Principles/strategies/characteristics of SLA and CLT
Response to the Video
1. How do you see principles/strategies/characteristics of SLA and CLT in this classroom?
This class in the Red Dragon Diaries video (2012) with award-winning English teacher demonstrates apparent Communicative Language Teaching or CLT and Second-Language Acquisition or SLA principles. In terms of CLT, the teacher in this classroom definitely functions as a facilitator and a guide when she reads the interactive materials on the topic (linguistics for ordering food in a public place, which actually resonates with the SLA principle of languaculture). Other obviously applied principles are active participation of students in complex with their autonomy, as in case of reading the dialogues as its participants on slides and then participating in the conversion in pairs using the printed menu. Speaking “in roles” reflects another CLT principle, namely cooperative learning.
Moreover, it may even inspire the student with the thoughts about creating their restaurant business, in addition to not learning the language. Ultimately, the part of the Cookie Monster Game was especially engaging. It enriched the process with the CLT principle of strategic involvement (getting, losing, and staling points), at the same time motivating students to master the art of communicating regarding the food ordering (May I have…? “Can I take…?”). Also, the game went as per the SLA principle of process fluency. The students were genuinely involved and seemed not even to notice that the lessons approached the end. The same is about reward (cookies-points) and self-regulation (facilitating each other as a team and watching for the points).
2. Where can you build connections from the material we discussed in class and in the readings to this particular classroom?
I definitely discern connections between this classroom and the materials we discussed. In particular, both SLA and CLT enrich this lesson. Also, the basic features that we were highlighting are observable in how smoothly the teacher conducts the lesson, involving very functional instruments of interactive communications and facilitated cooperation between the students. This approach is highly prospective with an obvious potential to create a pleasant atmosphere where students occasionally laugh instead of demonstrating boredom or disturbing behavior.
3. In what ways is this class using/built on CLT/SLA principles and where could these principles be further used? How do you think this approach to teaching reflects this teacher’s beliefs about language, learning, and language learning?
The class’s primary ways of building on the CLT and SLA are functional, cooperative, strategic, interactive, and investing. These principles could undoubtedly be used further in the next lessons of language learning, as they are motivating (for learning), inspirational (for creativeness and engagement), and socializing (cooperation of students). I think that this approach, actually, does reflect this teacher’s belief on how language should be learned and actually shows that her perception of language and learning are dynamic and deprived of unnecessary academic standards.