A Performance Approach to Second/Third Language Teaching and Learning

1. Ochanomizu University fangmeili@gmail.com Multilingualism, Regional & Minority Languages: Paradigms for ‘Languages of the Wider World’ SOAS, University of London 16-17 April 2009 A Performance Approach to Second/Third Language Teaching and Learning Meili Fang

2. This talk • introduction – types of language teaching and learning • comparing teaching of second/third foreign/heritage languages • key points of Performance Approach (PA): a methodology adapted from foreign language teaching for second/third foreign and heritage/minority language teaching • PA and performance • video examples and discussion

3. Introduction • conventional teaching and learning contrasts: • national/mother language • foreign languages • actually • first language (often but not always national language) • first foreign language • second or third foreign language • heritage/minority/immigrant language • the community is voluntarily or forcefully dominated or out of their country

4. Large and small languages • I taught or was part of teaching team for: • Japanese (in Taiwan) • Mandarin (Japan, UK) • Hokkien (Japan, UK) • Karaim (Lithuania) less commonly taught

5. Courses are very diverse • Japanese FL taught as a major (12 hrs) • Mandarin 2nd FL (after English) (3 hrs) ... as curiosity to high school students (1 hr) • Hokkien as 3rd FL (after E, M), students with personal motives (3 hrs) • Karaim Heritage language as 3rd or 4th language in intensive summer school

6. ... but methodologies aren’t • more useful to identify similarities and differences between • learners in classes in institutional and community settings – the trends are opposite • teaching settings – structure and resources • PA methods were effective for smaller languages ... even more effective!

7. endangered languages community settings institutional settings similarity similarity Learners in language settings • age • ability • learning goals • motivation • mother/heritage language background

8. Teaching settings • less institutional commitment • options rather than compulsory • learner motivations tend to be personal and less instrumental • learner backgrounds may be very different • less design and input to teaching resources • less teaching hours •  very easy for big mismatch between goals, materials and learners • could mainstream FL methodologies be appropriate? • yes, but only if effective

9. Performance approach (PA) • main issues are course design and classroom dynamics • ... and how these serve the learning goals(and wider goals)

10. PA key points • clear teaching goal and process • rapid, measurable learning • students continually perform what they learned (‘spiral of learning’) • effective materials, activities, assessment • include language functions e.g. emotion, culture • drama creation and performance • involve language speakers • generate further language learning resources

11. Spiral of learning Typical teaching -‘bank savings’ Performance Approach-‘spiral’

12. Planning: constraints and goals • constraints • time available – calendar, hours • materials • teachers • infrastructure • goals • researched, realistic and concrete • e.g. to master 450 vocabulary items; reach pre-intermediate level; speech functions; cultural (e.g. songs)

13. PA design • course design • hours, classes, teachers • driven by learners’ motivations, learning styles, learning goals • teaching materials design • textbook • other materials (worksheets, songs, games etc)

14. PA design • activity design • listening, Q & A, conversation, find out ... • drama (see later) • feedback and evaluation design • evaluation / assessment - continuous and varied • drama (self/group/teacher feedback) • create concrete resources that “feed back” to future learners

15. Textbook • learnable • sequence • each lesson builds on next • controlled vocabulary and structures • topics and dialogues relevant and useful • predictable learning • give mileposts and confidence to learners

16. Elementary Spoken Hokkien Chapter topics • Introduction • 1 Vowels • 2 Consonants • 3 Tones • 4 Tone change • 5 What’s your name? Lí kúi sèⁿ? • 6 Greetings: Chiãh-pá böe • 7 What is it? Che s„ sím-m…h?

17. Elementary Spoken Hokkien Chapter topics • 8 What would you like to drink? Lí ài lim sím-m…h? • 9 What day is today? Kin-á-jit chhe-kúi ? • 10 When is your birthday? Lí ê siⁿ-j…t tang-sî ? • 11 What number are you calling? Lí phah kúi hö ? • 12 How much is this? Che ài göa-che chîⁿ ? • 13 Do you know where the toilet is? Lí kám chai-iáⁿ tó-üi ü piän-só ?

