Dr. Diane Larsen-Freeman is a professor of education and director of the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is also Distinguished Senior Faculty Fellow at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. She has spoken and published widely on the topics of teacher education, second language acquisition, English grammar, and language teaching methodology. In 1997, Dr. Larsen-Freeman was inducted into the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1999, she was named an ESL pioneers by ESL Magazine. In 2000, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
Enter the site below and listen to Diane Larsen-Freeman.
Using a combination of lecture and experiential exercises, ESL education specialist Diane Larsen-Freeman traces the evolution of language teaching methods over the past 60 years, discussing how each evolutionary phase has contributed to a more "whole-person" view of language learners. Larsen-Freeman suggests that when educators treat language as a closed, static system, they create a critical barrier to student empowerment. When language is instead seen as the complex, dynamic system, teachers are able to help their students transform their linguistic world, not merely conform to it. Larsen-Freeman illustrates how this shift in understanding has implications for what and how teachers teach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na5lzXZKEV0&feature=related
Enter the site below and listen to Diane Larsen-Freeman.
Using a combination of lecture and experiential exercises, ESL education specialist Diane Larsen-Freeman traces the evolution of language teaching methods over the past 60 years, discussing how each evolutionary phase has contributed to a more "whole-person" view of language learners. Larsen-Freeman suggests that when educators treat language as a closed, static system, they create a critical barrier to student empowerment. When language is instead seen as the complex, dynamic system, teachers are able to help their students transform their linguistic world, not merely conform to it. Larsen-Freeman illustrates how this shift in understanding has implications for what and how teachers teach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na5lzXZKEV0&feature=related
Post a personal reaction to Dr. Larsen Freeman’s explanation.
- What are some of the issues raised by Dr. Larsen Freeman?
- What are the benefits of using a method according to Dr. Larsen Freeman?
7 comentarios:
Mariel Dominguez said:
I think Diane Larsen-Freeman gives an excellent explanation about second language learning methods in this video. It can be observed from her speech that she knows a lot about teaching a second language; and most importantly, she knows very well how to transmit her knowledge. I liked the way (the inductive method) in which she teaches the audience the different methods of second language learning. In addition, I really admired Diane Larsen-Freeman’s ability to hold people’s attention during her whole discourse. I’m convinced that the best way to keep people’s attention on what you are trying to say or to teach them is to make them participate and be part of your activity; just as Mrs. Larsen-Freeman does in this video. On the contrary, if your students or audience in this case, are merely passive receptors of what you are saying, they get bored, uninterested and you lose their attention in the first fifteen minutes of your speech.
Another important aspect of Mrs. Larsen-Freeman that I liked a lot is her attitude regarding the members of the audience’s opinions and beliefs about language. She listens to her audience’s responses to her questions and accepts them without any objection but respect. As she clearly expresses on her speech, there are no “right answers” about the superiority of one method in relation to the other ones. I liked when she says: “Each person has to come in contact with the ideas by themselves and decide what makes sense to them”.
Mariel Dominguez.-
In my opinion, her views on language teaching and learning are very interesting and enlightening. I personally agree with her in that imposed methods can’t fit all kinds of learners, making it necessary to be eclectic in the construction of a teaching method, but bearing always a coherent principle for the selection of teaching and learning experiences we make. I also think that language teaching should be learners centered, allowing them to make use of their different combination of intelligences in the acquisition of the language, enabling them to be cooperative and use the strategies that are more suitable for their successful grasping of the language as the dynamic system it is.
I also loved the way in which she presents the different approaches to language teaching. As she said, coming in contact with these methods can help us clarify our own ideas, based on our own experience and beliefs. They challenge us to think in new ways and give us new techniques with which to experiment.
Regarding the different methods as theories to hold on to in order to elaborate our own approach as teachers is very inspiring and encouraging.
I have found this video, which I think is a nice summary of what we have seen as regards Dr. Freeman's view on teaching methods. Hope you find it useful!
http://wn.com/Diane_Larsen-Freeman_on_Techniques_Principles_in_Language_Teaching_3rd_ed
Candice
1-Diane Larsen-Freeman refers to language as a dynamic system rather than something fixed and close. Teachers have to teach students to adapt to different situations. They must treat language are something flexible.
In addition, according to Diane Larsen-Freeman, there is no a “perfect language”. She expresses that there are no totally right or totally wrong answers in a language. Each person (each speaker-learner) has to come in contact with the ideas by themselves and decide what makes sense to them.
In the video, Diane Larsen-Freeman also offers an analysis of the evolution of language teaching methods over the past 60 years. She presents six methods for the learning of a second language and makes it very clear that methodologies should be used in connection with each other, and for different types of learners. The methods presented in the video are:
- Grammar-translation Method.
- Audio-Lingual Method.
- Cognitive Code.
- Comprehension Approach.
- Communicative Approach.
- Content/Task Based Approaches.
Each method is presented inductively (by Diane Larsen-Freeman teaching the numbers in a foreign language through the different methods) and then the rules and theory are provided to the learners. The most important aspects of the approaches which are analyzed by Mrs. Larsen-Freeman are conception of language, way of learning, learner’s role, teacher’s role and techniques.
2-According to Diane Larsen-Freeman, the benefit of using a method is that methods give teachers new techniques with which to experiment. She also says that teachers must have the capacity of extracting the most useful aspects of different methods and use them in combination taking into account the type of learner his/her students are.
1.What are some of the issues raised by Dr. Larsen Freeman?
the need to consider a range of methods in language teaching
how methods continue to evolve
the importance of a coherent method in the teacher’s practice
the role of the language learner in the language learning process
the out-of-date view of language
2.What are the benefits of using a method according to Dr. Larsen Freeman?
The chronology in language teaching methods has re-shaped the understanding of the language learner’s role, as with each method we are introduced to a different facet of the language learner.
Methods can be used as a reference for teachers to choose their own approach to language teaching, as they challenge teachers to think in new ways and give them new techniques with which to experiment.
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