is not forbidden. There is even a conservatory. What I meant was that it was harder for people interested in arts to succeed in Latin America. However, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance, the so talented tenor ¨Juan Diego Flores¨ is originally from Peru. Despite the fact that he had to move to Europe to actually have a full time job good enough for him as a tenor, he never lost momentum. He occasionally comes back to Peru to help cement the voice not only as an instrument to entertain masses, but as a means to educate and change the mainstream of most people here. Not an easy thing to do though. Being able to visit schools and tell children they should appreciate art just for the sake of it, would not do the trick. For children to get a penchant towards classical music, they have to be introduced to it through a meaningful and fun process. That is why Flores, among other brilliant tenors have helped build music schools in countries such as this. Nonetheless, the lack of aid from the government makes it difficult to continue helping, Anyhow, being able to sing in seamless flows from one note to the other may seem hard, though it can be achieved with practice. It seems one of the few good things the Spaniards brought in when they annexed Peru was in fact classical music. Not wanting to amplify this point further, I will carry on. Despite the nettlesome challenges that may come up, works towards the  evolution of classical music in Latin America cannot stop. In order for operas to be marketed to mass entertainment here once again, seems an impossible task. Lots of ignorant folks would have to be educated. Further, the media alongside the minister of education would need to work together to promote culture among the population. The immense energy, liveliness, etc, spangled in the eyes of artists such as Flores, and Bocelli, can only be understood by people who understand culture. To answer the question I raised earlier I would say as follows: I believe what makes a great tenor is a combination of hard work and talent. Finally, you may not be able to breeze through a career in music. Be that as it may, it is totally worth it to set off in that journey.

John Dewey Experience and Education: a brief summary

Carrying on with Constructivism, I would like to talk about John Dewey now. You see, after Vigotsky, many other experts continued working on Constructivism in education. Dewey was an American psychologist, educator and philosopher who was born in Vermont in 1859. Born to a wealthy family, he lived through a civil war later on in his life. He graduated from university of Vermont in 1879. Later on he received a doctorate on philosophy from John Hopkins University. (Train of thought based on the principle that usefulness, practicality, etc. of ideas, policies, and proposals are the criteria of their merit). He believed that the traditional method of learning, trammeled not only the freedom, but also the creativity of students. Moreover, we can see why common lectures did not work. Listening to a professor uttering a litany of facts during his lecture would  just bore them. Thus, to him the best way to learn a subject matter was through unique experience in the field. For instance, if a learner wanted to know about boats, he should be at the harbor. Dewey, also believed that teachers were in the classroom to set up an activity, talk their students through its instructions, and monitor. Active learning happens when students are engaged into the learning experiences. Besides, Dewey inveighed against rote learning. Passive absorption would make students forget what they had learned eventually. Again, to him, experience was the key to transmission of knowledge. Especially experience that leads to growth. One of his master pieces is ¨Experience & Education¨, which he wrote in 1938. This particular book summed up Dewey´s work in a few pages. This book focused on progressive education as well. By the end of the 19th century, this approach began to gain importance. It emphasized learning by doing and social interaction among students. Since callow youths are more capable to learn any subject in a faster way. That is why as we all know, age plays an crucial role in the learner educational experience. Ergo, I would say that we should ascribe great importance to all these approaches.

The Art (& Science) of Great Teaching: Sam Chaltain at TEDxYouth@BFS

Teaching... the core of my program. Nowadays, formal education obviously works a lot differently than it did back in the day. Traditional teaching has been by approaches such as the CLT, Constructivism, Cognitivism, among others. Before, students felt trammeled by a teacher centered  system. Conversely, today, classes are student centered. Teachers are merely guides and facilitators.

For instance, when we talk about Progressivism, we know this: Students should construct their own learning by using schema (previous knowledge), social interaction, methods such as Scaffolding, etc.

If we go on with the educational views of Vigotsky, who not only was the first expert to study Progressivism, but also came up with theories such as ¨The more knowledgeable other¨ and ¨Zone of proximal development¨. In one students need the assistance of a more capable individual (MKO) to learn a subject matter; whereas, in ZPD, students can begin constructing their own learning. Notwithstanding, if they get stuck, they can get help either from a teacher or a peer. Anyhow, this time I came across Sam Chaltain´s speech. This history professor and author has lots of stuff to say about ¨The art of teaching¨. He explains how the job of schools is to adjust to students. That is why traditional teaching methods did not work. Students would lose focus and get bored during a common lecture. This even could cause them to flout the rules. Due to this, considerable changes in education were made ever since the late 60´s. Besides, Chaltain´s talks about The scientific method. This works well because as we all know, students must recognize a problem, gather data,  formulate a hypothesis, and even experiment. Moreover, Sam talked about Constructivism from the point of view of John Dewey, who believed learning happened through meaningful experience. Chaltain even mentioned that scientists are developing a skin bracelet, that measures the level of students´ engagement based on the perspiration of the skin. Lack of motivation can preclude learners meaningful knowledge acquisition. Further, it could even make educators less helpful. Ergo, it is crucial to not only apply, but to take as much advantage as we can of these innovative teaching approaches. Nobody said that revolutionizing education was going to be as easy as bobbling a stupid ball. Nonetheless, measures have to be taken to improve this situation. Sam Chaltain works alongside school-boards and gives speeches throughout the US on how to create better learning environments. Perhaps we do not need to create knowledge gourmands, but innovative individuals. 

