Speaking is the major way that we express ourselves.

Not having the right word to desribe a feeling exactly in a first language can be annoying - in a second language it can be fustrating or worse.

In a first language you can give the "kind of sort of" and get your point across.

In a second langauage this is much more difficult. Skill at charades can come in handy in these situations.

I never really thought about how important fillers are in speech or how to convey their use to a person from another culture. This is the part of the reading that I found most interesting,

I think role play is important because it takes away the need to talk about yourself and gives you the feeling that you must participate for the sake of the group.

It also makes sure that everyone gets a turn.

Listening

This week's reading were about listening.

I went to a play called Love Letters on Sunday. It had two actors. They sat at desks facing the audience and read the letters that they had written each other starting with notes in the second grade and ending with the death of one of them in old age. It was a very graphic example of the difference between written and spoken communication. The expressions of the actor being written to, often conveyed to the audience exactly what they were thinking, without saying a word. The reading of their written answer confirmed their body langauge.

It is more difficult to understand someone you cannot see.

Listening practice that is just listening to the radio or responding to the telephone is important in really learning a language.

Vocabulary and Grammar are both key elements of language. I am more interested in vocabulary.

I think that technology and the ease of cultural sharing has changed both vocabulary and grammar.

We have books, movies, television, radio.... from around the world. There is more mixing of "English language culture". Addtion of new words and retiring of old words happens much more quickly. Also word already in use take on new meanings. Langauage is a living thing. Growth and change are happening more quickly than ever before.

Texting has made language at once more abbreviated and more verbose. Words and phrases are shortened but there seems to be more words exchanged.

This of course makes it more important for us to keep ourselves updated with both technology and how the langauage is changing

This makes more for the teen to learn. He wants to be in with his peers and perhaps on top of his or her academic work as well. It is a challenge for them as students and us as teachers.

Learning about culture

What to say? when to say it? How to say it? and to whom?

Context

Formal? Informal?

Ms ? Mrs. ? Miss ?

Professor?

Doctor?

First name?

Last name?

Nick name?

Humor? sarcasm?

Rude? Polite? Kiss ass disgusting?

Brown nose?

It is one thing to know how to say something in theory - but the actual play by play can be much more challenging

People on the autism spectrum have trouble with making good decisions about interactions with others.
Doctor Melvin Levin wrote this book called Jarvis Clutch - Social Spy which is about how to get along socially.

Jarvis observes people and he and the doc talk aboutwhat actions get what results and what is appropriate

It makes very explicit things that are usually implict and seldom discussed.

it is probably a lot more than most college grad students need to know but it would be very helpful for younger students trying to figure out the american social scene
It talks about code switching.

The doc defines this as adjusting the words that you use and the way that you speak depending on whim you are speaking to.

Jarvis says it is fitting the stiff you say with the people you are around.