This course will provide participants with a basic introduction to second and foreign language learning. We will ask the fundamental question of what it means to learn a second or foreign language, illustrating basic principles by underscoring common perceptions and misperceptions of how language learning takes place. We will illustrate and define commonly-discussed concepts such as interlanguage, the role of the first language, order of acquisition (is there a natural order?), input, interaction, error correction, and output, among others. Commonly accepted principles will, to the extent possible, be illustrated with concrete examples. In the course, we will consider students in a classroom differ from one another (for example, in aptitude, motivation, attitude, anxiety) and how these might impact their language learning success or lack of success. Finally, we will take the concepts discussed and consider how they apply to a classroom context, asking the question of the relationship between teaching and learning and, in particular, discussing differences between classroom and natural learning. At the end of this course, participants will be guided in the development of materials focusing on any of the concepts discussed in the class.
Price: 150 € (120 € for University students)
