METHODS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

There are many methods of teaching languages. Some of them are used in schools nowadays, other are not used now, other are only used with some specific things and in other cases teachers use more than one method at the same time.


These are the most important methods when teaching a foreign language in our schools:

- The grammar translation method
- The direct method
- The audio-lingual method
- Communicative language teaching


I have to say that the most common method used in our school is the communicative language teaching method.

WHY, HOW and WHEN CHILDREN SHOULD START TO LEARN A SECOND LANGUAGE

It is very dificult to say why, how and when children should start acquiring a second language. After reading different information about this topic, I think that for children is better if they start learning a new langauge in the early stages of learning process. The earliest they start the easier it is going to be learn it. In the society we life nowadays it is neccesary to know more than just one language in order to be able to interact with different people. For that reason children should start learning it as earlier as the can to become good speakers.
Languages are tougth to children using different programs (flex, fles & inmersion) and each of them are used depending on what you want to teach, in what way.
Parents sometimes think that learn a new language can interfere in the learning process of their mother tongue, but in my opinion learning a new language enrich the mother tongue of the children.

If you want to konw more about this topic that I think is very interesting have a look at this page

Another article about this topic: http://www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/mother.htm

EARLY LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

This is more or less the sumary of the process of early language acquisiton

FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

In my opinion, it is essential to teach a new language with a cultural background in order to learn the foreign language as a whole. What do you think about it? are you agree?

In foreign language learning we can find a lot of components, like grammatical competence, communicative competence, language proficiency, as well as a change attitudes towards different cultures. Foreign language leraning have to be also foreign culture learning, and, culture in my point of view, need totake part in the learning process and teachers should teach it in the foreign language classroom.


If you what to know about some tips for teaching kids a foreign language have a look at this video. http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=yPb6igB9iMc

TEACHING READING FOR AN EARLY AGE

Jakin nahi baduzue zelan irakatzi irakurtzen ume txikiei bideo hau ikusi. Ingelesez dago baina oso interesgarria da beraz, ikustea pena merezi du : http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=PBdkADXsan8

BECOMING BILINGUAL: FIRST AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Nowadays all the chidren and adults also are bilingual, and in our case most of us trilinguals. Children acquire the fists language at the early stages of they live. Some of them also acquire the second language at the same time of the fists one, while others acquire it when they start school. There are many difference between children that acquire the first and the second language at the same time and with children that acquire it later. When children aquire the second langue some stages take part in it.

There is a good article about the opinion of Tabor and Snow that expain all about the process of the second language acquisition that is very good. If you want to look at it go to this page: http://www.headstartinfo.org/English_lang_learners_tkit/Bilingual.htm

I also found a good video about the opinios of some parets about this process. I recomend you to have a look at it because is interesting to enrich our knowledge as future teachers: http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=kOxBc-LdrKI

If you want to know how to make the first language acquisition more interesting and entertaining for kids go to this page: http://www.spanishworkshopforchildren.com/immersion/method.htm

THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Teach a new language like learning it is a hard-work for teachers and students. Learn a new language is not only be able to communicate in that language. To learn it as a whole more important that teach just the langue is to teach the culture of that. For children is important to know how people of that country
address people, express gratitude, make requests, and agree or disagree with someone. When the learn this kind of thing the not get lost when speaking with native people.
Studying the language, children have to gain a knowledge and understanding of the culture of that langue and this is a work that in my oppinion good teacher should have to do. As we are going to be teachers I think that we need to be aware that children learn easier a language if they learn also the behaviour code of that new language. It is important also to include culture in the foreign language curriculum, because it helps avoid the stereotypes. It gives students to take control of their own learning process.