How to Learn English as a Foreign Language Confidently

How to Learn English as a Foreign Language Confidently General Course Sunday, 22 Septermber 2013

QUESTIONS • Why are you going to learn English as a foreign language? • Why so many learners are suffering from learning English? • How to learn English as a foreign language confidently—independent study concerned? • How to learn English as a foreign language confidently—life-time learning concerned? • Conclusion

1. Why are you going to learn English as a foreign language? For what purpose are you going to learn English as a foreign language? A. Instrumental motivation B. Integrative motivation C. The facts about English

A. Instrumental motivation (1) To get a better job or a promotion. (2) To pass a required examination. (3) To study in an English-speaking country. (4) To present a research paper in an international conference. (5) To help your students learn English well.

B. Integrative motivation (1) To be interested in integrating into the target language group. (2) To know more about the culture of the target language group. (3) To be able to know another quarter of the population in the world.

C. The facts about English I (1) 80% of the world’s electronically stored information is in English. (2) Three-quarters of the world’s mail is written in English. (3) 80% of Internet users communicate in English. (4) English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports, and air-traffic control, international business and technology, diplomacy, sport, international competitions, pop music, and advertising.

C. The facts about English II (5) English has official or special status in at least 75/ 195 countries, with a total population of over 2 billion. (6) English is spoken as a first language by around 345 million, and as a second language by around 300 million people in the world. From the British Council Website English Worldwide

2. Why are so many learners suffering from learning English? A. The different processes in first and second language acquisition. B. The different nature of Indonesia and English. C. The conflict between English learning and expectation. D. The impractical orientation of language learning.

A. The different processes in first and second language acquisition. (1) Exposure time (2) For surviving / as a tool only (3) Effort and effortless (4) First language interferes the acquisition of second language a. Interfered by different sound systems. Tones / stress / ending consonants / intonation b. Interfered by different language functions. Auxiliary / transitive V / adj clause / wh-movement / tense etc. c. Interfered by different usage.

Ex1: The different usage of interrogative sentences 1. Are you a student? 2. Is your father a doctor? 3. Were you there? 4. Was he angry? 5. Do you watch TV everyday? 6. Did you watch the TV program “Sex and the City” last night? 7. Does he walk to school everyday? 8. Have you done your homework? 9. Will you have done your homework by then? 10. Had he been waiting for you long before you met him?

Answers to the usage of tenses • When he came, I was watching TV. • What will you be doing at this time tomorrow? • I’ve been waiting for you about 20 minutes. • When I met her, she had been waiting for you a long time. • When he arrives, we’II have been practicing for two hours. • The children had all gone to bed at nine last night.

B. The different nature of Indonesiae and English. (1) Ideographic language vs. alphabetic language (2) Limited vs. increasing number of the words. E.g. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) (3) Advanced vs. primary

The possibly acceptable translation I asked a boy under the pine tree. He said that his master is going picking up herb medicine. Heis in the mountains. Becausethe mountains are covered under the heavy clouds, He doesn’t know where his master is. (39 words used)

C. The conflict between English learning and expectation (1) Learning English is to pass the exams not to use the language (2) Learning English is a subject not a language parse. (3) Daily language is hard to be learned in a classroom setting and tested. (4) It costs too much to have a test in speaking ability. ＊The following is what you are going to be tested.

PLEASE WAIT BEHINDE WHITE LINE What does this sign mean? A. Stay on the line. B. Drive inside the line. C. Keep the line straight. D. Stand in back of the line • Responsible and friendly high school or college student is needed to baby-sit active five-year-old on weekends. Call 2943-6262 after 6:00 Where might a person see this? A. On a menu. B. On street sign. C. In a newspaper. D. In a telephone book.

In summer it is ______ to stay in my parents’ room because it is air-conditioned. A. comfortable B. gentle C. impossible D. serious • Mother makes me ______ my homework every day before I can play video games. A. finish B. finished C. finishing D. to finish • Elsa: Did Eric buy any vegetables in the market? Bob: No, he didn’t, but he bought ______ fish. A. no B. any C. some D. both • Rose: It’s time to go to bed. You have to get up early tomorrow, ___? Nina: Yes, my class is going hiking tomorrow. A. can’t you B. don’t you C. aren’t you D. haven’t you

Today I met an American on my way home. He asked me some questions in English, but I couldn’t understand him. I was nervous and couldn’t say a word. I felt so depressed. I study English very hard and I usually get the best grades on the English tests. I am always looking for opportunities to practice speaking English. But when the opportunity comes, I can’t do anything. I think I have to study English much harder. • What does depressed mean in the letter? A. Sad. B. Bored. C. Lucky. D. Excited • What can we learn from Amy’s experience? A. It is dangerous to talk to strangers on the streets. B. English is the most difficult subject for most students. C. People who get nervous easily cannot get good grades in English. D. Getting good grades in English does not mean we can use English well.

D. The impractical orientation of language learning (1) The starting age mastery. (2) Language is learned effortless. (3) Picked up vs. learned process. (4) The chagrin of environment

3. How to learn English as a foreign language confidently—independent learning concerned? A. Phonetics, phonology, and phonics B. Syntax: pedagogical grammar C. Usage: habit formation

A. Phonetics, Phonology, and Phonics (1) Phonetics The study of the speech sounds that occur in all human language to represent meanings is called phonetics. (2) Phonology : The study of sound patterns in language or as the sound patterns themselves. (3) Phonics : A method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups, and especially syllables.

4. How to learn English as a foreign language Confidently—life-time learning concerned? A. Attitude—native like is not possible / you are better than the ones you have to talk in their language if only you can communicate with them. E. Jot down what you read and heard and make sure that you understand it well. B. Sticks on a TV program or a movie that you like very much. C. Make the note that keeps the track of the usage of the target language. D. Try to have a pen pal who can not read in Indonesiae to e-mail each other.

5. Conclusion Learning English is like playing a sport, or singing a song. It takes time and effort to achieve the goal. Methods + achievement + tactics + motivation + attitudes + time = success

How to Learn English as a Foreign Language Confidently