Well, yes and no. When a child learns one or more of the languages it is surrounded by, they don’t need to be ‘taught’ or think much about it. They ‘acquire’ the language or languages. We have all acquired at least one language this way. Sadly, as we get older, most of us lose the ability to simply ‘acquire’ a language through frequent use alone. Even when moving to another language community, adults don’t necessarily end up speaking the language fluently and accurately if they don’t make a conscious effort to learn the language. They may even end up not understanding it at all, sometimes after years of living in the country!
For adults, a sound understanding of the underlying patterns of a second language goes a long way in using it effectively. The puzzles in the International Linguistics Olympiad are a good way to find out more about the different ways that languages can work.
However, our students will not only learn the rules of the language, such as pronunciation rules or how to build a sentence, they will also observe how language is used in different contexts in the target language community. Awareness of how people communicate, for example how they use formal or less formal language to express their identities and attitudes, helps our students become better communicators themselves, in both their first and their target languages. They learn how to convey messages clearly and to understand the full meaning of what is being said and implied, invaluable skills in everybody’s professional and personal life. That’s why employers love language graduates!
In addition, we encourage our students to reflect on their language learning behaviour, to help them become successful and independent language learners. Our students will become aware of what language strategies suit them and allow them to progress individually.
Back to: Centre for Teaching Excellence in Language Learning
