Learning language is such an important part of human living that young children are able to communicate at a young age. Indeed, in multilingual nations children as young as elementary school entry level are fluent in two or three languages. The fact that children learn languages almost effortlessly is in sharp contrast with the difficulty with which students learn a foreign language, even at a tertiary level. In some cases, students perform poorly in foreign languages and have to reseat tests repeatedly in spite of their best efforts. Perhaps the process of teaching foreign languages can gain insight from the process through which little children learn languages. In most cases, children learn languages passively by listening and practicing, even as they learn about the world around them. By comparison, in my foreign language classes I have sat focused on formal training using textbooks and lectures. Based on those experiences, it is my informed opinion that the teaching of foreign languages would be more effective if undertaken passively through practice and role-playing as opposed to the use of textbooks and lectures.
For clarity, I am not opposed to traditional modes of teaching in a formal setting, including lectures and focus on textbooks and notes. I believe this mode of teaching is effective in some theoretical subject niches. However, even in the traditional setting, practical teaching has been part of the curriculum in practical areas of study such as engineering and medicine. Similarly, language is a practical area of studying as its use includes speaking, listening and writing. Therefore, just as with other practical subjects, there should be a focus on practice-related approaches in foreign languages.
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However, based on my experience in learning foreign languages at the university lesson, foreign language instructors overly rely on textbooks and lectures. Due to this theory-based approach, the class, including myself struggled with mastering foreign languages in spite of our best efforts. Nevertheless, I remember an earlier class where the teacher adopted practical approaches. For example, in one lesson, the teacher adopted the flipped classroom model. In our private time, we undertook the theoretical part of the lesson. During class hours, we only practiced by speaking to one another and the teacher, using the foreign language based on the consents of that day's lesson. Similarly, the teacher asked us to create role-playing scenarios that would enable us to practice using the foreign language. These were among the most productive foreign language classes I have ever attended. I do believe that using the same practical approach, training of foreign language at the university level would be more effective.
Further, learning a foreign language goes beyond the ability to read and write the language itself. According to Sui & Gu (2018), learning a foreign language includes the ability to effectively communicate in that language. Normally, communication includes non-verbal elements such as body language and cadences. Communication also involves the ability to communicate sociable, such as understanding social cues practices by the people who speak a certain language. For example, Sui & Gu (2018), reports on a research about training Chinese nationals to speak the English language. According to the article Sui & Gu (2018), instructors train students on the contents of the English language, such as gramma or vocabulary, and how to communicate in the English language. Learning how to communicate should include watching other people communicating in the language, more so native speakers, and practicing how to speak the language. A practical lesson can include watching a play by native speakers of the language followed by students reciting in the play as a form of practice.
Roleplaying is another important approach for the practical teaching of foreign languages. Under roleplaying, the lesson will involve short skits where students will play active roles as members of a community that only speaks the foreign language on focus. For example, one student will act as a doctor while another student will act as a patient. After the skit, the class can discuss the performance of the skit and use it to improve their skill in foreign languages. Available research-based evidence showed that when teaching a foreign language, a practical roleplaying approach is more effective than the traditional lecture-based approach. The article by Krebt (2017) reports in primary research undertaken to assess the effectiveness of roleplaying as a tool for teaching a foreign language. Two randomly selected groups of students undertook tests at the beginning of the study to assess language proficiency. One group continued to train using traditional approaches for 20 days while the other group focused on roleplaying. At the end of the 20 days, a second test revealed that the roleplaying group was more proficient in the foreign language that the second group.
The reflection and research-based analysis above both support the argument that teaching foreign languages is easier when undertaken using practical approaches. Theory is an important component of language learning and cannot be eliminated from study. However, through innovative teaching approaches such as the flipped classroom model, the students can study the theoretical aspects of the study on their own. I believe that being able to communicate effectively in the language is the most preferred outcome of learning a language. Just as with the first language, being able to communicate makes it easier to learn technical issues such as grammar, punctuation, phonetics and diphthongs. Therefore, my recommendation for teaching foreign language should be for instructors to focus less on textbooks and lectures and more on practical lessons. Activities such as roleplaying and skits would make it easier and more enjoyable for students to learn foreign languages.
References
Krebt, D. M. (2017). The effectiveness of role-play techniques in teaching speaking for EFL college students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research , 8 (5), 863-870.
Sui, D., & Gu, J. (2018, July). Study on Teachers’ New Roles in the Practice of College Foreign Language Layering Teaching from the Perspective of Effective Teaching. In 3rd International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2018) . Atlantis Press.
