Category: Language

  • Difference between a First Language and a Second Language

    A first language is the mother tongue or a native language of a person and it always is natural (learning). The First language develops by itself as an inborn instinct. It also develops through the exposure a child gets from his/her kins. It comes as an inheritance or a legacy and also as a birthright. This process of acquiring a first language is usually naturally fast; learning with full proficiency. A child begins to learn its first language which is generally called a telegraphic speech. The first language is subconscious and a natural part of a person’s everyday life.

    Age is the most important factor that makes a child feel that the second language is totally different from the first language. A child who has already acquired full proficiency in its first language is capable of learning a second language. Whereas it is difficult in the case of an adult. A child’s personality does not make much difference in the acquisition of a first language but makes more difference in learning the second language. An introvert personality shows slow progress but an extrovert shows quick progress.

    Culture: The first language seems to be the most important factor in a person’s culture. Whereas the second language does not necessarily be more significant as the former.

    Motivation: Motivation is an important factor for second language learning. Since it is a natural phenomenon it is not much needed for learning a person’s first language.

    Mother Tongue: Mother Tongue is the first language of a person because it does not depend on the structure of the sentence. A first language has its influence on the second language but not vice versa.

    A second language is ‘learned’. It’s the language learnt by a person for easier communication with the native speaker of that particular language. It is also a personal choice taken to be fixed by the person who learns it voluntarily. There are many alternatives to choose a second language as it is ‘learned’ and also as it’s not an ‘acquired’ form of learning. In particular it can be mentioned that learning a second language is never rapid, and varies from language to language and from person to person. Learning a second language needs full efficiency of the first language since it is entirely new to learn and more importantly it could be learning with the influence and help of a person’s mother tongue or a first language.

  • Abbreviations on Language Teaching

    Following are the abbreviations in relation to teaching English Certification Courses and Exams.

    AAAL- American Association for Applied Linguistics

    ACTFL – American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

    AE – American English

    ARELS – Association of Recognised English Language Services

    BAAL – British Association of Applied Linguistics

    BASELT – British Association of State English Language Teaching

    BC-British CouncilBEC – Business English Certificate. The Cambridge Business English Exam certificate

    BrE- British English

    BVT – Bilingual Vocational Training

    CAE – Certificate in Advanced English

    CALI – Computer–Assisted Language Instruction

    CALL – Computer Assisted Language Learning

    CanE – Canadian English

    CAT – Computer Adaptive Testing

    CBT – Computer Based Teaching

    CEELT – Cambridge Examination In English for Language Teachers

    CEIBT – Certificate in English for International Business and Trade for advanced levels

    CPE – Certificate of Proficiency in English

    CELTA – Certificate in English Language Teaching to adults, the Cambridge/RSA Teaching Certificate. Its also known as CTEFLA

    CILT – Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research

    DELTA – Diplomo in English Language Teaching in the Cambridge/RSA Language Teaching Scheme

    DOS – Director of Studies

    DTEFLA – Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language to Adults (replaced by DELTA)

    EAP – English for Academic Purposes

    ECCE – Exam for the Certificate of Competency in English at low levels at Michigan University

    ECPE – Exam for the Certificate of Proficiency in English at the higher level at Michigan University

    ECIS – European Council of International Schools

    EGP-English for General Purposes

    EIP- English as an International Language

    ELICOS – English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students, Australian Government

    ESL – English as a Second Language

    ESOL – English for Speakers of Other Languages

    ESP – English for Specific Purposes (business, tourism, etc)

    ETS – Educational Testing Service

    FCE – First Certificate in English

    GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test, which measures general verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills

    GPA – Grade Point Average

    GRE – Graduate Record Examination, an evaluation test for graduate examination to colleges and universities in the US

    IATEFL – International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

    IELTS – International English Language Testing Systems

    IPA – International Phonetic Association

    JALT – Japan Association for Language Teaching

    K12 – Kindergarten through 12th grade

    KET – Key English Test, the most elementary of Cambridge’s series of exams

    L1- Language 1 or native language

    L2 – Language 2 or the language one in learning

    LEP – Limited English ProficientLL – Language Learning

    MT – Mother Tongue

    MTELP – Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency

    NATECLA – National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults(UK)

    NATESOL – National Association of Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages

    NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English

    NLP – Neuro Linguistic Programming

    NNEST – Non-Native English Speaking Teacher

    NNL- Non-Native LanguageOE – Old English

    OED – Oxford English Dictionary

    PET – Preliminary English Test, the second of Cambridge’s series of exams

    RP – Received Pronunciation, the “standard “ British pronounciation RSA/Cambridge

    D – TEFLA- Diploma of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, the advanced qualification for EFL teachers who have already completed the C- TEFLA

    SAE – Standard American English

    SAT – Scholastic Assessment (Aptitude) Test, a pre-university entrance exam in the USA

    TEFL – Teaching English as Foreign LanguageTEFLA – Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults

    TEIL – Teaching English as a Second Language

    TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

    TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, the most common English Proficiency exam for North American Universities and Colleges

    TOEIC – Test of English for International Communication

    VE – Vocational English

    VESL – Vocational English as a Second Language

    YLE – Young Learners English Tests, the Cambridge Examinations for young learners

  • English Language

    English language came in to many countries during the time of British rule. It is universally used for economic reasons.

