Weekly Activity: L1 vs L2 learners 654 by Adrienne Vanthuyne

Weekly Activity: L1 vs L2 learners 654 by Adrienne Vanthuyne https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity Add your groups response to the Padlet en-us 2020-09-11 17:19:07 UTC 2025-11-24 16:26:05 UTC hello@padlet.com aavanthuyne https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/739665233 1.Do you agree with Cook? Do you think there is a role for L1 in the TESOL classroom? Yes or no? Why?

2.Do you believe that native speakers should be the only ones who are able to teach TESOL? Yes / No, why?

3.Would you use one of these strategies in your TESOL class (using L1?) Why or why not?

4.In your opinion, does the use of L1 in a TESOL class interfere with the development of L2?

5.In your opinion, is it necessary to be an 'expert' with a native understanding in the English language of being an English teacher? Is it possible to become an expert?

]]> 2020-09-11 17:19:07 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/739665233 Jiaqi Zhang，Xueqiao（Ashley） Liang &Rui Shang https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753847858 Question 2 ：In our opinions, we don't think that native speakers are the only group of people that able to teach TESOL. Even some people's first language are not English, they still get high level of English certificate. They also get professional training about how to teach students and they have lots of teaching experiences. This group of people are able to teach TESOL . As long as someone is good at teaching TESOL and is professional, it doesn‘t matter that he is L1 or L2. One of my early childhood education classmates. Her first language is Chinese, but she is very good at English grammar and mathematics, so she works part-time as a tutor for elementary school students, receiving their parents' approvals and likes. Parents don' t care if she is a local or not, they just need a skillful and efficient teacher.

On the other hand，L2 learners should be the centre of L2 learning. Teachers that fullfill the purpose of helping students acquire the second language more effectively should be considered an appropriate candidate of the job no matter what background they come from. In fact, L2 learners might benefit more from a non-native speaker teacher because that person has gone through the same learning path and might be able to provide more insight and share experience with the students so that they can avoid the mistakes that once troubled the teacher herself/himself.]]> 2020-09-17 02:33:51 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753847858 Yijing Liang https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753848877 Question 2: I disagree with that only native speakers are able to teach TESOL in the language classroom because language teachers are required to be professional which non-native speakers can also reach the standard at the same time. Also, non-native speakers could have different advantages as language teachers since they are bilingual or multilingual and may have better understanding of different cultural backgrounds.]]> 2020-09-17 02:34:21 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753848877 Chenjia Jiang，Ziyu Wang，Yingyue Zhang，Zhijian Lian https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753852048 Question 4 :
As far as we are concerned, L1 use will probably cause interferences with target language acquisition.

When it comes to sentences making, the translation order of L1 and L2 is different. It may cause the negative transfer. Learners tend to use the first language to contrast to second language. There are not fully corresponding words to explain depending on different cultural background. If we overuse L1, we may not make progress in the process of developing L2.

On the other hand, overusing L1 will inevitably create a counterproductive language environment. The natural way of acquiring a L2 is through direct exposure and experience, not through L1 translation. Moreover, there is a fact that learners have already created their own form of words and sentences producing in the way of pronunciation and intonation during the procedure of acquiring L1. The more they use or listen L1 in a Tesol class, the harder they may find it to switch to speak another language in a proper style.

Question 5:
From our perspectives, an English teacher does not need to be an expert with a native understanding. We think that being a non-native speaker teacher of English as a second language is an asset. Because we have gone through the similar process of learning another language. We can be more equipped to understand what they are going to encounter even if we are not able to be experts with a native understanding.
we can be infinitely close to an expert, but we cannot be one completely.

In addition, we can be infinitely close to an expert, but we cannot be one completely based on the truth that being an expert in a foreign language requires tremendous effort and practice as well as natural environment that allows you to immerse yourself.

]]> 2020-09-17 02:35:52 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753852048 Yueting Hou, Junnan Fan,Yingqi Peng ypeng294 https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753897565 Question 4:
The use of L1 in TESOL classes certainly has impacts on the development of L2, both positively and negatively. On one hand, using L1 for teachers to explain some L2 grammar rules and obscure words which cannot be easily understood through complete L2 conveying reduces students' learning effort and makes it more effective and comprehensible. Using L1 to manage the class and giving instructions to students also makes the activity go easier.

On the other hand, some may also get confused by their subconsciousness in L1 language habits. For example, it may be difficult for a student to pronounce some syllables in L2 if they already formed pronunciation habits in L1, for instance some Cantonese and Japanese can’t use “L” and “R” pronunciation correctly. Moreover, students overuse L1 in Tesol classes may reduce the practice time of L2 with classmates or teachers and waste the Language training opportunity in L2 language study.]]> 2020-09-17 02:59:54 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753897565 Q3. Shannan Sun Yanlin Yang Shifan Du https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753943022 Q3. Shannan Sun Yanlin Yang Shifan Du
Yes.
L2 could be learned efficiently with the help of L1, because for young age students, who barely study L2 before, they can’t understand L2. Therefore it is necessary for teacher to use L1 to give the guidance and instructions to make sure that the class could move on. Otherwise, students can’t learn anything without the clear teaching institutions.
For teaching grammatical rules, it is necessary to use L1 to explain these rules to make students understand. Complex grammer can make students feel confused and most of the students cannot master relative knowledge immediately. And it is the teachers' responsbilities to help them figure it out. If the teacher uses L2 to illustrate these complicated rules, students would not have a good command.
But if L2 learners focused too much on grammar, they might think about how to use the grammar correctly when they speak L2. In this case, their speaking fluency would be affected. In our opinion to avoid grammatical error is good, but do not take it as a very big deal, even native speakers make grammatical errors in conversations.]]> 2020-09-17 03:25:49 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/753943022 Q2. Hongqiu Wei (Yolanda), Jiawei Li (Yoyo), Chunyang Ding (Mint) https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/754378059 2. Do you believe that native speakers should be the only ones who are able to teach TESOL? Yes / No, why?
Our answer is definitely not.

