How Myths about Language Affect Education: What Every Teacher Should Know

Contents

INTRODUCTION 1 1. MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE IN GENERAL 10 u Some languages and dialects are better than others. 11 v Grammar usage reflects a person’s moral character. 21 w Languages and dialects are determined by race. 23 x Languages have one correct form, and this form should 27 not change. 2. MYTHS ABOUT FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 38 u Parents teach children language, and children learn it 39 through imitation. v “Parentese” slows language development. 46 w Children benefit from having their language corrected. 49 x Television aids language development in children. 52 3. MYTHS ABOUT SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 56 u Recent immigrants to the United States learn English 57 more slowly than previous generations of immigrants. v Young L2 learners should be completely immersed 60 in English. w Smart people are better second language learners. 64 x Grammar has no place in second language instruction. 67 y Listening and reading are the easiest skills to acquire 70 in a second language. Contents v vi 4. MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY 74 u Some people do not speak in a dialect. 75 v Declaring English as the official language will unify 76 the country. w Television, movies, and the Internet are aiding in the 81 disappearance of dialects. 5. MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE AND THINKING 85 u Language determines how we think. 85 v Politics, popular culture, and technology are corrupting 91 English by limiting many traditional forms of English. Epilogue 98 References 100 Index 107 HOW MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE AFFECT EDUCATION ...