The Failure of Out-dated Teaching Methods
November 2nd, 2005 by MarkOne of the largest failings I see of EFL education in general, including some of the best schools, is the total disregard for modern 2nd language acquisition pedagogy. Linguists have demonstrated time and again that a purely skills-based approach to teaching a second language does not work very well. And yet, a skills based approach is what is practiced in over 99% of all EFL classrooms in Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
Perhaps the most influential L2 acquisition linguist, Stephen D Krashen, has long maintained the importance of massive comprehensible input for language learners. Mountains of research make it quite clear that no matter how many vocabulary words and grammatical structures students of a 2nd language memorize, they will not be able to write well until they have done a considerable amount of reading. Likewise, students will not speak well until they have heard a great deal of the target language. The most important thing, however, is that the input be comprehensible.
In nearly all big EFL cram school chains, native English speakers teach at least half of each class. Students do receive massive amounts of authentic English input. The problem is that far too little of it is understood. In order to be acquired, new vocabulary and grammar structures must be encountered hundreds of times in contexts where they are fully understood. Very few schools will give their students this opportunity. Memorizing and reciting difficult speeches may impress parents, but it does little for the language development of the students. The same problem exists with the reading included in EFL curriculums, if it is included at all. Despite the overwhelming evidence in support of extensive reading, most curriculums focus exclusively on intensive reading.
In most big chains, students receive massive incomprehensible input, and the results are terrible. At the better schools, the students receive a modest amount of comprehensible input, and the results are better. I’m convinced that the results would be far better, if the students had reading homework after every class, starting towards the end of the first year of their study. Ideally, they would have to read a paragragh per class at the beginning, would be reading 20 pages a week by the end of the second year, and 50 pages per week by the time they graduate. Provided the reading material is at a level such that it can be read at good speed without a dictionary, they would receive large amounts of comprehensible input and improve much more quickly.
Fortunately, my boss agrees. I think we have a good chance to make the best English educational program in Taiwan. I’m psyched. My next article will be on extensive reading.
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November 3rd, 2005 at 7:07 am
Great comment over at Fred Shannon’s blog. I’ll poke my nose around here for a bit.
November 3rd, 2005 at 7:45 am
Welcome! I’d love to hear about what you’ve seen of the EFL scene in Korea. Have extensive reading teaching methods made much headway in Korea?
November 3rd, 2005 at 8:59 pm
I wouldn’t be the one to answer that, I’m afraid. Try EFL Geek.
November 5th, 2005 at 8:28 am
Clyde Warden Said:
Reading more–great. But when does it become comprehensible input? If you start early, the students will see it as incomprehensible. As you lower the bar, expectations will lower accordingly. The measure of comprehensible and then progress from there depends on what the ultimate goal is, and since fluency is not the goal, Krashen’s ideas have little place here.
Even if we talk about learning a language for fluency, like Chinese, it is not taught that way, but rather by memorization of words and phrases. Is it any surprise such an approach is preferred for foreign language learning?
November 5th, 2005 at 11:51 am
I don’t suggest “lowering the bar”. I’ll write more about it in another post, but the key thing is to use the students’ time more effectively. I think most language programs veer strongly towards intensive reading. By spending the same amount of time reading extensively instead, the students should not only be more fluent, but also have better vocabulary retention, better reading skills, and a better spontaneous production.
Why isn’t fluency the goal? What is the goal then?
November 7th, 2005 at 11:34 am
Clyde Said:
The goal in Taiwan English training is exams. Schools exams, entrance exams, college transfer exams, standardized testing exams, government exams, employment exams.
This is the driving force behind the existence of this market. Without it, the very few people who were still interested in English classes would do very, very well with increased levels of reading.
Using time more effectively is a truism. However, that does not address the issues surrounding young peoples’ total lack of time to use effectively. My point here is that if fluency is the actual goal, there simply is not any time to obtain it–no matter how efficiently the use of time is. Why is there no time, because of the enormous demands put on young people already for the exam-oriented studies of other subjects, number one of which is Chinese.
November 8th, 2005 at 11:29 am
Mark/Clyde:
You’re both right.
Yes, extensive reading is a great idea.
Yes, as Clyde points out, Taiwan is an exam-based society. Young people are under a temendous amount of pressure at almost all stages of their schooling, and even as they enter the work force, to study for and pass exams.
So what’s the answer - the status quo?
Especially when the Taiwanese Government has indicated that they intend to improve English profiency (as well as other languages)on the island.
Also, I think that with the new TOEFL exam coming out here in April or May, Taiwanese educators and students are going to have to change the way they teach and study English if they expect to do well on the exam.
