Incorporating the Language Laboratory into the Classroom

at the Advanced Level

Gregory W. AZZar University of New Hampshire

ABSTRACT Studies on second language acquisi- tion seem to indicate that listening and reading ac- tivities play a far more significant role in the development offluency in a foreign language than do oral drills. In the early stages of language learn- ing, assignments in the language laboratory com- plement classroom instruction with drills designed to reinforce grammar and develop linguistic com- petence. Upper division offerings, on the other hand, rarely coordinate language lab materials with classroom instruction. The technique outlined in this paper draws on the use of a wide variety of recorded language materials in conjunction with a structured format for developing fluency at the ad- vanced level.

In teaching a foreign language educators con- stantly experiment with various techniques and materials. During the 1960’s and 1970’s the audio- lingual approach dominated foreign language in- struction. This method advocated the acquisition of listening and speaking skills prior to those of reading and writing. At the end of the 1960’~~ however, the Pennsylvania Foreign Language Research Project called into question the value of the audio-lingual method (Aleamoni and Spencer, 1). Unfortunately, the results of the Pennsylvania

Gregory W. Allor (Ph.D., University of Michigan) is Assistant Professor of Russian at the University of New Hampshire; Durham, NH.

Foreign Language Annals, 18, No. 2, 1985 145

Project did not conclusively determine which of the three foreign language teaching strategies or language laboratory systems employed in this study proved most effective in developing the four language skills, i.e. listening, reading, speaking, and writing. It did, however, provoke a renewed effort to examine how educators present a foreign language. For instance, Asher (3) discussed how second language acquisition, not unlike that of a child‘s first language, involves listening comprehen- sion skills coordinated with a physical response. Postovsky (10) asserted that not requiring the stu- dent to respond in the initial stage of second language acquisition may reduce interference from the habits inherent in the native language. Ingram et al. (8) concurred with Asher’s findings and em- phasized that speaking prior to reaching the “point of readiness” actually retards the development of listening comprehension. Benson and Hjelt (6) sup- ported the impact of listening comprehension and maintained that “only when the comprehending process is functional can the learner proceed to manipulate the language in meaningful and creative ways.” The Lozanov method, or Suggestopedia (Bancroft, 4), even went so far as to incorporate special techniques of yoga relaxation and concen- tration combined with classical music, parapsy- chology, and autogenic therapy in a three-part cy- cle to foster language acquisition. Terrell (11, 12) proposed three guidelines whereby students could achieve communicative competence noting that “if we raise our expectations for oral competency (at

146 FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS

this level), we must lower our expectancy for struc- tural accuracy.”

These studies all seem to indicate that “input- oriented” language teaching strategies may be more effective in overall language acquisition (Asher, 2; Belasco, 5 ) . Recently, in his book Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition, Stephen Krashen (9) summarized this trend in language methodology, stating that “we acquire [language] via input, what we read and hear, and not via out- put, actual talking and writing ... Output has only an indirect role in encouraging acquisition.’’ Krashen claims in his Input Hypothesis that listen- ing and reading activities play a far more signifi- cant role in the development of fluency than do oral drills. His observations appear particularly relevant to the teaching of foreign languages at the advanced level in American colleges and universities.

The elementary levels of most language programs devote four or five hours a week to classroom in- struction focused primarily on introducing students to the basic grammatical structures of the language. Weekly, or even daily, assignments in the language laboratory complement this classroom activity with drills designed to reinforce grammar and develop linguistic competence. In these early stages students consistently have access to input from both the classroom and the language lab. Upper division of- ferings, on the other hand, meet three or at most four hours each week. Classroom activities tend to be conducted in the target language. Courses at this level more or less assume linguistic competence and emphasize the incorporation of grammatical con- cepts into expanded responses. At this crucial junc- ture the role of the language lab in most programs drastically decreases, leaving the students with fewer classroom hours and without the essential laboratory input. The technique described in this paper draws on the use of a wide variety of record- ed language materials in conjunction with a struc- tured format for in-class discussion.

