A gap that needs to be crossed by English learners -- TESOL language barrier

A gap that needs to be crossed by English learners -- TESOL language barrier

As the world develops, cross-cultural communication has became more and more relevant to people’s lives, in which we might encounter a variety of challenges. Specifically, cultural studies and critical pedagogy research have discovered the issues of conflict, power, and control from intercultural communication. (Kramsch, 1998) Additionally, language barrier is also one of the most discussed topics as we engage in cross-cultural communication and language studies due to people’s inability to adjust themselves from cultural and language discrepancies. Indeed, there is a vast amount of other topics within the discussion of cross-cultural communication. However, this paper will be primarily focusing on the occurrences and potential solutions of language barriers, specifically regarding vocabulary and grammar studies.

As someone who extensively studied English in the United States for over ten years, I have personally experienced language barriers in various forms. On a grand scale, language barriers could happen to anyone, including native speakers. For example, among the first few years of study, I have encounter language learners from all over the world, such as Japan, Korea, France, and Germany. Although some of their languages share similarities or belong to the same family of languages, language barriers still exist. On the other hand, I learned to look at languages from more diversified perspectives, which reminded me of languages’ intrinsic values. In other words, languages are the integration and reflection of cultures, as mentioned in The Silent Language by Hall, “culture is communication and communication is culture.” (1959) Hence, to study English more effectively, I remind myself first to learn words through cultural lenses and examine what underlies within the words, such as their historical evolution, language context, and usage. In Sinclair’s words, people can engage in English teaching and learning through “authentic and naturally-occurring examples” (1991).

During my teaching career, I find my students holding a misconception towards vocabulary studies, which lead to inefficiency in memorization, comprehension, and composition. Meaning they only know the words when they see them. Such a phenomenon leads to a vicious cycle that the students excel quite well in reading but perform poorly in listening, speaking, and writing. Referenced to N. Ellis’s vocabulary-learning continuum (1995), I designed two learning strategies as follows:

1. As introduced in The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other

Languages, morphology means how words are formed. (Carter & Nunan, 2001) It will be a practical approach to learning words by focusing on vocabulary-building practices like morphology, prefix, affix, and suffix.

2. I would reverse their already existing “spoon-feeding” vocabulary memorization methods to broaden the breadth of their vocabulary count. For example, when we encounter the word “repeat,” in addition to the word’s definition, my students are required to know the meaning of “re-,” as well as the other words that are associated with “re-.”

After establishing a concrete foundation in morphology, I will shift my focus to grammar and speaking to prepare for EAP and professional purposes, which are linked to the field of “critical language awareness” (Tang and John, 1999). As mentioned in The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, there are many different views on the roles of grammar. (Carter & Nunan, 2001) Some think that “Grammar is acquired naturally; and it need not be taught.” (Carter & Nunan, 2001) I think otherwise, at least to the students of mine. My students often have difficulty shifting their grammatical mindset from Chinese to English due to their previous studies. Introducing grammar thoroughly to the learners will allow them to approach English grammar from a more natural language context to avoid translational ambiguity. With such practices, students will be able to construct prolonged sentences and paragraphs while engaging in both writing and speaking.

Based on my personal English learning experiences, the mentioned criteria helped me overcome the language barriers and acquired rather proficient communicative skills. However, it is necessary to note, a well-rounded logical structure and extensive pronunciation practice will undoubtedly bring English speaking, reading, and writing to a more advanced level. As a language that will only be more popularized as the world develops, it is more and more critical for people to master a second language. More importantly, as a vassal for culture and history, people need to overcome language barriers and carry forward humanity through more intercultural communication. Last but not least, language learning is a form of art; different people might have a different approach toward it. As an English teacher, our responsibilities are tailoring English learning to learners. Ultimately, help them acquire expected language proficiency and be better prepared for academic and professional English.

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