Language Development Hinges on Communication: An Emergentist Perspective
Studies on the human language system have brought to the fore two key aspects. First, the prime function of language is communication. Second, language exists in the social world. According to the emergentist perspective, during the language learning process communication plays the central role in the emergence of a language system in a learner. Thus, the grammatical structures emerge through discourse as a result of the interaction between the learner and the environment. This article explicates, from the emergentist perspective, the vital role of communication, particularly authentic communication. It also sums up the pedagogical implications of this understanding.
Discover the new edition of the award-winning course for teaching English as it is spoken. Using content from the BBC, Speakout 2nd Edition builds the skills and knowledge students need to communicate confidently.
Speakout is the English language course that includes video content from the BBC to engage students and make teaching easier.
It follows a balanced approach to topics, language development and skills work. Speaking activities are prominent, but not at the expense of the other core skills of reading, writing and listening, which are developed systematically throughout.
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Audio - The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building
An insider's tour through the construction of invented languages from the best-selling author and creator of languages for the HBO series Game of Thrones and the Syfy series Defiance.
Using Literature for Children and Adolescents for Intermediate Language Acquisition
This article suggests that literature written for children and adolescents is appropriate for use with intermediate-level students of English as a second or foreign language of all ages (including adults). Following a description of this literature, three instructional applications are reviewed: extensive free reading based on language acquisition theory, close reading while attending to form and function using stylistic analyses along with a language awareness perspective, and reading a story to develop essential cultural understanding of the target language...