Friedrich Nietzsche: Human, All Too Human [FULL DOCUMENTARY]

Nietzche, even though he lived a short time, he was a genius philosopher. Why did I decided to talk about him?. Well, let us say that I have a presentation about his theories in my philosophy class today. Anyhow, this German philosopher was mainly debased in his time. Despite the fact that he introduced concepts such as ¨The over-man¨ and ¨The death of God¨, his thoughts were considered as immoral. Orthodox religious beliefs from people at that time (XIX century), prevented them from understanding the essence of Nietzche´s theories. In his young adult years, Nietzche transferred to the university of Leipzig to major in philosophy; after taking a year of a theology program at university of Bonn. Nietzche grew up in a Christian family, and had a religious education. However, he realized that the nature of man, was beyond than what religions could tell you about him. For instance, in his theory of ¨The death of God¨, Nietzche believed the existence of God was not exactly connected with practice of moral values. Besides, he mentioned that each man was a god unto himself in his theory ¨The over-man¨. Nonetheless, this can only be seen after man has reached that state. According to Nietzche, a man who wants to become an over-man, needs reach the limits of his own self. The over-man is confident and proactive, and is able to master any discipline. All of these skills of course have the limitations of humanity. Many may have thought that Nietzsche was one more of those preachers who used recherché words and meaningless theories. Notwithstanding, he was the opposite of that.    

People are usually befogged by some of the stupidities their religions tell them. Ergo, they do not use common sense.  Inquisitive individuals such as Nietzsche, are often criticized, for trying to find out more about things than people usually know. Besides being a breakthrough thinker, Nietzsche had to deal with the vicissitudes of life from an early age. Not because of the fact that he was poor, but because he suffered from conditions such a severe myopia since he was a little boy. Apart from that, he contracted syphilis in his youth years because of not being prudent. Not to mention that he got hurt while serving the army in the Prussian war. Anyhow, we may be arrided by the orthodox religious thoughts of the people of the XIX century. Be that as it may, still today, some have strong unreasonable beliefs. In fact, Nietzsche made sure that dichotomy of the definitions of ¨good¨ and ¨bad¨¨ was well explained in his theories. He even  stated that religious fanaticism  was part of his idea of what is bad. Anyway, if I told you to consider Nietzsche´s philosophy, I would not want to be a Dionysian idiot. Rather, I´d like you to be a free thinker and a circumspect explorer. Finally I would say the following: One of the beatitudes of Jesus was this: ¨Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness´ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven¨. What if there was no heaven though?.

Voice Lesson: How To Sing From The Diaphragm (Part 1)

Yesterday, I started taking singing lessons. Even though it is kind of hard to getting used to this course, it is fun. I mean it is the first time I´m actually learning how to read scores. Not only did I passed my first test, but also this class uplifted me a bit. My confidence may have not treble, though I´ll get there soon enough. Besides,  there a lot more to music than I had thought. I am lucky that the course I am taking does not consider extraneous topics. By no means do they wander off the point. Conversely, the staff shows you the ropes from day one. If you knew me, you would not see an overzealous expression in my face right now. However, I am excited about what it is to come. Despite the fact that the setbacks I have to go through regarding this course do not render me in extremis, they are still annoying. For instance, getting to the college in they offer this class is kind of hard. Considering my implacable hatred for Lima´s crappy buses and the fact that the school is a little far. Notwithstanding, that is the price I have to pay if I want to improve my singing skills. Moreover, my classmates have been very supportive. Even though, I am not a student at their college. Anyhow, it seems my needs to learn about classical music have overshadowed my interest in flirting. Be that as it may, I will be back in the game before the cock crows twice tonight. I just hope that after trying to achieve all my plans I do not end up such as an ungainly teenager. Can I be sure about one thing though, all this drudgery will pay off eventually. Anyhow, this particularly punchy style of writing has not let me express more content. For now, I am just going to snip off my worries, and not let anything impede my chances of success.