Reading, Writing, and History

[pameladlloyd]

One of the things I sometimes discuss with the students I tutor is the fact that reading and writing are fairly new for humans. We didn't evolve (in the prehistorical sense) to do these things, because they weren't part of the environment we evolved to survive—but they are very much part of the environment we live in today, very much a survival requirement. mount_oregano touches on this briefly, when she notes, "Speaking is instinctive, but writing is a technology: a code," in the opening line of her informative and enjoyable post about the ways in which writing has developed to support the ways in which people read.

Comments

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I also teach English as a second language, and I have to teach the reverse process, too: Most learners study with workbooks, learning written English. Because writing is not instinctual, the information they learn is stored in many parts of the brain. Speaking comes from a specific part of the brain dedicated to speech, so in order to speak, you have to haul all that information to that part of the brain, and you do that by physically speaking.

My students, especially the adolescents, complain that it makes them tired to speak a lot of English. "That's because it's hard work," I answer, "and we have 15 more minutes of class, so keep talking."

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. In Spanish classes I've taken, I always preferred the hands-on "fun" activities, as I feel that process better helps me to integrate what I'm learning. Fortunately, the university here uses a lot of activities, in addition to the textbook, workbook, and listening exercises. It doesn't hurt that I often come in contact with people for whom Spanish is a first language.

Although as a tutor in a learning center, I work with any student who requests help, I'm finding that my ESL students are among the most rewarding. They are highly motivated and often very competent, so all I'm really doing is helping them to understand the intricacies of English. I can also sympathize, since learning a second language has not been easy for me; I can reassure those students who are feeling apologetic about their English skills that they are doing far better than I would, were I in their place.

Did you become an ESL teacher before you moved to Spain, or after? Since I want to travel, and prefer to live in a place and get to know it, rather than to visit multiple countries in a week, I've often thought of becoming ESL certified. (I must admit, however, that this is just one of several fields in which I've considered studying.)

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

Yes, we try to play games, listen to music, and do other fun stuff as often as possible. Workbooks are efficient, but they're boring (especially to us teachers who must correct them).

My students know that learning English is important to their future, and some even consider it fun. And English is "cool" here, so the really studious ones get a big social reward for all their work.

I had done some volunteer tutoring at a Literacy Center in Milwaukee, but I got my ESL certificate here in Madrid, a CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults, from Cambridge University) at a British Institute center. There's always a demand for English teachers in Spain and in most of the world, from what I've heard.

Getting a work permit, however, is another story.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. I suspect, just given the way things are going at present, that it will be at least a few years, if not longer, before we can even consider the possibility. But, I think I would enjoy it very much.

[mount-oregano.livejournal.com]

Good luck with your new job!

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Thank you!