Pragmatic Problems in TESL

[white camellia]

Some problems concerning the teaching of English

as a second language

1. Students may know the literal meaning of a word or of a sentence but that understanding is of little use to culture-loaded communication as they would make a lot of pragmatic mistakes. (e.g. A Japanese student, who was taken as an attacker, got killed on Hallowe'en when he mistakenly visited a house with his mask and went on moving forward as he failed to understand the warning 'Freeze!' from the host with a gun - the student only knew what 'stop' means, not 'freeze'.)

2. What the students read from textbooks may be out-dated, which is of little use in practice where contemporary communication takes place.

3. The students may have no idea whether their style of writing or saying appears properly with regard to the situation.

4. To what extent (and how) it is appropriate for the students, with regard to applying this language, to conform their mind and manners to that of those whose first language is English.

[byquist]

Idioms are a fascinating study in English, and they say they are in all languages. There is a poem on the internet here if you google: English Asylum for the Verbally Insane

I think by working with students where they are, and appreciating their efforts, be they accurate or atrocious, is a fruitful method. Also, having humor about making mistakes can help. It is often very difficult to re-train grammar patterns and spellings that have been etched into the thought-patterns of students, both English as well as foreign students. For some students it appears almost impossible.

For desperate cases, I recommend that you have them get so basic that they write over a properly spelled sentence 7-10 times, or 100 times if necessary, until they yield to the proper spelling of "their or there or they're," if you know what I am talking about.