    There are certain features lying outside the language which helped become English, an international language. One major reason is its wider vocabulary, borrowed from many other languages. And the other reason is by making itself flexible to taking in the rules of grammar, spelling, pronunciation and so on. There are words (phonemes) which read alike but differ in their meanings. Though the English grammatical elements like verbs and adjectives are similar to other absorbed languages, it possesses it’s own grammatical patterns. And hence, the English language differs from other languages and dialects. It came into many countries through colonisation, purely due to political reasons. The colonised people gradually learned English and also the English culture. Not only were they taught the English culture, but also their religion, science which influenced many people.This helped them to retaliate against the colonisers and grab their country back.

    Later on, English found its own place as an official language and acquired its own place universally. Two major aspects considered essential were communication and cultural and ideological perceptions. People allow themselves to be influenced by any other language either by curiosity or for their own needs. Hence, they try to deliberately take in a lot of such perceptions and also change their way of thinking; thereby making compromises in their expressions and learning to think in a foreign language. In a way, to be exposed to English and to be convinced about their culture and so on. This for instance happens when a person stays abroad for several years.

    For instance, an English teacher in India has to adopt a strategy to teach that language. In general, the students must be taught about the necessity of learning English. This may prevent them from being drifted away from class when they are taught a language which is not native to them. The major differences lie not in the words the teachers use, but in structures and syntactic patterns, creating fear in learning a language. Hence, the English teachers rely on their own mother tongues in helping them understand the complex structures. They move on from the familiar to the unfamiliar. This use of strategy gradually brought in an understanding of the English language by its speakers other lands.

  • Methods of Teaching English

    The method of teaching English as a second language includes all the four important components – selection, grading, presentation and reputation. The four main methods of teaching English are as under 

    •  The Grammar – Translation method: This method is also known as a classical method which envisages a distinctive treatment of the language —grammatical explanation and translation of a language pattern. Here, the mother tongue becomes the medium of instruction of teaching English. The students are required to memorise the rules of grammar and translate passages from mother tongue into English and vice versa. It is believed that the foreign language forces to acquire the rules of grammar. This method begins with the definitions of parts of speech and memorisation of grammar rules, meaning of new words phrases and sentences.
    • The Direct Method: This is also known as a ‘Natural Method’ or the ‘Mother’s Method’ based on the philosophy of fluency in reading and facility in writing, with fluency in speech. The central idea of the direct method is not to use the mother tongue. But it is the association of words and sentences with their meaning through demonstration, dramatisation and such other means. It enables the pupils to establish a bond between a word and an idea and think in English.
    • Bilingual Method of Teaching: The use of mother tongue is allowed to certain extent but strictly controlled and limited to concept translation procedure of this method. Here, situations are vital. The focus is on the early stages, on oral or conversational proficiency. Imitation and interpretation of a basic foreign language is done along with first language questions – answers and conversation. It ensures accuracy, fluency and saves time and cost.
    • West’s New Method:  This method is named after its invention by M.P.West. It was based on two important considerations – English should be studied from utilitarian point of view and as a means of international understanding. He believes that students should emphasise on developing reading ability and must have a control over vocabulary

  • ELT – Definitions, Methodology

    What is ELT?

    ELT is the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. It is the teaching of English to people whose first language is not English.

    ELT is the abbreviation for English Language Teaching. It refers to the activity and industry of teaching English to the non-native speakers.

    Reasons why learning English is so important

    English is the only language or even more, the only language used in all our walks of life. It

    1. Increases the chances of getting a good job in a MNCs or abroad.
    2. The only source of international communication
    3. The media
    4. A global language for internet
    5. For socialisation

    History and it’s Development

    New learning of theories, approaches and methods of teaching made it necessary for framing the target learning techniques. In 1970 it was renamed as (TESL) Teaching English as Second Language. The acronym came into being after the publication of the British Council journal, ‘English Language Teaching’ in 1946 . (https://shodhganga.inflibnet) 

    ELT Methodology                                                                                     Generally, a methodology is a system of practices and procedures that a teacher uses to teach. Briefly speaking the clear methodologies are :

    1. The Grammar Translation Method.
    2. The Audiolingual Method and
    3. The Direct Method

    These methods are associated with the practices and procedures associated with it and every method is based on differentiations, namely the interpretations of the nature of language and language learning.

    Methodology simply refers to more than a simple set of methods. In Language Teaching, methodology means the science of teaching practices (pedagogical) in general, including theoretical implications and searches related to it. It also implies what is involved in how to teach.

    Difference between Method and Methodology in Teaching 

    A method is a particular way of approaching or doing something in a skillful way or particularly a systematic or established way to do something with a definite plan.

    A methodology is a system of employing a series of methods in a particular area or a study or an activity. This is employed only in teaching. It is system of practices and procedures where a teacher uses to teach. It varies from a range of factors like deciding on how to teach, understanding well or bearing in mind the learner’s caliber, ability to understand, the goals and objectives of the lesson, how the outcome would be and various resources employed in teaching.

    Emphasis is laid on giving a number of examples in language teaching. Situational examples are more appropriate in a class room. Teaching of science implies various experiments and demonstrations