intuitive labels for verb conjugations

[Katya Hirvasaho]

>I disagree more with Katya's (implied) minimalization of the differences
>between L1 and L2 acquisition. Our L2 students will never have anywhere
>near the exposure to the target language as the L1 learner has (as I recall
>a child of 4-5 uses something like 3,000 - 4,000 words per day), nor does
>the L1 learner possess the analytical skills available to the adult L2
>learner. I can't imagine why we would choose to not use those skills to
>compensate for the relatively low exposure to the language.
>
>Mark Kaiser
>Berkeley Language Center

I am not arguing for doing away with grammar entirely, only for the
reversal of emphasis: input should be primary and rules secondary. So
secondary, in fact, that they should be given as explanations, not
something to be learned and memorazized on their own right.

L1 learning is also a cognitive activity, of which we know even less than
of L2 learning, so I think that it might be premature to judge that the
difference is that great.  And, to expand on Alina's comment: input
reception is not any more passive than motor production.  All learning
takes place in the brain, and brain activity is in fact the definition for
being alive (in clinical terms).

Katya


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Katya Hirvasaho * Rice University * Houston, Texas