On Discourse, Communication, and (Some) Fundamental Concepts in SLA Research"

Hi everyone, and I will more than a happy to read and comment on my blog here which is about (On Discourse, Communication, and (Some) Fundamental Concepts in SLA Research)

by ALAN FIRTH and JOHANNES WAGNER,

september, 6th

I think this is a helpful topic for both the researcher and the teacher to understand his students in a better way. We should understand that it is not easy to be a native speaker in a wink. SLA is a field that discuss how people acquire a second language in addition to their native language (mother tongue), whether the second language is English or any other language. I am strongly agree to differentiate between cognitive and mentalistic orientations, and the social and contextual orientations to language to understand both the discourse and communication of the native speaker NS p.285.

In (p. 287), it is written there if you would be more social and contextual view of language you have to concentrate on the communication rather than grammar. I highly agree to this way of speaking. Since my country,Saudi Arabia, is following the grammatical concept rather than the communicative concept of teaching, students have many problems to communicate with native speaker. For example I still remember this event because it happened to me when I spoke to a NS and he was a friend of my father. He asked me where are you? “I am barking right now” I answered. He just misunderstand what I was saying and he asked me what do you mean by this? I told him that I am trying to find a place to my car. He laughed and he told me that the word (parking and barking) is deferent in pronunciation. Because of this I understand that I should speak to native and focus on the communication. The same thing happen to NS and L (p.289) when the L is telling the NS that he is reading histories (meaning stories). As a result of this the NT misunderstand what is she doing. Other problems that I often face that some NSs told me that your language sounds Arabic, to some extent, especially in writing. From what I leaned from the article that contacting with NS is a key behind mastering the language.

I am not sure is misunderstanding happens among Nss and NNs? Can anyone be a native speaker? How? What is meant by semi native?

To sum it up, this article taught me that cognitive and mentalistic orientations, and the social and contextual orientations to language is important to communicate with the NS. That is why I am interested in taking this course( introduction to TESOL) I hope that I get all the objectives that is mention in this course.