1. Language Learning and Language Pedagogy
Every KARTET paper has pedagogy questions in Language I and Language II. They test how children learn a language and how a teacher should teach it. This lesson covers language acquisition theories, the four skills, grammar teaching, remedial teaching and assessment of language.
How children acquire language
- Noam Chomsky: humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), an inborn ability to learn language. He also spoke of a Universal Grammar shared by all languages.
- Behaviourists (Skinner) said language is learned by imitation and reinforcement. Chomsky disagreed, noting that children create sentences they have never heard.
- Vygotsky stressed social interaction. Piaget said language develops along with thinking.
- Acquisition is natural and unconscious, as with the mother tongue. Learning is conscious study of rules, often for a second language.
- Stephen Krashen gave five hypotheses: acquisition-learning, monitor, natural order, input (comprehensible input, 'i + 1') and affective filter (anxiety blocks language acquisition).
- A rich, print-rich and stress-free environment helps language acquisition. Children's home language is a resource, not a barrier (multilingualism as a resource, NCF 2005).
The four skills: LSRW
- Listening and Reading are receptive skills. Speaking and Writing are productive skills.
- The usual order in which the skills develop is Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing.
- Reading for meaning matters more than reading aloud. Skimming is reading quickly for the main idea; scanning is searching for specific information.
- Writing should be a process: plan, draft, revise and edit, not just copying from the board.
- Activities: storytelling, rhymes, role play, discussions, picture reading, reading corners and children's literature.
Grammar, errors and remedial teaching
- Inductive (functional) grammar teaching: give examples in context first, let learners find the rule. Recommended for school learners.
- Deductive grammar teaching: state the rule first, then give examples.
- Methods: Grammar-Translation method (translation and rules), Direct method (only target language, no translation), Communicative Language Teaching (real use and meaning).
- Errors are a natural part of learning and show the learner's current understanding. The teacher should not over-correct in a way that kills confidence.
- Remedial teaching is given after diagnosis, to help learners overcome specific difficulties, using different methods and materials.
- Language assessment should be continuous and test real use of language (speaking, comprehension of unseen texts, creative writing), not just memorised answers.
Quick facts
- Chomsky
- LAD, Universal Grammar
- Krashen
- Comprehensible input i+1, affective filter
- Receptive skills
- Listening, Reading
- Productive skills
- Speaking, Writing
- Skimming
- Main idea quickly
- Scanning
- Specific information
- Inductive grammar
- Examples first, then rule
💡 If a question asks how to teach grammar to young learners, choose the option that teaches grammar in context, through examples and use, not by memorising rules.
📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.
