English teachers have tons of information to cover in their classes: everything from basic sentence structure and grammar to literature and poetry is expected. With everything else that needs to be covered in the roughly one hour allotted daily, what should English teachers be teaching about language and about the English language specifically?
I think one of the most useful things that teachers can easily address is where the English language comes from. The words used in English come from all over the world and many other languages. Just a basic knowledge of root words, suffixes and prefixes can improve one's vocabulary. Understanding not only what the root words mean but also where they originate from can help a person understand very basic words and phrases in languages other than their own. As we discussed in class, many of us here in the United States have very little ability to speak any language other than English, while most of the rest of the world has a grasp on at least two languages. Simply knowing the break down of words, what those mean, and where they come from can allow English speakers to stumble through other languages. It may even make learning a second language easier, especially in adulthood.
In your typical high school English class, "text-book" English and English grammar are taught, but how effective is that when the students, and likely the teacher as well, speak some dialect (depending on region, race, class, etc.) that incorporates many words, phrases, and sounds that differ from English? "Textbook" English is usually very different from both the vernacular English and from many written works that are used in class, for example, William Shakespeare's work. Teachers would be wise to discuss these differences and nuances of the English language to give students an understanding of why one language can be so different in so many ways. To promote thinking of why one region uses words differently than another or how language has evolved from what it was in Shakespeare's time to what it is today would be a good idea.
I do not know much about other languages, but I would imagine that many languages share similar struggles and changes to the English language.
I agree with your stance on the importance of teaching students where there language comes from for a few reasons. As a start it helps spark interest in the topic of English, by helping students understand why things are how they are in writing and speaking, it makes the topic more accessible and easier to understand. It is also very important for the student's future. K12 English classes could be the last study of English that they have, and they will need to use their knowledge to be successful. I personally think these traditional teachings are lacking from many curriculums after working a couple of jobs after college, including at a newspaper, and being confronted with a glaring lack of grammatical understanding and some serious spelling problems. For these reasons I agree with you that a fuller exploration of English in classes is important, including practicing the lessons verbally, as it helps to make the fundamentals more concrete in a student's mind for life.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you are trying to convey here in your blog. I think that English teachers have a lot on their plate and I can 't help but wonder what exactly constitutes as English? Is it the sentence structure? Is it poetry? Is it Shakespeare? I don't think we can put a definitive answer on what is classified as English. Is it American? Or is British "english" the English we are supposed to be teaching in our classrooms? I know I just posted a lot of questions but it makes you think right?
ReplyDeleteI have also been thinking about that fact that most of us here in the U.S. don't know more than one language. When I was in South Africa, most of the people I met knew more than one language, some knew several. A 16-year-old girl a worked with was fluent in five languages. When it comes down to it, I guess in a way we should be thankful that the language we know just so happens to be used in most of the world. I have never tried to learn a different language (although I would love to and am ashamed I never have) but I know that it would be extremely difficult. I have also heard that English is one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, languages to learn. We're just lucky that it's our first, not to mention only, language.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your point about teaching students suffixes, prefixes, etc. This thought did not cross my mind while I was typing my own thoughts on English teacher duties. I agree that knowing the basic history/formation of English is essential. This knowledge helps build vocabulary and can assist in reading by helping students discover meaning for words they did not previously know through their knowledge of English word origins. Good point!
ReplyDelete