Language Skills vs Language Learning Skills

  • 2 replies
  • 2876 views
Language Skills vs Language Learning Skills
« on: January 17, 2018, 04:43:23 PM »
The skills of language: speaking, listening, reading, writing,

But what helps you learn those skills?

Research (afaik) says people who can tolerate ambiguity have an easier time learning to communicate in a foreign language. But described that way, that's an attribute of the person, not a practicable skill. Is there a codifiable list of practices and skills that it would behoove a student to gain if they were interested in gaining language skill.



That's to say, if you were going to run tutorials for language students in which they would practice learning a language, obviously they'd practice the language itself a bit, but they'd also want to practice learning the language too. In that case, what would they practice?
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

*

cruisemonkey

  • *
  • 1265
  • You could be next.
Re: Language Skills vs Language Learning Skills
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2018, 08:24:16 PM »
Using their: mouth, ears, eyes, hands and brain.
The Koreans once gave me five minutes notice - I didn't know what to do with the extra time.

Re: Language Skills vs Language Learning Skills
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2018, 09:51:38 PM »
What I think I'm getting at is second order skills. There are first order skills - the productive and receptive skills. But presumably there are second order skills too - skills whose practice refers to the practice of the first order skills. There is presumably some considerable overlap between these second order skills and the skills any teacher deploys in the teaching of the first order skills.

Mumbo jumbo aside, I'm assuming that the end goal of teaching any subject or practice is to have the student replace the teacher. The student learns how to learn and takes over their own teaching. They become able to learn for themselves.

For knowledge-based subjects, the relevant second order skills would all fall under the loose heading of "critical thinking". Once the student is willing and able to bring to bear "critical thinking" on what they read or hear about some given knowledge subject, they're on their way to being their own teacher, right? But language learning isn't primarily about knowledge (is it?).

So what second order skills apply in the language classroom?


If one knew, one could presumably design effective language learning tutorials.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0