We think that teachers of non-native speakers should also be involved in teaching English. Although the goal of TESOL is to teach English to speakers of other languages, and native speakers maybe a good choice in this process, we still think that since the real teaching purpose is to achieve the communicative functions of the language, the non-native speakers shall also be entitled with the chance of being excellent TESOL teachers

Since languages from different countries are different, English learners of other languages may encounter various problems during their learning, thus they need teachers to give them explicit instructions, convey meaning of something or explain some grammar problems. In that case, maybe the non-native speakers could better understand the students’ real needs and their problems in study thus can propose them with more proper solutions.

There are also several points here.

First of all, we start from our own learning experience. As students from China, English is the second language for us to learn. Most of our English teachers are not native speakers, but many students still have learned it well, which gives us a vivid example that non-native English speakers can be good English teachers.

Secondly, as TESOL is a very popular program provided by many prestigious universities around the world where students with various L1 background are enrolled, it is an acceptance in the academic world that non-native speakers of English are qualified to be TESOL teachers.

Last but not least, although native English speakers have some advantages in teaching English, the non-native speakers do have their own, just as being mentioned in the reading material that “a bilingual is not two monolinguals in one person, L2 users differ from those who use one language in many ways” that a TESOL teacher has the same L1 as the students may better understand the student’s language mechanism and logic so that they can help students to master their pronunciation, vocabulary, grammatical rules, etc. by explaining them in more explicit and effective ways with L1, thus to help students to learn the second language more efficiently.
Therefore, although we are non-native speakers, and no matter we are English teachers now or will become English teachers in the future, we have great confidence to learn English well and to become excellent teachers, which also enables us to be qualified to teach all kinds of knowledge of English to our students well.

]]> 2020-09-17 07:23:34 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/754378059 Q4. Jingyu Zhang, Lei (Flora) Hua, Ying Long https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/758176840 4. In your opinion, does the use of L1 in a TESOL class interfere with the development of L2?

Based on Vivian Cook’s opinion, L2 user’s knowledge of their L1 is not the same as that of monolingual native speakers. Not using the L1 in TESOL classroom can not help students to fit in English class or learning faster, but make the two languages shifting in their minds.
L1 has already helped learners to form the basic cognitive awareness about the world, so it is inevitable to make use of the first language to get to learn some new discipline including L2.
Additionally, Learns are likely to compare L1 with L2 in terms of their forms, pronunciation or sequences of words, which is beneficial for accurately understand L2 and avoid mixing them up when using.
Above all, L1 play an crucial and referential role in leaning second language. It is not totally correct that the use of L1 interfere with the development of L2. If L1 and L2 are both from one language family, they can help each other when learned. For example, if one's first language is French, German, or Spanish, they have something in common with English. Such language learners would be easier to learn and use English. But Chinese is different from English in many aspects, such as grammar, word order, etc. So the use of L1 in a TESOL class influence L2, but not always bad influence. L1 should be reasonably utilized to help learning second language.]]> 2020-09-18 09:34:03 UTC https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/758176840 Q1. Wei Ma, Fanshu Qin, Yichun Li https://padlet.com/aavanthuyne/week2activity/wish/760123331 Question 1:
Yes, especially in Cook's quote, "…a bilingual is not two monolinguals in one person." I think it is difficult for a second language learner to become as proficient in a second language as in their mother tongue. The formation of the mother tongue is closely related to some factors, such as the growth environment, age, cultural background and knowledge, which may also be the factors affecting the acquisition and mastery of the second language. Therefore, I think L2 students should pay more attention to how to use L2 better, instead of forcing themselves to be able to use the second language as native and fluent as the first language. At the same time, as a language teacher, setting the goal of becoming an excellent second language user can make it easier for students to see their periodic problems and strengths in the second language, thus encouraging them to further study.

The role L1 plays in TESOL classroom :
The proper use of L1 in TESOL classroom can make teaching and learning more smooth and effective. Especially for primary L2 learners, they have little basic knowledge of L2 (such as vocabulary, grammar, etc.), and it will be a painful experience if their teachers only use L2 in class. It is necessary to use L2 in TESOL classes, but we can imagine that when students' mastery of L2 is insufficient to support their gain the good understanding of the teaching content, this will greatly reduce the efficiency of teachers in teaching and the accuracy of the knowledge acquired by students. Because they are more likely to guess and imagine what the teacher is saying. Suppose that in the only L2 permitted classroom, the teacher needs to spend more time explaining an activity to ensure that all the students understand what they need to do in the activity. On the other hand, the whole process would be much more time - and labor-saving if the teacher introduced the activity in L1.

By learning L2 with the help of L1, students can also discover the similarities and differences between the two languages and have a deeper understanding of the language. Applying L1 to after-class feedback can help students understand their problems in L2 learning more intuitively, and explain L1 to students in a more understandable way, thus helping them to make progress. For middle - and upper-level second language learners, high frequency use of L2 language teaching can help students develop language sense and accelerate the autonomy of language learning. Therefore, one of the goals of using L1 and L2 in TESOL classrooms should be oriented towards efficiency and student acceptability.

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