Last year, in an attempt to respond to a perceived need for additional language input in my upper- level classes, I began to adapt recorded language materials for teaching Advanced Russian. Students in this class were asked to meet an additional hour each week. We devoted this extra hour solely to discussion of the new materials. Each week the class listened to a short story or excerpt of a text recorded on a cassette. They had the option of listening to the program in the language lab wduplicatiag it for use at home. Prior to list&%ng to the tape each student received a picture which related to the story, as well as a list of vocabulary. The items appear- ing on the vocabulary list served to facilitate com-

prehension of idiomatic passages in the text. Carefully limited to not more than ten words or phrases, this list forced the students to determine the meaning of other words and phrases through context. They listened to the tape as many times as each felt necessary with the recommendation that they keep the picture and vocabulary in front of them. This assignment served:

1) to strengthen listening comprehension skills; 2) to provide an opportunity to hear a native

speaker; 3) to internalize new vocabulary and construc-

tions necessary for conversation; and 4) to develop oral performance in conversation

at the the advanced level. The appendix provides one sample assignment.

I conducted the conversation class completely in Russian. Since the recorded text usually did not ex- ceed ten minutes, I could play the entire selection at the beginning of the class, thereby refreshing the students’ memories as to plot and reviewing the idiomatic usage of vocabulary. Discussion began with a call for general questions followed by a carefully structured series of precise questions designed to encourage increasingly sophisticated use of the targeted vocabulary and grammatical structures. Beginning with questions requiring on- ly a “yes” or “no” response, I proceeded next to ones which required students to make a choice or complete a phrase, and then to more complex ques- tions demanding short answers. At this level I aim- ed primarily at having the class reconstruct the plot of the story and establish its basic facts in responses gradually increasing in length and complexity. Hav- ing reinforced the context of the story, I introduc- ed a final series of questions designed to stimulate hypothetical and evaluative answers relating to its overall theme. This call for more subjective responses truly challenged the students’ abilities, not only to organize and explain their thoughts, but to substantiate their opinions. During class discus- sion I purposely kept error correction to a minimum to avoid disturbing their train of thought and to allow ample opportunity for expression. I challenged only those errors wich severely imped- ed developing oral performance; in several in- stances the assigned texts coincidently stress gram- matical points and explanations treated during the other three hours of class, thereby allowing me to

These language lab materials and this approach proved very effective in stimulating active conver- sation. Students often hesitate to answer questions with new vocabulary and rely primarily on a limited

--reemphasize selected grammatical structures.

APRIL 1985

repertoire of patterned responses. The progressive order of questioning described above enabled me to elicit specific answers which incorporated new vocabulary and expressions, and to encourage con- structions of greater complexity. It also provided a means to address individual student needs by em- phasizing oral performance or linguistic com- petence as needed. Since the topics discussed in the class varied weekly, students dealt with a broad spectrum of materials on Soviet life. They appeared not only to appreciate the strategy, but to continue its use outside the classroom. The enthusiasm generated by the conversation hour led a number of students to experiment with such supplementary resources as Russian filmstrips, Russian music, and shortwave broadcasts (Wipf, 13) of Voice of America.

The strategy outlined in the present paper endeavors to expand upon the role of recorded materials by illustrating that an organized format for classroom discussion may benefit second language acquisition by reducing “task overload” (of stress and anxiety). At the elementary level In- gram et al. (8) infers that there is some evidence that speaking prior to the development of listen- ing comprehension causes “task overload” in language learning. Its presence at the advanced level, a phenomenon universal in second language acquisition, remains a major impediment to suc- cessful language acquisition and a factor which warrants attention.

The classroom technique under discussion at- tacks the problem of task overload from three directions: motivation, anxiety, and self- confidence. A teacher at the advanced level must motivate his students not only to respond, but to respond creatively in ways which eliminate cir- cumlocuation and employ grammatically complex, yet succinct expressions. The materials described above act as effective catalysts in this respect. Since students can not deduce the plot of the story sole- ly from the picture or vocabulary, they must rely on their listening skills for input. Furthermore, the limited vocabulary list forces students to draw on their own grammatical skills to construct a subjec- tive interpretation. The graduated series of ques- tions motivates them to do so.

The careful structuring of the questions posed in the classroom also serves to minimize student anxiety by gradually leading students to increas- ing levels of difficulty, thereby avoiding remarks often construed as intimidating. Students feel secure enough to abandon grammatically simple ex- pressions involving familiar vocabulary in favor of more complex and precise constructions. Normal

147

apprehension levels diminish as the students work through the progressive sequence of questions. This pattern of reinforcement instills a feeling of “SUC-

cess” with the language which in turn bolsters self- confidence. Ultimately, students become more relaxed and inclined to be more creative in their responses.

