Benefits of Successfully Learning a New Language, Essay Example

Introduction

How does teacher-student relationship affect the process of learning a new language? As mentioned by Steve Kaufman in his video on Grammar Based vs. Natural Language Learning issues of properly learning language confronts students at present. Language, as defined is an element that binds a community together. It serves as an identity that makes it easier for a person to be noted to belong to a specific community. In the light of the incoming impact of globalization, language has become an indicator of sure success not only for communities and nations but also for individuals aiming to secure a life that would suffice their desire for survival in a world full of challenges and opportunities that could define their being. Learning a new language is a challenge that gives one the opportunity to grow and reap the fruitage of his effort through entering a world full of huge possibilities that could change the lives of individuals fully. However, learning a new language is a step-by-step process that must be given proper regard and a specific span of time that would allow one to immerse into the learning. The fact is that with the uniqueness that every person is noted for, different ways of learning have also been developed to make sure that language acquisition becomes a source of confidence and not just a form of pressure that places learners in a frustrating condition. These solutions however have been developed to respond to certain issues that confront language learners. The discussion within the context of this written synthesis shall try to utilize four different sources and collaboratively understand the condition by which learner and teacher relationships primarily affect the learning process of students aiming to acquire a new language.

The Issues

According to the study of Brian MacWhinney of Carnegie University, there are two particular problems in the process of acquiring language in the face of new age development. One is that of the established process of learning the language [the teaching aspect] and another is the personal motivation for learning that the students have in relation to the need of being acquainted with the said form of speech. According to Steve Kaufamn’s video, these two specific issues even branches out to different points of attention that language learners and teachers should give specific consideration to accordingly. MacWhinney further points out that the desire to express one’s self is the basic source of foundation for motivation. This condition is what learners would best be able to use especially in relation to creating a strong self-motivation that would improve one’s condition of learning a new language.

Another question to respond to is related to what specific form of teaching would be able to help the students generally acquire the new language they hope to use for speech? While there has already been several procedures of teaching language that were considered effective in the past, the changes in the society renders the approaches quite unfitting to the adjusted needs and behavior of learners today. Bell Hooks specifically mentions in her writing that unlike before, learners today are learning not for the fulfillment of their personal desire, but to give way to the expectations that are placed upon their shoulders (297). This then makes learning more of a pressure than a relief towards the completion and fulfillment of a dream. As a result to this, teachers become accustomed to the students’ attitude and thus specifically turn into a fully structured way of teaching that at some point, they lose sight of what and why they are teaching their students already (Hooks, 298). Notably, the attitudinal distinction of learning between teachers and students creates a chain reaction that if it is negatively aligned to behavior of compliance then learning becomes a drag. This is the reason why in dealing with the issues of learning and teaching, it is the behavior of the individuals involved that should be carried into consideration.

Possible Solutions

Behavioral conditioning is what makes learning more effective and more reflective of the efforts that both teachers and students put into the matter (Matsuda, et al, 371). In language, may it be teaching verbal or written speech; what makes a difference in the process is the mind-set of both the teachers and the students on the process that is to be undertaken. In the written research of Marcus (1992), one specific aspect of learning that makes language acquisition negatively defined by both teachers and learners is that it pressurizes both parties in getting everything perfect and mastered within a specific span of time as defined by the curriculum (55). Thus removing such negative implication is expected to increase the capacity of the learners to embraces the teachings and make a distinctive reform on how they accept the lessons as forms of personal advancement than simply a source of added pressure.

Learner and teacher motivation are two separate branches of the matter that are expected to work hand-in-hand to create a chain reaction that improves the process of language acquisition as a whole. In this regard, learning is expected to take an improved pattern that is based upon behavioral conditioning which would influence learners not only during the process of studying but also all throughout the process of immersing themselves into the conversational process of utilizing the language in practical communication. It must be remembered that learning a second language goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. It goes beyond the teaching patterns that instructors take into consideration during the learning process. Its application in the actual world naturally makes it convincing that learning a second language makes a respective impact on how an individual realizes the worth of a second language towards his personal being and the professional course of work that he takes into consideration to define him as a person.

Conclusions

As noted from the discussion presented in this paper, teacher-student relationships imply a great impact on the learning process of international students hoping to acquire a second language as a form of their speech. A crucial part of these relationships is that of the separate motivation of teachers and students towards learning a new language.  Teaching procedures contribute a lot on how such learning impacts that student as a whole. The condition of behavior that the learner has towards the process makes it easier for him to become more acquainted with the language thus allowing him to use the said form of speech in practical forms of communication and conversation. Overall, it has been shown here that a change of attitude on the part of the learners and the teachers could resolve the issue of imbalanced results that have been causing professional and personal learners of second language at present.

References:

Hooks, B. From Teaching to Transgress: Education as the practice of freedom.

Kaufman, S. Grammar Based vs. Natural Language Learning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tl26pVX5w4&feature=relmfu. (October 28, 2012).

Matsuda, A and Matsuda, PK. World Englishes and Teaching of Writing.

Marcus, G.F. (1992). Negative evidence in language acquisition. Cognition. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. http://www.denizyuret.com/ref/marcus_gf/marcus93.pdf. (Retrieved on October 27, 2012).

MacWhinney, B. (2010). Rethinking the Logical Problem of Language Acquisition. http://www2.uni-wuppertal.de/FB4/anglistik/multhaup/methods_elt/pdf_files/MacWhinney_Rethinking_Logical_Problem.pdf.  (Retrieved on October 27, 2012).