TEXT 1
LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TODAY
Until a few years ago, learning a foreign language took
place largely in the classroom, within an education system.
It usually meant learning grammar rules and vocabulary,
doing written exercises, reading specially written texts and
answering comprehension questions and - possibly -
listening to recorded texts (and answering further
comprehension questions about these, too). A lot of people
learned the language this way; in fact, you may have done
so yourself.
However, some adults who first experienced a foreign
language at school in the past did not have much success
with it. This was often because they could only see the
difficulties, such as the differences between the L1 and the
target language (L2). They often became demotivated and
decided that English was too difficult, that it had no real
use for them, and many of them gave it up as soon as they
could. They joined the large worldwide community of
unsuccessful foreign language learners.
Today, however, because English is so widely available on
the web, and in social media, as well as in many
workplaces, it has become a reality - and even a
requirement - for a great many people. As a result, it is
much easier to see the connection between what is done in
the classroom and the use of the language in the outside
world, and to ensure that the first can be seen to be a
practical preparation for the second.
Excerpt extracted and adapted from: HOLDEN, Susan; NOBRE,
Vinícius. Teaching English today: Contexts and objectives. São Paulo:
HUB Editorial, 2028 p. 3-4.