The Importance of Interaction
in Foreign Language Learning
Damián Francis
Many
foreign language learners usually look for a specific effective formula that
allows them to develop communicative competence in a target language. In fact,
there is none; but some aspects, such as motivation, exposure and interaction help
students to be successful in their attempt to acquire a second language.
According
to Long (1983), interaction aids learners to put in practice all they
have learned by negotiation of meaning. Through interaction, students are able
to monitor their own language knowledge, learn the correct way to say things, and
stimulate their brains to get the habit to operate in the target language.
Many
people fail in their attempt to acquire a language because they use the wrong
strategies to accomplish their goals. Krashen (1981), in his learning-acquisition hypothesis, says that learning a language and acquire it is
not the same. According to him, language acquisition is a natural,
automatic and unconscious process, and language learning is a conscious one in
which learners are aware of their own learning process.
In my
experience as an English language teacher, I have noticed that the most
outstanding students are those who have had more opportunities to interact. When it comes to language acquisition, the
most effective strategies are those oriented to interaction.
Learners acquire a language by speaking; there is no other way to get good
results.
I
usually suggest my students to use the inner voice strategy because it helps
them to exercise their brains, in order to get familiar with the target
language. This kind of strategy gets the learner ready to interact with others.
I also recommend them to support each other during the acquisition process by
interacting in English, not only in the classroom but also out of it. Language learners have a lot of resources
they could take advantage of, but they do not use them. Good examples are the social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and others. Language students spend a long time
interacting in these social media, but they do it in their native language.
As a
conclusion, Interaction is not the formula, but it is the door key of one of
the rooms a foreign language learner must open in order to accomplish
communicative competence in his target language. The more he or she interacts
the better.
References
Brown,
D. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, fifth edition, 2007. Pp. 294).
Krashen, S. Input
Matters in SLA, edition, 2009. Pp. 81).
Retrieved from:
sites.google.com/site/adquisiciondeunasegundalengua/teorías)
Hi
ResponderEliminarLearning and foreign language acquisition comes into play a host of natural elements including those that have already been developed to acquire the mother tongue, such as the construction of logical thinking, development of imagination and creativity; learning that helps restructure the thought contributing to the creation of communication links with the socio-cultural environment the new language.
ResponderEliminarLearning foreign languages as linguistic activity, it includes different spaces production and social interaction in turn implies the presence of growth factors in the domain of cognitive relations and both physiological and psychological aptitudes the person who learns a language.
In these times we have different ways to train in any language because every day is innovated more in the training of students where we can interact with different people, which is very important for each of us and is where it is acquired the greater mastery of the language to learn.
Hi, interesting point of you.
EliminarHi, interesting point of you.
EliminarI agree that we need to utilize the resources that today we have in our hands, such as social networks, news and in any foreign lenga want to acquire.
ResponderEliminarEste comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
EliminarYes, You are right. Try to take into all the resources that allow you to interact in English.
EliminarHello Teacher!
ResponderEliminarI´m agree with you, we need search different kind to learn, we shouldn´t limit with the learning, in my case I like to listen music with lyrics and sing it
Good for you. Listening to music is an excellent strategy to improve your language understanding.
EliminarThis article has so much important because all of us should be practicing the english language as much as we can throught the internet, english books, twitter, facebook or any kind oficina methods that we didn'te usted to have in the past but we have it nowadays and it can help ups to be more fluency in the language
ResponderEliminarHi Teacher, this last comment was send for Rosanna Gomez.
ResponderEliminarThanks a lot.
Yes, you are right. You and your partners should speak English when interacting through social networking.
EliminarHi Teacher, this last comment was send for Rosanna Gomez.
ResponderEliminarThanks a lot.
This article has so much important because all of us should be practicing the english language as much as we can throught the internet, english books, twitter, facebook or any kind oficina methods that we didn'te usted to have in the past but we have it nowadays and it can help ups to be more fluency in the language
ResponderEliminarEstoy de acuerdo con este articulo, ya que la interacción es la clave del aprendizaje.
ResponderEliminarThanks Patricia, but I would like to read your comment in English.
EliminarThanks Patricia, but I would like to read your comment in English.
EliminarEstoy de acuerdo con este articulo, ya que la interacción es la clave del aprendizaje.
ResponderEliminarI agree whit article the interation is the key learning.
ResponderEliminarTeresa Berenice Abud. I agree, the practice is the best way to learn. You can use many means as you mention. For example, I put songs with subtitles in English and listening and reading go to practice well. also on youtube there are many channels of very good teaching.
ResponderEliminarHi Teresa, you are right, the more you practice the bettet.
EliminarHi Teresa, you are right, the more you practice the bettet.
EliminarIf empleran more language in those networks using daily in such networks would learn better. At Dagoberto García
ResponderEliminarHi, Dagoberto, there are a lot of ways for tapping into social networks for interacting in English.
EliminarHi, Dagoberto, there are a lot of ways for tapping into social networks for interacting in English.
