"Learning a Language"

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Comment by Analia Dobboletta on March 21, 2008 at 2:01pm

Hi, All!
Sorry to pop up here as a visitor but this discussion is what I'd call 'yummy'. It's so enriching to hear your voices. This video is a fab icebreaker to reflect on how some foreign language learners are taught on a diet of 'fixed phrases', and on how they can 'communicate' with such 'useful expressions'.

Kevin finds the message 'senseless'; Agustina comments on the 'understandable pronunciation'; Marcos points out a few loose words may not be enough to communicate; Florencia argues books may not be enough to learn a foreign language; Ana highlights the boy's effort to put his message across; Carolina brings to the foreground the importance of being able to 'express emotion and feelings'. Congrats. people, you've derived juicy topics from the video!

Now, if you let me, what does learning a foreign language involve? When is somebody a good communicator? What helps a learner to communicate? How can your teacher lead you to learn English meaningfully? How much responsibility does the teacher have? How much is it your own? what else can we do outside the classroom? How? The questions are endless... These are some of the issues that come to mind after watching the video.

Would you like to reflect on at least one of them and respond to your classmates thoughts? I promise I'll keep silent and follow your discussion thread.

Cheers, Analía

Comment by Florencia Sciascia on March 18, 2008 at 8:09pm

I think this video is a good way to show us that learning a language it's not only about taking phrases from books and mixing them. It has to do with expressing what we really feel without the necessity of fixed expressions and trying to speak it naturally, in the same way we do it with our native language.

Comment by Marcos Gimbatti on March 17, 2008 at 8:18pm

I can see how important is Spanish to this guy, because he is trying to get the attention of the Spanish-speaker girl, singing the only words he knows in the language. He might have learnt the language just for her. He's trying to charm her, though his poor Spanish doesn't help him, but I bet he is going to try harder.

Comment by Rita Zeinstejer on March 17, 2008 at 4:48pm

It's me again, in the hope that SOMEBODY in the group can see "beyond" the song and "beyond" the lyrics, into the real purpose of the video maker, and into MY own purpose... Can you connect it with any language learning methodology which should NOT be adopted by either teachers or students...? And why?

Comment by Agustina Gimbatti on March 17, 2008 at 3:35pm

I watched a couple of these videos, the boy that sings, Mike, may not have the greatest pronunciation in the world, but it's definitely understandable, and anyway, it's fun, which I'm guessing was the only goal of this video, anyway.

Comment by Rita Zeinstejer on March 17, 2008 at 3:14pm

Sorry to come in here, Kevin. I entirely disagree with your "disgusting" comment and did NOT have in mind to publish anything like that for you... You have absolutely misinterpreted the purpose of the video... ANY other ideas??

Comment by Kevin Guillermo Fontana Angius on March 17, 2008 at 2:41pm

Oooooooooookay........ If that was me, I'd rather shut up than make such a senseless song. Nice try, though... It actually reminds me of the first time I went to Brazil. One word: disgusting!! Just remember to be sure of what you are saying, otherwise, be prepared for something like this XD

Comment by Rita Zeinstejer on March 17, 2008 at 7:54am

Hi, dear students! Watch this video and make a comment in our Forum area. What do you associate this video with?