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ESL, EFL, and the Mother of Invention

8/16/2013

3 Comments

 
I changed the brakes on my car last Sunday morning! Seriously, I am so bummed that I have paid to do brakes in the past... I got out of Autozone for less than $100, and I changed them myself (okay, so not entirely by myself, but a friend had the tools and he did one half while I watched and then I did the other half, but still, I feel accomplished!).

The budget this month was particularly tight, and the brakes started squeaking pretty bad, and so I took to YouTube and found a really awesome channel for DIY car repairs. At this point, I was really fired up and wanted to go out and try it myself. Luckily my wife stepped in and suggested I find someone to do it with me just in case. Hey, I've got a life insurance policy, but no need to tempt fate, right?

This got me thinking of the difference between ESL and EFL, a distinction I've always found to be kind of tenuous. As the story goes, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) is the English students are studying in their home country versus English being studied in America, Canada, England, Australia, and other English-speaking countries. Since they are probably studying English for their own personal enjoyment or goals, EFL students don't have the same motivations as students who are immersed in English and must use it to get by and buy groceries and other necessary stuff. EFL students are hoping to get a good score on a college entrance exam, or they hope to get good specs for a new job.

I think this distinction is a bit wooden because not all people living and studying in another country feel motivated to learn the language--even if it would make their lives easier. I remember living in Korea and finding some people were content to stick with the "point and grunt" method of getting around in a taxi, and I also see students studying here in America that huddle together with their L1 peers and don't venture out. I ask them, 

"What's your favorite American TV show?" 

"Oh, I don't watch anything in English that isn't in class."

"Oh... do you go out with Americans at least?"

"No, I don't have any American friends."

"Hmmm."

Believe it or not, there are Americans that love to hang out with foreigners--I'm one of them! Students need to be persistent and keep looking. Interaction and immersion are one of the best ways to do it, and sometimes I think we have to be forced to get to that point, but as it says in the title, necessity is the mother of invention. When we need to do something, we'll find a new way to do it; when we find ourselves in an environment where we don't know how to communicate, we'll find a way. Maybe we'll need to point and grunt, maybe we'll find a new word or phrase, but we need that kick in the butt to get out and do it.

So get out this weekend! Or... find something interesting on TV that's in English.

-Bill
3 Comments
Stephen
8/18/2013 12:51:16 pm

When I lived in the Netherlands, even though many Dutch people speak English better than most Americans, it was difficult to "break into" their groups. I had a couple classes outside of my "Dutch Studies" program (which was all foreign students), but even when rubbing shoulders with the Dutch students, they were very kind, but not looking to be friends.

One of my best friends there was a Czech girl who was there to study Dutch. She tried at various parties and events to speak Dutch to native speakers, and multiple times she had them reply, "My English is better than your Dutch, let's just speak English," even though it was her THIRD language... It's tough rut to get out of sometimes, especially if your language skills aren't the best.

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Bill link
8/18/2013 02:17:45 pm

I agree with what you're saying. It can be very difficult to get out of that rut. I think it's highly dependent on the kinds of people you find.

I usually tell my students to bear this in mind when trying to make friends with Americans--some Americans are not up for the challenges of bridging the gap of a language barrier, even if that barrier is really not that big of one anyway. They feel like they will have to explain too many things and be a human dictionary and maybe in the process make the person feel dumb because they will encounter situations where they are clueless. It seems like the Dutch are a bit more direct in that regard because I feel like an American would just avoid that situation altogether because it's so potentially uncomfortable.

That said, I think the crucial thing is to find the right people--people who are interested in other cultures and want to learn from other people and that are willing to help someone learn a new phrase or word.

I'll never forget that my first friend from Korea came to America knowing less than 1000 words, and at first, I could barely understand him (partly his pronunciation, partly my poor exposure to Korean English language learners). Nevertheless, because he was a good friend and made an effort, and because I was interested in him as a person, we overcame the language barrier and became good friends.

Although in this situation, I didn't know any Korean, so maybe your view holds true.

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Stephen
8/18/2013 12:56:20 pm

Something I thought of as soon as I posted was an experience from Central Michigan. One of the most active and most inclusive programs I saw for bringing foreign students into contact with people other than their same-language peers was by a church. The church "seeker friendly" but did a lot of work to bring in foreign students. Now, I remember they had a LOT of Asians, and not as many Middle Easterners, and I suspect that there was some level of proselytizing. Or, at least they did it HOPING that there would be. I, personally, think that's super disingenuous and frustrating, but what do you do?

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