EliminarEste comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarExcellent article! I agree! For me, the interaction with other people in other languages is very important, because, in my case, I'm english student, I can read and write in english, but, I can't speak in english very well. My problem is: I don't have frequently interaction in english, with other people, I need improve this part. Sometimes is fear, but, is very important overcome fear if you want learning and practice more and have new opportunities of jobs or move to another city. For me, this article is very interesting and very important for any student of english or another language.
ResponderEliminarBest regards,
Gina Cabrera
Level 5
English Class
Unapec
Excellent article! I agree! For me, the interaction with other people in other languages is very important, because, in my case, I'm english student, I can read and write in english, but, I can't speak in english very well. My problem is: I don't have frequently interaction in english, with other people, I need improve this part. Sometimes is fear, but, is very important overcome fear if you want learning and practice more and have new opportunities of jobs or move to another city. For me, this article is very interesting and very important for any student of english or another language.
ResponderEliminarBest regards,
Gina Cabrera
Level 5
English Class
Unapec
Hi Gina, what you are bringing about now with English language learning is a normal process if you use the correct strategies you will be successful. Remember interaction is one of the keys.
EliminarI am totally agree with you, if we want to learn English, we must use the necessary tools that help us to develop our capacity such as you mention in this article like exposure and keeping the habit for a continous interaction to acquire language knowledge.
ResponderEliminarHowever, It is true that we should make all necessary to put in practice almost all the diferent kinds of suggestions , given in this blog that it can be very helpfuly for us learn the english language by interacting in English, not only in the classroom but also out of it like the social networks such as facebook, twitter, instagram and so many others.
So is very important to us accomplish with tihis important suggestions and hear inner or voices to not fail in our attempts.
Carlos Joaquin Brea
ResponderEliminarThank you for this articule, I Think you are right, one of the most difficult think for english student is the speaking. In my case, I spend some time to study grammar, to do some grammar exercise, how ever I can write and read to much, but is to difficult when I need to speak, because I dont develop the speaking. I think the better way to get a good skills language is to live in the language, watch only english TV, Read a lot in english, and y you can travel to another english country, if not, use the internet, in it you can get different english course and social network to help in our english adquisition.
Hi Carlos. You are right. If you take exposure into account, you will be successful in your attempt to learn how to speak English.
ResponderEliminarHi Carlos. You are right. If you take exposure into account, you will be successful in your attempt to learn how to speak English.
ResponderEliminarI agree with you Damian, i like your articule because i think motivation, exposure and interaction is the form more appropriate for learning other lenguage.
ResponderEliminarWhen learning other lenguage it is necessary practice everyday, you try listen to music, watch TV, read the books, speak with your friend and other things.
The most important is the practice daily.
This article is very important
ResponderEliminarNowadays most students don´t articulate the English and the best way to do that is constantly interacting and putting in practice that you learn every day, such as listen to music, read books in english, practice your level of english with other people and get better grammar.
Good article thank for giving Us the motivation nowadey we the students have to practice more to develop the language you are learning
ResponderEliminarI'll practice in networks , I'll listen to music and see more tv in english. Thanks for this interesting article.
As a teacher i can say that in all our classes we need to have a part for interaction because students enjoy to share their ideas. Interaction make students more receptive during the learning process.
ResponderEliminarTuesday and Thursday 7 to 9 PM
Hi Silvia, You are right. One of the aspects we, as teachers, have to take into account when we plan our lessons is to center the class on our students. The more they practice the better.
ResponderEliminari think it was a great article, and i aggree with the teacher and the diferent opinions that the others autors have, the interaction is the best way to learn a foreign language and i will take the advice of the teacher about using my inner voice.
ResponderEliminarHi Johanny, good for you. Using the inner voice as a learning strategy is amazing.
EliminarEste comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarI agree with the teacher's opinion, the only way to really learn a language is interaction, practice is essential, we do nothing to study all year if we do not practice and the only way to practice is to interact.
ResponderEliminarHello Ana, you are right, one of the key to be successful in second language learning is interaction.
EliminarAre very interesting the strategy explained in this blog about to learn other language. Speack is key, practic is the very importan!
ResponderEliminarIs very important the interaction practice. The article is very good for to learn languages.
ResponderEliminarIs very important the interaction practice. The article is very good for to learn languages.
ResponderEliminarIs very important the interaction practice. The article is very good for to learn languages.
ResponderEliminarHi Carolina, I am happy you liked the article.
EliminarThis article is very interesting and I totally agree, it's not just go to take clases and then go home until the next class to do the same, all the people that are learning a new language must use the interaction way ,beacause is the best way to learn a language.
ResponderEliminarI my opinons interaction is not formula but is one o the most important exercices for you learning and interacts better in English.
ResponderEliminarI improve leaners acquire a language by speaking there in no other way to get good result.
I agree with the opinion of the teacher because the only way to break the barrier or fear is the interaction with the others and we shound use the time in which we live and we have many things our reach that we don't use
ResponderEliminar