Foreign Language Teaching Methods and Practices

Methods of Teaching a Foreign Language

Interlanguage refers to a language that emerges after a second language learner, which often has grammatical features that are not found in either their native language or the acquired language. According to Mahmood and Murad, the observable outputs that emerge as a leaner attempt to produce the targeted language, second language (101). Linguistic variation refers to the use of different linguistic forms on different circumstances and the expression of the same meaning in different forms for different speakers of the same language. Such variation emerges mainly due to the systematic pronunciation, word choice, grammar, and morphology-based on the non-linguistic factors. Such factors include the relationship of the speaker and the hearer, the intentions of the communication, a demographic association that the speakers have, and the production circumstances (Akbari and Razavi 105). Interference refers to the instances of deviation of the norm of the native or secondary language of a speaker that occurs in the course of speech of a bilingual individual due to the familiarity with one language compared to the other. Bilingual speakers result in to use of terminologies or phrases that they are familiar with from either language, notwithstanding their listener’s culture due to the familiarity with either language.

The readings provided to the student are drawn from authentic sources. However, there are minor observable cultural inconsistencies in some of the examples in some of the sources of the readings. To overcome challenges associated with bias, colleagues should be examining their own biases and limit their teaching process to the context. The use of other teaching strategies increases the chances of purveying biases in language that they might be oblivious to and have a negative consequence in the long-term assimilation of the second language (Mahmood and Murad 95). To alleviate this threat, limiting one’s teaching strategies to the learning context makes it possible to change their attitudes and invites the students’ participation from their understanding to contribute from their understanding of the context.

Further, the teacher can observe their areas of automatic bias and assist in changing their attitudes. The use of multiple or integrated forms of teaching a second language would be critical for developing multiple cognitive-linguistic skills.

When selecting authentic materials for the development of reading and listening, the influence of the reading materials on the comprehension skills should be taken into consideration towards the development of language should be taken into consideration. Considering the impact on the student’s comprehension skills impacts the acquisition of saliency and frequency reading processes, the nature of reading difficulties and abilities in second language learning, and strategies in reading (Mahmood and Murad 101).

The metacognitive awareness of the learner in the second language or how the student organizes their learning impacts the role of their first language and the second language at different proficiency levels.

The purveyance of stereotypes of the learner’s culture in the teaching process could cause the priming behavior in the learner’s conduct. For example, the use of negative stereotypes, such as hostility of a certain learner’s culture, could develop aggressive behavior in the student.

The use of media teaching material predicated on stereotypes could also compromise the students’ attitudes limiting their aptitude to learn the new language. Some of the purveyed stereotypes could eventually result in unprecedented results when the learners are convinced some of their stereotypes in language are acceptable across language. However, the norms of the second language users may not correspond to the first language culture, resulting in a culture crush.

Some of the activities that could be used to engage the student in class are reading texts, captioning images, recital of a bilingual dictionary, and group work that would require presentation to the classroom. The reading exercises are critical in helping the students identify tones, establish a cadence, and develop confidence.

The captioning of images audibly would help the students develop cognitive skills and create room for the teacher to correct the students’ areas of logical errors (Chen and Yang 169). The recital of poems enhances the students’ linguistic skills and cultural prowess. Working in groups and presentations for the classroom would also help enhance their conversational skills and confidence.

Reading and listening differ in the cognates employed, reduction and blending of sounds, presence of back-clues, and hesitations and starts. Speech units often are shorter compared to written units. Speech relies more on conjunctions, such as and, bur, or, while writing relies on subordination where the dependent clause is connected to the independent clause by words, such as that, which, or while (Mahmood and Murad 111).

The similarity of reading and writing engages the decoding and language skills to comprehend what is written and express thought, respectively. Writing and speech are productive and active elements of language, while listening is receptive.

Teaching culture presents a challenge in sourcing materials that are relevant to the current since it is dynamic. Teaching culture is exciting; thus, I do not have any reservations. However, if teachers and learners encounter challenges in learning, they can employ cultural materials to facilitate the learning process (Chen and Yang 168).