Topic 2

Question 1

What is the traditionally definition of “communication”?

Answer 1

the exchange of meanings between individuals through a common system of symbols.

Question 2

What is Savignon’s definition of language and its contextual dimension (1997)?

Answer 2

Communication takes place in an infinite variety of situations, and success in a particular role depends on one’s understanding of the context and on prior experience of a similar kind. Success requires making appropriate choices of register and style in terms of the situation and the other participants.

Question 3

What is “Semiotics”?

Answer 3

The general theory of signs and symbolism

Question 4

What is SEMIOTICS divided into?

Answer 4

Pragmatics, Semantics and Syntax.

Question 5

What are the aspects of semiotics related to language according to its nature as developed by Crystal (1987)?

Answer 5

Auditory-vocal, visual, tactile and olfactory.

Question 6

According to Harmer (1983), when one person speaks, that person…

Answer 6

• wants to speak; it is their decision to address someone.
• has a communicative purpose
• selects from his language stores, uses the language that feels appropriate for their purpose

Question 7

According to Harmer (1983), when one person listens, that person…

Answer 7

• wants to listen to something
• is interested in the communicative purpose of what is being said
• processes a variety of language

Question 8

What are the two systems of meanings that Wilkins (1972) said language was organized around?

Answer 8

• Notional categories (the meanings and concepts the learner needs in order to communicate, e.g. time, quantity, duration, location)
• Categories of communicative function (speech acts such as requesting, denying, offering)

Question 9

What aspects do students need to achieve communicative competence?

Answer 9

Students need knowledge of the linguistic forms, meanings and functions. They must be able to choose from among these the most appropriate form, given the social context and the roles of the speakers. Apart from this, students must also be able to manage the process of negotiating meaning with the other speakers.

Question 10

What is Chomsky’s (1957) definition of language?

Answer 10

A set of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements

Question 11

What did Hymes argue when referring to Chomsky’s definition of language?

Answer 11

Hymes argued that Chomsky had missed out the rules of use. When a native speaker speaks, they do not only utter grammatically correct forms, he also knows where and when to use these sentences and to whom.

Question 12

What are the four aspects that Hymes included as part of the COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE?

Answer 12

Systematic potential, appropriacy, occurrence and feasibility

Question 13

Explain the concept of SYSTEMATIC POTENTIAL, according to Hymes’ notion of communicative competence

Answer 13

A native speaker possesses a system that has a potential for creating language.

Question 14

Explain the concept of APPROPRIACY, according to Hymes’ notion of communicative competence

Answer 14

A native speaker knows what language is appropriate in a given situation.

Question 15

Explain the concept of OCCURRENCE, according to Hymes’ notion of communicative competence

Answer 15

A native speaker knows how often something is said in the language and acts accordingly.

Question 16

Explain the concept of FEASIBILITY, according to Hymes’ notion of communicative competence

Answer 16

A native speaker knows whether something is possible in the language.

Question 17

What is Canale and Swain’s view of communicative competence (1980)?

Answer 17

They see communicative competence as consisting of grammatical competence (knowledge of the rules of grammar) plus sociolinguistic competence (knowledge of the rules of language use).

Question 18

What is Canale’s definition of communicative competence? (1983)

Answer 18

Communicative competence refers to “the underlying systems of knowledge and skill required for communication”.

Question 19

What are the four components of communicative competence, according to Canale (1983)?

Answer 19

Grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence and strategic competence.

Question 20

What are the theoretical premises of Communicative Language Teaching?

Answer 20

The communication principle, the task principle and the meaningfulness principle.

Question 21

Explain the COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLE as proposed by Richards and Rodgers

Answer 21

Activities that involve real communication promote learning.

Question 22

Explain the TASK PRINCIPLE as proposed by Richards and Rodgers

Answer 22

Activities that involve the completion of real-world tasks promote learning.

Question 23

Explain the MEANINGFULNESS PRINCIPLE as proposed by Richards and Rodgers

Answer 23

Learners must be engaged in meaningful and authentic language use for learning to take place.

Question 24

Six characteristics of the Communicative Language Teaching

Answer 24

• Meaning is of primary importance in CLT, and contextualization is a basic principle
• Attempts to communicate are encouraged from the beginning of instruction.
• Sequencing of materials
• Use of the native language is acceptable where feasible, beneficial or necessary.
• Activities and strategies for learning are varied according to learner preferences and needs
• Emphasis on fluency

Question 25

How can the activities within the communicative approach be described?

Answer 25

These activities must enable learners to reach the communication targets of the curriculum, engage learners in communication and require the use of communication processes. Most communicative techniques operate by providing information to some and withholding it from the others, thus creating an information gap.

Question 26

How were the activities within the communicative approach described by Harmer?

Answer 26

- Desire to communicate - A communicative purpose - Must be based on content, not form - Must use a variety of language - No teacher intervention - No materials control

Question 27

Teacher's role according to Communicative Language Teaching

Answer 27

- Should modify the curriculum - Keep the motivation high - Consider individual differences - Organize the learning experiences - Plan the situations - Provide systematic practice and meaningful use of the language - Engage students - Balance cultural appreciation with national pride and individuality

Question 28

Student's role according to Communicative Language Teaching

Answer 28

Students do not learn in an individualistic way, but rather in an interdependent way. The emphasis is therefore on the process of communication and not on the mastery of language forms, so our students must negotiate, within the group and the classroom. Successful communication can only be achieved through group interaction.

Question 29

What are the fields on which the Total Physical Response Method are based?

Answer 29

Educational and developmental psychology, language teaching and humanistic pedagogy.

Question 30

What are the believes put forward by the Total Physical Response Method?

Answer 30

- Comprehension abilities precede productive skills in learning a language - The teaching of speaking should be delayed until comprehension skills are established - Skills acquired through listening transfer to other skills - Teaching should emphasize meaning rather than form - Teaching should minimize learner stress

Question 31

What is Asher's view on the language acquisition process?

Answer 31

Asher holds that the child language learner acquires language through motor movement - a right-hemisphere activity in the brain. Right-hemisphere activities must occur before the left hemisphere can process language for production. Second, language learning processes should follow the same stages. When a sufficient amount of right-hemisphere learning has taken place, the left hemisphere will be triggered to produce language and to initiate other, more abstract language processes.

Question 32

What are the basis of a total-physical-response-based curriculum?

Answer 32

The main aim is to teach basic speaking skills. However, Asher does not set specific instructional objectives because these will depend largely on the needs of the learner. In addition, grammar is taught inductively as TPR requires initial attention to meaning rather than to the form of the items. Grammatical and lexical features are selected according to the classroom situations and the ease with which they can be learned.

Question 33

Describe the types of learning and teaching activities

Answer 33

1. Listening training: The instructor commands in English and students respond rapidly with their bodies, doing exactly what the instructor does. 2. Production: After 10 hours of training in listening, students are invited to reverse roles with the instructor and give their own commands in English. Later, skits are performed and problem-solving situations are used. 3. Reading or writing: the instructor spends a few minutes at the end of each class session writing structures or vocabulary, normally from the session.

Question 34

What is the teacher's role in the Total Physical Response method?

Answer 34

The teacher: - Is the director of a stage play - Decides what to teach - Models and presents the new materials - Selects materials for the classroom

Question 35

What is the student's role in the Total Physical Response method?

Answer 35

The student: - Is the actor of the stage play - Has the primary role of listener and performer - Has little influence over the content of learning - Monitors and evaluates their own progress and is encouraged to speak when they feel ready to do so