We all have had language arts classes. I wonder what are your expectations of a good lesson of foreing languages. What does it make a good lesson?
In my case, I would say the best lessons I had contained a lot of casual conversation. They engaged you in a variety of topics, where you could learn lots language expressions and cultural contents. I also remember they were not grammar focused, we only reviewed bits of grammar but didn't spend the whole session talking about a specific structure, just the necessary depeding on the topic (such as buying food, talking about family members, etc.). So that is pretty much what I would expect.
What about you?
I am totally the opposite. No casual conversation. I am not paying a teacher for small talk. If I want to socialize I go to a bar. I like grammar, I like to analyze things in general, and I think it is useful in language learning. I do not like teachers who cannot answer my grammar questions. Or let us say I really dislike teachers who are not willing even to answer grammar questions, since I know I often have questions for which teachers do not have an answer. I have lesser problems with that. Futhermore if we choose a subject, I want it to be 'hard core'. Like technology or science. How to order a beer.., that I can look up for myself. I am not paying teachers for chit chat, I want to learn a language. Sorry to be hard on you teachers :) , but I am goal oriented, and also really tough towards myself.
If I may add one thing. Most teachers seem to assume that <em>all</em> student hate grammar. I know that most people do not like grammar, but not all people. Especially students who are more attracted to exact science, physics, maths, like to analyze things. Hence they like grammar which is then the analyzation of the language. I like grammar even in Dutch and English, while my language 'gut feeling' is mostly enough to guess what constructions are right or wrong. I know I am a minority in this, but as a teacher, do not assume that your pupil hates grammar.
I agree with all three of the comments above. I would just want them at in different phases of my language learning.
Phase 1- When I am starting to study a language I believe the best classes are conversational.
Teach me how to chit-chat.
Phase 2- As I learn how to converse I enjoy reading novels (and other books)
in order to increase my vocabulary.
Phase 3- Once I have a good grasp on conversing and I have aquired good vocabulary, I go for the grammar.
This is how I learned my mother tongue. It worked once and it continues to work with my other languages :)
My expectation for a good lesson is that after the lesson I grasped 3 new phrases or more.
Thank you for your responses. Well, that is the idea Chris, to discuss about expectations about a good class, I'm sure we all have different ones.
When I say it's not grammar oriented doesn't mean we didn't review grammar. We did, but they would put it in a context (which I think makes it easier to remember). Most teachers who adopt a communicative approach can answer many aspects related to grammar, but they put it in context. It is not about leaving out linguistic aspects (such as grammar or list of vocabulary) but finding a balance between linguistic, sociocultural and pragmatic aspects.
As a student myself, I understand it now. All over school years I learnt the verb to be, prepositions, verbal tenses, and so on. But I wasn't able to communicate effectively. But when I studied at university, the approach was completely different. By discussing a specific functions of language (such as making predictions) we also reviewed linguistic forms (future tense), and that is the charm of it: the balance of all of these aspects. But that is what worked for me, I'm sure we all have different approaches to language learning (thanks to that approach I'm able to write it now).