November 8th, 2005 at 5:25 pm
Clyde Said:
Fred, it will be interesting to see, but my experience with all aspects of Taiwan society is that when the outside standards shift, the solution is to simply choose different standards. The TOEFL standardized exam has been losing ground for years here, and this may be just one more kick while it is down. Never underestimate the ability of this culture to stay the course, no matter what reality it is confronted with.
November 9th, 2005 at 1:30 am
Clyde, I sure hope that doesn’t mean that the GEPT becomes the primary test people study for, but based on what I’m seeing it just may.
November 13th, 2005 at 1:29 pm
Hi Mark, this is your neighbor across the freeway from MDW. I’ve always been an avid language learner, and from my own experience the Pimsleur Method of self-study is by far the most time-effective method of oral/auditory language study. Does that count as ‘massive comprehensible input’?
On another subject, did you spread a rumor that I’d opened a kids’ school in Linkou? Sorry if you didn’t, but if you did please check your facts next time. After teaching kids for 2 years, I now have approximately .01% interest in opening my own kids’ school, whether it’s where the money is or not!
November 13th, 2005 at 7:34 pm
Well, I wrote up my language learning experiences in another post. Do you mind if I ask what languages you’ve learned with the Pimsleur Method? Is there much useful for Chinese there?
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Anonymous, I’m not sure who you are.
No, I didn’t spread any rumor like that. I did hear from one of my friends that Modawei was doing some “market research” about going into Linkou at some point in the future, though. I’m working at a somewhat similar (though rapidly diverging) school in Guishan (near Linkou).
The progress of the students at my school is quite rapid compared to Modawei. I don’t think it would make much sense for Modawei to open a school in the same area, but obviously I hope they don’t. I know for a fact that at this time there is no school of the Tomcat/Cortland/Modawei type in the Linkou/Guishan area at the moment, exect for the one where I work.
November 14th, 2005 at 8:29 pm
Hi again Mark. This is Dan. Sorry - I figured you’d know who it was, as I’m the only current MDW teacher living in the Linkou/Guishan area!
Also sorry to ask you about the rumor. The management came to me asking if I were opening a school out here under the table - which came as quite a surprise to me, considering I’m not!
Anyway, of course I was curious about where this ‘info’ came from, and they were fairly vague, just saying a rumor had been going around. However, later a couple teachers speculated that the source was either you or your significant other.
In any case, I most likely will not be opening ANY kind of kids’ school out there.
I’ve come to realize that I’d much rather be directly responsible to my students as customers — as opposed to their parents!
November 14th, 2005 at 9:58 pm
Dan! You’re accross the highway from me, and you’re from Modawei. Gotcha! I was thinking who the heck do I know who’s across from Modawei, a Heping branch Tomcatter maybe?
No, I didn’t have anything to do with that rumor. In light of all the cloak and dagger secrecy from their management though, I wouldn’t be surprised if people are speculating. Ron said he’ll ring up Frank and see what’s really going on. I don’t really like people assuming I’m a starting unsubstantiated rumors, even if that is what the name of my site implies, lol!
Hey, Dan. I just got a scooter. Is there any place fun in Linkou that’s still open by the time we get out of work?
November 15th, 2005 at 12:17 am
Yes, I realized the double-meaning of that statement (regarding my location) after I’d posted it! hehe…
Regarding fun in Linkou, well frankly not much at night. There are several night markets, depending which night of the week it is… there’s one in Guishan on Wenhua 3 Road on Saturdays, one in Linkou on Wenhua 1 Road on Fridays and Sundays, and probably the biggest is on Wednesdays on Zhong Shan Road right past the Blockbuster Video. As far as bars there’s a little one right behind the big hotpot restaurant on Wenhua 2 Road (Guishan side, near Fu Hsing 1 Road), but that’s about it as far as I know.
Regarding Ron calling Frank, actually I’d really prefer he didn’t (if he already did, well, not much I can do about that I guess). Frank was very embarrassed about the whole thing, and I don’t mean to make a big deal of it.
Actually, if I were management and I’d heard that rumor I’d have to ask too — especially after what happened with that guy Mike — so I don’t blame them at all for asking. I’m just very curious what the source was.
November 16th, 2005 at 12:03 am
BTW, Mark, if you ever need to get in touch, my edress is vaytw@yahoo.com. So far I only know a few Ah-Do-Ah’s out here in the boonies, so if you ever feel like hanging out with me or a whole slew of dogs, drop me a line.
Sorry again about my rather pointed question — I was just dying of curiosity because it was so out of the blue!