Language, Learning, and
Teaching: An Overview
Critique on H.D. Brown’s First Chapter
By Federica Corradini
Pre-Service
Teacher, School of English
Faculty of Social Sciences
Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Post 278
Learning
and teaching a language is a very complex and deep process that involves many
different aspects. When analyzing all the factors that are involved, there are
different characteristics that must be taken into account, for instance social
and psychological background. Moreover, it is primarily necessary to understand
what is meant by language, learning, teaching, and methodology. Before going
further in the world of language learning and teaching, it is also required to
have a broad idea of its development through history. In the first chapter of
his book “Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fourth Edition” (2000),
H. Douglas Brown points out his main ideas about the above mentioned aspects.
As every teacher should consider, learning and teaching a language is not only
a mere process of transmitting and receiving structural information, it is also
a complex web of a whole lot of features.
The author states that it is necessary to consider the
socio-cultural background of learners and teachers, what is wanted to be
taught, how, when, where, and why the teaching-learning process occurs. Mr.
Brown states that it is very difficult to give a strict definition of language,
learning, and teaching, since they are complex processes. He also affirms that
different schools of thought, and methodologies have been developed through the
years, and “Teaching methodology emerged every quarter of a century, with each
new method breaking from the old but […] taking with it some of the positive
aspects of the previous paradigm” (Brown, 2000) .
He finally states that the major goal is to move beyond the teaching of structures
only, in order to reach a more communicative approach. Even the schools of
thought have switched to a superficial, observational analysis to a deeper and
more psychological one. Brown also underlines the fact that each teacher needs
to develop his or her personal and unique approach.
Learning
and teaching a language is a very deep process and for this reason I agree with
the author when he states that it is essential to consider all the aspects that
are involved. People tend to look at language teaching and learning very
superficially; as it is stated by Brown, the development of teaching-learning
procedures goes way beyond the mere application and reception of theories. It
is a matter of fact that people come from different environments, which involve
having different life styles, ambitions, ways of thinking, social positions,
and so on. All of this definitely affects how a language needs to be taught,
and why it is taught. It is also essential to make a distinction between the
acquirement of language as a second, or foreign one. When the circumstances
change, so do the means that are used to achieve certain goals. I also think
that what the author writes about the definition of language is very true: it
is a complex idea, and its functioning must be understood in order to be able
to teach it. Besides this, depending on how a teacher sees the language, he or
she will consequently teach in a certain way.
It is
also for this reason that Brown states that “Truth can be found in any theory” (Brown, 2000) . I partially
disagree with this statement. For sure it would be impossible to achieve
universal theories, methodologies, and approaches since we are all different.
Nevertheless, even if it is not possible to define what is without exception
right or wrong, I personally think that there must be theories and
methodologies that definitely do not work, or that on the other hand absolutely
work. It has to be understood that everyone learns in a different way, and
every teacher and student is unique. Yet, if a methodology does not work with barely
any person, I do not see why it should continue to be used. For example, with
reference to the Grammar Translation Method that is exposed at the end of the
chapter (Brown, 2000) , it is clear that a
language cannot be taught with only grammar and syntax. A learner does not
really learn the language if the only knowledge that he or she has is merely
grammatical. It is necessary to put it into practice, speak, and apply the use
of language itself to meaningful contexts.
As a
conclusion, I would say that this useful introductory chapter (Brown, 2000) gives a clear idea
of what a language teacher should take into account. As it is stated above, it
is essential to understand that teaching and learning a language are complex
mechanisms, and by consequence the issues that derive from these processes must
be acknowledged, in order to make them effective. It is also crucial to avoid a
superficial analysis of the whole teaching-learning process
since, as the reader could notice, what is involved is a series of different
fields: psychology, linguistics, pedagogy, sociocultural aspects of the
environment, different backgrounds, and many more. By taking all these features into account,
the teacher and the learner can achieve much better, and definitely effective
results.
References
Brown, H. D. (2000). Language,
Learning, and Teaching. In H. D. Brown, Principles of Language Learning
and Teaching, Fourth Edition (pp. 1-19). Longman.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
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