18. Elementary Spoken Hokkien Chapter topics • 14 What are you doing? Lí teh chhóng-siàⁿ? • 15 Inviting a friend: Iok-pêng-iú • 16 How long have you been learning Taiwanese? Lí Tâi-gí õh göa kú a ? • 17 Can I try it on? Che ë-sái chhì-chheng bë ? • 18 Making a booking: Tëng pâng-keng • 19 What’s wrong with you? Lí s„ án-chóaⁿ • 20 Introducing friends: Kài-siäu pêng-iú

19. Lesson 10: Lí ê siⁿ-j…t tang-sî? Example chapter dialogue • 1. Tùi-ōe / Dialogue A:Lí ê siⁿ-j…t tang-sî? B: Góa ê siⁿ-j…t sì ji-gõeh chhe-peh. Lí ê leh? A: Góa ê siⁿ-j…t si chiaⁿ-gõeh chãp-it. B: S„ téng-kó-gõeh ¬h. A: Hèⁿ. B: Lí kám chai-iáⁿ lín läu-su „n cha-b¯-kiáⁿ ê seⁿ-j…t sì tang-sî? A: Góan läu-su „n cha-b¯ -kiáⁿ?! Lí m¤g che beh chhóng-siàⁿ?

20. PA and theatricality • classroom is a ‘theatre’ setting that makes interactions more authentic • performances are respected as language events, and as records of the language development or revitalization process

21. Drama • group based • groups create own characters and story • connects with culture or daily life, emotions • performances matter: what learners do is valued • performances are new resources

22. Drama steps • establish parameters • set up story topics • formulate and present story • script writing, presentation, correction • record voices • prepare for performance • performance; video • distribute useful resource

23. 2006 Hokkien:香蕉明的白日夢.. Students’ drama script 劇本編者: Jonny Moses & Rui Niu 日期: 2006年05月03日 阿明: Ming 楊修女: Sister Yang 阿李: Lee 老王: Old Wong 唱片老闆: Record Producer • A: Be king-chio, be king-chio! Tai-oan e king-chio siok koh ho chiah! Kin lai be a!買香蕉, 買香焦! 台灣的香焦好吃而不貴! 快來買呀!Get your bananas, get your bananas! Taiwan bananas are cheap and delicious! Come and get them before they’re gone! • B: Thau-ke gau-cha, king-chio chit-kin goa-che chin?老闆早安, 香蕉多少錢一斤? Good morning, how much for half a kilo? • A: Iun Siun-lu gau-cha! Sa-chap kho•, ho chiah koh siok o!楊修女, 早! 三十塊,好吃而不貴! Good morning Sister Yang! 30NT, they’re cheap and delicious!

24. 2006 Hokkien cont’d Students’ drama script • B: Chit-kin sa-chap kho• oh4?! chiah1-ni kui a! Na goa be khah-che e3, li e-sai sng khah-siok e be?一斤三十塊?! 好貴喔! 我買多點的話, 你可以給我便宜些嗎? 30NT for half a kilo?! So expensive! Can you do them any cheaper if I buy a bit more? • A: E-sai, e-sai.可以啊. Ok, sure. • B: M-ko, goa ai seng chhi chiah khoan li e king-chio u-ian u ho-chiah bo•….不過, 我要先試一試你的香蕉是否真的好吃… But first I’ve got to see whether your bananas are sweet or not… • A: Bo bun-teh, ia bo, li chiah khoan mai..沒問題, 要不然, 你吃看看.. No problem. Here, have a little taste.

25. An endangered language situation • Karaim - Turkic language spoken in Trakai, Lithuania • summer courses 2005 - 2007 • goals: to support learners to effectively take part in basic everyday conversation. Designed for a class of different ages incl children, teenagers, and young and old adults. Focus “how to teach a language in a short time”. • course: 2-week intensive, 2 classes/day, each class 70 min, total of 20 hours; also informal afternoon activities

26. Conclusions • PA is effective for rapid, predictable, measurable, accountable, usable language learning • clear, integrated course design and materials • continuous language production, feedback • group-based drama • resource creation • we have to bring the best methodology to teaching and learning LCTL, minority, and endangered languages!

27. End Thank you References To appear. Meili Fang & David Nathan. Language Documentation and Pedagogy for Endangered Languages: a Mutual Revitalisation.. In P. Austin (ed) Language Documentation and Description. London: SOAS 2006. “Taiwanese language teaching and development in the United Kingdom”. Invited paper at conference Taiwan Studies: British Perspectives, Academia Sinica, Taipei, December 2006. [http://www.dnathan.com/mnd/docs/Taiwanese_UK_MeiliFang.pdf]