Exploring "The Not to Do List for Successful Language Learners" Tip No. 1

I'm a sucker for articles about language learning.  My secret hope is to find some trick to learn a foreign language that doesn't require blood, sweat and tears (not to mention huge chunks of my time, moving to a foreign country, or hiring a live-in foreign national, which my husband would probably applaud if she were young and beautiful). 

So when I saw the following article, I read it immediately instead of relegating it to the read sometime in the future folder. Maybe you would like to take a look at this easy to read article, "The Not to Do List for Successful Language Learners"  by John Fotheringham before we get started.   http://l2mastery.com/blog/linguistics-and-education/methods/not-to-do-list.

First of all, I gave a big fist pump and yelled "Yes!" when I read the article.  Now I want to explore why we are not already following the common sense advice listed, either in language courses or as independent learners. Let's take a memory trip back to your and my attempts at learning a foreign language, using the 10 tips in the article.


1. Do NOT spend more than 5% of your study time on grammar, translation, vocabulary lists or any other overt information about the language.

5%? Not much time to learn all those rules and exceptions to the rule!   The big controversial topic here is grammar.  Translation and extensive bilingual vocabulary lists have pretty much passed out of use (I hope). But the language profession has been waffling for decades about how useful grammar instruction is for learners whose main goal is to speak the language.

What is so seductive about studying the grammar of a language?  I must admit  I am one of those weird persons who likes to know how languages work.  Using my current online French course as an example, am I fascinated by the fact that French has two helping verbs to form the past tense (passé composé), and that each verb has specific rules for its use?  I am, and it gives me great satisfaction to learn those rules and complete a grammar exercise (answers at the bottom of the page upside down) and select all the right answers. I can mark an A+ on my paper. And my ego gets a little boost.  Are you one of those types of language learners also? 

Here is the crux of the matter.  When I am face to face with a fast-talking French Canadian later this year, will I be able to use the correct French past tense form in a timely manner?  Probably not!  "Why not?", you may ask, "Didn't you make an A+ on the grammar exercise about forming past tense verbs in French?"  Well, yes, I did, and I can explain to you (if you have patience and time to listen) that avoir is the helping verb used with most verbs to say a phrase like 'I have read', but that when I use a verb of motion, or a reflexive verb (I'll spare you the digression needed  to explain what a reflexive verb is) être is the only possible correct grammatical choice.   

By the time all of that grammar information filters through my brain, I might be able  to eventually croak out a correct 'Je suis arrivée au Canada hier.' (I arrived in Canada yesterday.) The French speaker would have to live up to the reputation of Canadian politeness not to experience some frustration with the snail's pace of our conversation.  He/she might even regret having asked me the innocent question, "When did you arrive in Canada?"

If you are still with me in this discussion, you may be wondering, "If grammar study and exercises aren't the solution,  then how can I learn to use the two French past tense helping verbs well enough to carry on a decent conversation?"  I would recommend the following:

(1) Listen to French past tense conversations until I notice that two different helping verbs are used.

(2) Hypothesize about the characteristics of verbs that use être or avoir as helping verbs.

(3) Check my hypotheses by listening and reading in French.

(4) Participate in many simple conversations in French about past tense events. 

(5) Realize that I am going to make errors (no A+s here). 

(5) Now check the grammar rules if I want to.  They will make a lot more sense  at this point.

Summary:  Learn grammar by using the language, not by learning about the language.

I'm off the soapbox for today. Thoughts and opinions  are sincerely appreciated.  We'll look at some more tips next week.