Teaching formal and informal language register to native English speakers

September 14, 2010

As a university level-Spanish instructor, I often find that native English speaking students who have never studied languages before struggle with the concept of formal versus informal forms of address. In Spanish, it’s usted (formal) vs. tú (informal). The concept exists in many other languages, too. Here’s how I teach it:

1. Present the formal and informal words in the target language.

2. Explain that both the informal and formal equal “you” in today’s English.

3. Give some examples of when it is appropriate to address someone formally and when it is OK to address someone informally. Explain generational and regional differences.

4. Point out that we used to have both formal and informal in English. (I love this part!) Watch their faces scrunch up as if to say, “Huh?” I ask if any of them have studied Shakespeare, watched Shakespeare movies or heard language from that time period or before in movies. (If you’re teaching the secondary, post-secondary or adult levels, you’ll likely get a few nods if you try this.) Then I give them this example from Romeo and Juliet:

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art ___________?

What goes in the blank? Thou, of course. Juliet addresses her lover informally.

I point out other related words such as “thee” and “thy”, which also fell out of use in favor of “you” and “your”, which was traditionally our formal form of address. We dropped the informal, in favour of using only the formal.

I don’t discuss religion much in my classes, but given that most of Latin America and Spain are Catholic, it is an interesting cultural note that God is addressed informally. (I could never figure that one out, myself. I mean, if there was one being who merited the respect of a formal address, you’d think it might be God, but what do I know?) If you’re teaching in a Christian faith-based environment, you can also point out that “classically” the “Our Father” prayer used “thou” and “thee”, too. Many churches have updated that to “you” nowadays, but “hallowed be Thy name” can still be heard in some places. Traditionally, God has been addressed informally in the Christian faith.

I also point out other well known phrases and verses using the traditional informal such as:

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

“To thine own self be true.” (Shakespeare, Hamlet)

“How great thou art.” (Christian hymn)

Once the students have made the connection that the formal and informal both used to exist – and be used quite regularly – in English, it is easier for them to transfer that knowledge to a new second language. That takes care of the conceptual block and all they have to master is when to use each form correctly.

Check out these related posts:

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Update – January, 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

 

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

How to teach vocabulary with color file cards

July 7, 2010

Color file cards are a great way to teach vocabulary. I’ve used this system as both a student and a teacher with excellent success. As a teacher, I used it when I taught Spanish and as a learner when I was studying German and French as an adult. There are lots of different ways to use them. Here’s how I do it:

Choose a different colour card for each part of speech. I like to use green for verbs, since green means “go” in the traffic lights, that colour is already associated with an action. I teach Spanish where there are both masculine and feminine nouns. I use the tradition of colours to create a visual cue. I put feminine words on a pink card and masculine words on a blue card. Some may call that sexist, but you can use any colours you like, really. I use yellow for adjectives, green for adverbs and purple for prepositions and anything that doesn’t fit onto one of the other cards. Students tell me that when they are in a pressure situation and can’t remember if a word is masculine or feminine, they try to recall what what colour card the word was on. The cards create a mental visual cue that students can use during tests and other situations.

Write out the cards. I like to fill up the cards by theme, putting 5 – 10 words on each card. For the green cards, I write the infinitive form of the verb on the back of the card, where there are no lines. On the lined side, I write out the verb conjugation. Some of my students say they prefer to put one word on each card, as it makes it easier for them to remember. The act of writing having the learner write out his or her own cards is an important part of the learning process.

Be monolingual or bilingual. You can either write just the target language on the cards, or you can write the target language and the learner’s native language on the cards. If you choose the bilingual option, you can use one side of the card for one language and the reverse for the other language.

Use the cards as a study aid. Cards can be stored in a file card box or carried around in a plastic zip bag. They are more portable than a big, heavy textbook.

At the beginning of a new term, I bring a few cards to class as an example of how I make my own cards. I explain how students can make their own cards and use them as a study tool. I emphasize that learners creating their own cards makes them a more powerful study tool than store-bought cards. Let students make the cards “their own” by allowing them the flexibility of having as many words on the cards as they choose, adding pictures or stickers or whatever it is that will help them learn.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

6 Comments | second languages | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Why teachers are no longer revered as sacred

June 10, 2010

In 1971 a scholar by the name of Robert Nisbet claimed that “the man of knowledge and his pursuits were sacred”. Much has changed in the 40 or so years since professor Nisbet wrote those words. And it goes beyond the fact that do we not write only in the masculine gender any more. While teachers are still regarded as knowledgeable, they are no longer revered as sacred. While some may lament, and even resist it, teachers no longer enjoy the “aura of the sacred”, as Nisbet calls it.

In today’s world where technology is moving at the speed of light, young people are very aware that they know more than many of the “over-30s”, especially when it comes to technology. Adults regularly turn to young people for help and coaching on matters of hardware, software and social media.

Old, traditional, hierarchical and patriarchal attitudes are giving way to more collaborative approaches. Old, authoritative, “teacher-centred” or “expert-centred” approaches to teaching are as out as black and white televisions. Are you still lamenting the days when the teacher was worshiped?

Reference:

Nisbet, R. (1971). The Degradation of the Academic Dogma: The University in America, 1945-1970. N.Y.: Basic Books Inc.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

6 Comments | education, leadership, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Why literacy teachers need digital literacy

April 1, 2010

It drives me crazy people who are in leadership positions who somehow feel they’re now exempt from the need to learn further. People who work in literacy and languages know their stuff. At least they know it when it comes to traditional literacy. I am baffled by the number of people who work in that sector who lack technological literacy.

These are trained teachers, dedicated tutors and people who really make a difference in the world. Yet, when it comes to technology they flap around giving excuses not unlike their very own learners, trying to mask their own lack of skills. How about, “Oh, I don’t have time,” or “I don’t get all that stuff” or “What good is it going to do me?” or my personal favorite, “I’ve gotten along just fine until now, thank you very much.”

In today’s world where we use tools like the International Adult Literacy and Life Surveys Skills IALSS to demonstrate an individual’s strengths, it seems to me that this very scale should also apply to those who work in the industry, not just the learners.

It’s not enough to know how to turn on your computer and use your mouse. Maybe that would count as Level 2 on the IALLS scale? In today’s world, if we are talking about functional ability to use technology to interact and prosper, we’re looking at the need for skilled leaders – say Level 3 minimum, though even better, Level 4. That means knowing what social media is (and knowing how to use it), exchanging ideas with other professionals in a discussion forum and possibly even knowing how to Skype so you can connect with others far away at a low cost.

So, if you were to score yourself on the IALLS scale for technology, where would you rank?

If it’s good for the learner, it’s good for the leader. How are you supposed to lead by example if you’re not living what you want your learners to live?

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

3 Comments | IALSS, leadership, Literacy | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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