Krashen’s Input Hypothesis underscores the im- portance of supplementing classroom instruction at the advanced levels with language laboratory materials. My own experiments with the strategy described above demonstrate the effectiveness of making language lab materials an active compo- nent in classroom instruction. Similarly Byrnes et al. (7) offer samples of caSsette materials for French and German and endorse their application in these languages on the advanced level. Integrating laboratory programs into carefully structured classroom exercises forces students to process in- formation at the proficiency level of a native speaker, reinforcing idiomatic expressions and new vocabulary through context and drawing attention to the nuances on intonation. At present the field of advanced language study suffers from a con- spicuous lack of laboratory materials appropriate to classroom use. Recorded language materials can act as a valuable resource easily adaptable for use inside and outside the classroom and furnishing the additional input of a native speaker. Above all, they can serve as a model for future development of laboratory materials for students at the advanced level in all languages.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5 .

6.

REFERENCES Aleamoni, Lawrence M., and Richard E. Spencer. “An Evaluation of the Pennsylvania Foreign Language Project.” The Modern Language Jour- nal 53 (1969): 421-28. Asher, James J . “Children’s First Language as a Model for Second Language Learning.” The Modern Language Journal 56 (1972): 133-39.

“The Total Physical Response Ap- proach to Second Language Learning.” TheModern Language Journal 53 (1969): 3-17. Bancroft, W. Jane. “The Lozanov Method and Its American Adaptations.” The Modern Language Journal 62 (1978): 167-74. Belasco, Simon. “Nucleation and the Audio-Lingual Approach.” The Modern Language Journal 49

Benson, Pamela G. , and Christine Hjelt. “Listen- ing Competence: A Prerequisite to Communica- tion.” The Modern Language Journal 62 (1978):

(1965): 482-91.

85-89.

148 FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS

7. Byrnes, Adelheid S., et al. “Enhancing Second Language Acquistion by a Focus on Listening Com- prehension: The Potential of the Cassette.” Foreign Language Annals 15 (1982): 37-46. Ingram, Frank, et al. “A Program for Listening Comprehension.” Slavic and East European Jour- nal 19 (1975):l-10. Krashen, Stephen. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. New York: Pergamon Press, 1982.

10. Postovsky, Valerian A. “Effects of Delay in Oral

8.

9.

Practice at the Beginning of Second Language Learning.” The Modern Language Journal 58 (1974): 229-39.

1 1 . Terrell, Tracy D. “A Natural Approach to Second Language Acquisition and Learning.” The Modern Language Journal 61 (1977): 315-37.

“The Natural Approach to Language Teaching: An Update.” The Modern Language Journal 66 (1982): 121-32.

13. Wipf, Joseph A. “Shortwave Radio and the Second Language Class.” The Modern Language Journal

12.

68 (1984): 7-12.

APPENDIX

Sample Story: “Death of a Bureaucrat” by Anton P. Chekhov

Plot Synopsis One evening while in a theater Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov, a petty bureaucrat, acciden- tally sneezes on a general sitting in front of him. Chervjakov profusely pardons himself; however, he is not thoroughly convinced that his apologies have been accepted. This short story portrays the paranoia Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov experiences and his attempts to atone himself before the general.

Picture: A balding pudgy old man with rounded shoulders, dressed in a tweed coat with baggy overalls, tieless, shirt buttoned at the neck, scuffed shoes, wearing glasses on the end of his nose, stands fumbling his hat with a very submissive apologetic expression on his face.

Vocabulary: 1) bureaucrat 2) to sneeze 3) to wipe 4) accidentally, by accident 5 ) purposely, on purpose 6) to,respond flippantly 7) in front of 8) to think and think, but in no way come to a decision

Questions:

Yes/No 1) Was this a night which Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov would always remember? 2) After Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov apologized, was the general still mad?

1) Did Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov sneeze on the general by accident, or on purpose? 2) Was the general sitting in front of him, or behind him?

Short Answer 1) How did the bureaucrat’s wife respond to the incident in the theater? 2) What did Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov notice the general in front of him doing after

1) If you were in Ivan Dmitrich Chervjakov’s position, how would you have handled

2) Describe a situation in which you were involved, but were unable to resolve!

Choice

he sneezed?

Hypothetical the incident?