In chapter 9: Contextualizing Linguistic Input, Kuma describes the four realities of teaching and learning a second language. Theses realities include linguistic, extralinguistic, situational, and extrasituational. Linguistic context “refers to the immediate linguistic environment that contains formal aspects of language required for the process of meaning-making.” I think this is very important yet extremely difficult to not only teach, but to now when it is appropriate to teach. In the ESL class that have been observing, I notice that the teacher realizes this is an important reality to teach her students and she does a great job, but I wonder if at times she should go more in depth and perhaps tell them what are other meanings that, for example, their vocabulary words have. Just the other day they learned the word “mob” as in a large group of people. I wondered if they should also be taught in that same moment about gangsters (Italian mob) and what it is to “mob” someone. I think that the age of students and their level need to be considered. Afterall, this was in a Basic ESL class with 6th and 7th grade students. If this words came up in an Intermediate or Advanced level class, more definitions might be showed in context.
Even though English is my native language, I am still confused by it. Sometimes I am asked questions such as why people have two shoulders and two eyes, but not two foots. In those instances, I tend to get nervous and uncomfortable since I do not have a good answer and I respond with, "Because English is crazy." As I read about extralinguistic context, I got that same feeling. After learning what a prosodic signal even is, I realized that I do use them corecctly (usually), but I have no idea 1.) why or 2.) how define the ways inwhich to properly use them or 3.) how to teach those ways to ESL learners. I realy liked the examples on p. 208 that show what words need to be stressed when answering a question. Honestly, it was a "light bulb moment" for me to see that when somene asks me a "what" question, in my response I emphasize the "what." This is just second nature for English natives, but if features like these are never taught to ELL, then there will be a lot of confusion and miscommunication.
I agree that this is difficult to teach, especially when there are only so many minutes in a class period. I think the most important thing is to consider their level like you said and work from there. I think it is also important to consider how important it would be for students to know the other linguistic purposes for words at the time, or if there would be more appropriate times to teach it later on.
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