Is age the most important key factor in pronunciation achievement?

Some people study the factors which influence pronunciation achievement the processes which are: personality, sociocultural factors, age, aptitude, exposure and role of the first language; of course, all of these factors are important. However, as being a teacher for kids for such long time, I could notice that the age is the most important factors for a person to have good pronunciation, but why? There are many reasons why I believe this.

First of all, when kids are exposed to the language they tend to learn faster than adult and they are not afraid to make mistakes. According to Karen Lund (2003), who is senior lecturer, PhD (Danish as a second language), she believes that around the age 5-6 there can be pronunciation features in the new language that one never acquires, this applies both to suprasegmental features as intonations, stress and rhythm and to segmental features such as quality vowels and consonants.  

Second, kids’ brain is open for new in-put vocabularies, expressions or structures. Once they are exposed to the language early they tend to be more fluent and have better pronunciation than the ones who were not. Moreover, a study was made by a neuroscience for kids consultant, Melissa Lee (2002), says that if a person is not exposed to a language during the childhood, he or she will never be able to speak the language as well as someone who learned language normally. Although, it is said to be able to learn many vocabulary words, but will probably never reach a normal level of speech.

Third, on the other hand there are some people who believe that age is not important to acquire a good pronunciation because there are other factors more important than only being exposure to the language early. However, I still agree that the sooner to learn the language the better for the oral and speaking skills.

Finally, the factor which influence pronunciation achievement the processes is just a matter of what people believe the most. As I said before I do believe that the age is the most important due to researches I have read and by teaching young learners for so long I could notice their ability to achieve their language proficiency and have good pronunciation.

How important is pronunciation in overall English language learning and teaching?

Before studying phonology I used to believe that pronunciation did not play an important role in speaking, I believed that other skills such as: writing, grammar, reading and listening were more important to focus on. However I have changed my mind. Why do teachers teach their students the importance of saying the word properly? Because teaching pronunciation can be the trickiest subject to teach or to learn and knowing how to pronounce the words well is a must in speaking.

Firstly, teachers should be a facilitator to their students in order to teach them the most commom types of accents and their different pronunciation and teach how to avoid errors. Moreover, the more you pronounce the words correctly the more fluently you will sound and may avoid being intangible by other speakers. Because the first thing native speakers notice during a conversation is the pronunciation.

Secondly, not only should we have good pronunciation but also we need to be understood, because sometimes pronunciation can interfere with the ideas a person is trying to get across. The main goal is that an easily be understood by native speakers or others English speaking people. Moreover, native – speakers are more concerned about the errors in pronunciations than grammar errors foreigners make.

To sum up, knowing grammar and vocabulary are important as well, but it is essential that a person must have a good pronunciation in order to be understood by other people. Although, teachers work on their students’ pronunciation and tell them their current errors, do activities which can help students increase their understanding about being tangible and give tips like; for example, practice as much as you can and do not be afraid to speak or to make mistakes.

This portfolio is about the essays that I did during the TDC writing course, they were produced over the period of three months. The TDC (teacher development course), offered by Casa Thomas Jefferson, is a course focused on perfecting teachers’ methodology and skill.

When I first applied for the TDC course, not only was I expecting to improve my knowledge, but also to increase my network of workmates, to learn methodology and to feel more secure in the classroom. After three months of hard work, I can now see the results. I feel more comfortable and secure to analyse different texts and to write them in different ways. I believe that my writing skills have improved and I can guide my students’ writing in a better way.

I hope you enjoy reading these essays and it is a pleasure to be able to share them with you.

Advantages of learning in blended courses.

Few decades ago, society neither considered using computers as an auxiliary learning tool in the classroom nor using it as a primary learning tool. However, this new trend in education, also known as blended learning has recently become popular and gained recognition worldwide. But how does this blended format work? And is it worth to study in this course? Educators believe that this learning format combines two important tools which are teaches' talent and technology. Students learn from face-to-face classes and from a supervised platform from their home or even other places. These combinations are the must for the new trend of education.

Firstly, blended courses are an important option for people who have been overwhelmed with too much work and chores. Each student establishes his or her pace in order to improve the process of learning. And once a week, students attend face-to-face classes to socialize, discuss or present the subject. According to the site Education Elements (2012), it is said that blended learning seems to offer what education technology has long promised but rarely delivered: greater student learning and improved school efficiency.

Secondly, students can benefit from both methods, and it is worthy for timid students who feel more comfortable chatting instead of presenting seminar in class. Moreover, a study from the University of Wisconsin (2013) claimed that “instructors report that students write better papers, performed on exams, produced higher quality projects, and were capable of more meaningful discussions on course material when reflecting online”.

Contrary to all benefits there are some educators who believe that hybrid courses are not productive because some students are not responsible enough to take blended courses, and they do not know how to use their time wisely. However, one research conducted by the University of Wisconsin (2013) assured that instructors must be prepared to help students understand their active role in the hybrid course, assisting students in keeping their work on time and on track.

Consequently, hybrid courses are increasing and becoming more powerful comparing to traditional learning and the combination of them are the must for education system, nowadays. Moreover, instructors are being prepared for this new trend and more people are looking for courses that give them more flexibility to study.

Why do all brides get nervous before the wedding?

Why do all brides get nervous before the wedding? They get nervous because there are many things to organize before the big day, such as: choose the perfect dress, the decoration for the party, the place where they are going to celebrate the party, food and etc.  However, not only the material thing does make the brides anxious, but also the expectations from everybody who is involved into the wedding directly or indirectly.

Almost two years ago, my husband and I decided to get married and spent our savings to throw a party, which can be considered as a big party. We looked for all the suppliers to check their prices and portfolios, but most of them were quite expensive. And as our budget was not so high, I decided to look for the cheapest place to purchase the materials to prepare the decoration. Then, I made the invitations, the ribbons to decorate the place and the gifts to give to my guests. I cannot remember how many days, hours and weekends I spent awake making those little things. But the only thing I could think about was my party and the amazing decoration.

While I was organizing all those details, I had to manage with my anxiety which was becoming bigger and bigger because I wanted everything to be perfect for me and for my guests. I tried to be calm but it did not work; the more time I had to spend preparing the small things for the celebration, the more nervous I got; and of, course I was pretty sensible at that moment.; for instance, I would cry without any reason. However, two weeks before the wedding miraculously I became calmer for me the only reason was that I was about to finish my work.

Finally, I was calmer and I could enjoy my celebration. I believe that even the calmer bride during those days of preparations will be anxious because many things are involved and the more we organize the wedding the more anxious and nervous we become for the big day. However, after going through all the anxiety and I noticed that in the end everything works out and people who really love you are going to the party not because of the food or drinks, but because of you.

Advantages of being bilingual

Nowadays, it is essential to be bilingual because the world is becoming more interdependent, information is being exchanged, and speaking more than one language is a must in a globalized world. There are more advantages of being bilingual than disadvantages and if a person does not speak more than one language, he or she may consider harder to search better jobs or a better position in a company.

Most of international companies require people who speak more than two languages due to the international trades and translations. Since the world is interdependent, trades, agreements and other issues are made in some specific languages. So the main languages to learn are: English, French, Spanish and the newest is Chinese.

Moreover, information is being updated instantly, so if one person works an economy field, this person should read a lot in order to know more about the global crises or the best investment to make at the moment. People are speaking more than one language because they are willing to get better jobs and grow in their careers, and consequently those people can earn more.

To sum up, there are only advantages of being bilingual and people are realizing the importance of learning another language and those who already know are willing to develop the skills to become advanced or to learn another language.