TEFLese

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Anonymous  #564431  Wed, 10 Sep 08 09:17 AM
First, let's look at what I mean by TEFLese.

In his book The Lexical Syllabus, Willis explains the expression in this way:

“‘TEFL-ese’—a language designed to illustrate the workings of a simplified grammatical system and bearing a beguiling but ultimately quite false similarity to real English”.

Have you noticed examples of TEFLese in EFL/ESL classrooms and classroom materials, or do you claim that it does not exist? How do you feel when you hear the term TEFLese, and what does it mean for you?

Thanks in advance.

  
Mister Micawber  #564465  Wed, 10 Sep 08 12:09 PM
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How about registering first, Molly, so we can keep tabs on you?
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Anonymous  #564499  Wed, 10 Sep 08 02:25 PM
Sorry? What is the purpose of allowing posters to remain anonymous to most other posters, Mr M? And are you about to suggest the same to all anonymous posters?
  
Kooyeen  #564621  Wed, 10 Sep 08 07:46 PM
Because you are the only anon who is interested and posts in this section of the forum. Without you, we might well shut it down, LOL.
Joking aside, if you are so interested in TESL, and you are, were, or plan to be a teacher, you might register here like all normal members and try to help too, learning more about the problems learners and teachers have, and possibly trying to "do something" about it... You sure know enough to help, even though I've always seen you ask questions and I don't know what your specialization is.

As for TEFLese, I wouldn't know how to define it. Giving an opinion based on my horrible experience, I might define it as "Simplified English with emphasis on written English, fixed rules that must be followed, and total boredom coming from the teaching method." In other words, learning the TEFLese I described, you'll never actually learn anything... You'll never be an advanced learner, never.

Oh, I'll tell you something stupid. I recently read a kid's homework (middle school), and there was an exercise... Write a letter to your friend. Ok. There were blank spaces, the students had to complete the letter. It turned out to be something like this: "Dear <friend name>, my name is <your name> and I live in <your town>. How are you? Etc."
Now... What's the point of sending a letter to a friend and telling your name and where you live? LOL, that's nonsense! But its only purpose was to make you fill the blanks with some fixed verbs. Both stupid and boring. And that is just one example. Thinking

  
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Mister Micawber  #564696  Wed, 10 Sep 08 11:35 PM
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What is the purpose of allowing posters to remain anonymous to most other posters, Mr M?

It is a gesture of kindness to shy beginners at this pastime.
  
Anonymous  #564712  Thu, 11 Sep 08 12:38 AM
<<Now... What's the point of sending a letter to a friend and telling your name and where you live? LOL, that's nonsense! But its only purpose was to make you fill the blanks with some fixed verbs. Both stupid and boring. And that is just one example. Thinking>>

Yes, very TEFLese. There are many similiar vacuous exercises in the world of TEFL.
  
Anonymous  #564713  Thu, 11 Sep 08 12:39 AM
So you require non-beginners to register, do you?
  
CalifJim  #564771  Thu, 11 Sep 08 04:06 AM
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“‘TEFL-ese’—a language designed to illustrate the workings of a simplified grammatical system and bearing a beguiling but ultimately quite false similarity to real English”.
Very cute.  More than a small ring of truth here.

But you have to start somewhere.  The same oddities exist in all fields of study.  In the first six weeks of geometry, for example, you'd think the only possible shape was a triangle!  I don't think the human brain is very good at all the parallel processing necessary to learn a language in all its sprawling authenticity "all at once".

Maybe Willis will come up with a methodology that avoids the problem he bemoans.  Or maybe that's in fact what his book is.

CJ 

  
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Anonymous  #564829  Thu, 11 Sep 08 07:58 AM
<Maybe Willis will come up with a methodology that avoids the problem he bemoans.>

The "methodologies" already exist and did so long before Willis' observations on TEFLese. Many free-lance teachers present natural, authentic language to their students. It's the world of publishing and the big-name ESL academies that thrives on TEFLese.

<In the first six weeks of geometry, for example, you'd think the only possible shape was a triangle!  >

Difference is, IMO, when you study a triangle you are studying an actual (real) triangle, i.e. the thing itself. If I study a triangle in the classroom, I have no problem transferring that knowledge to other triangles in the outside world, i.e. I recognise a triangle immediately I see one. When you study TEFLese, it's a product once or twice removed from the real thing. Many TEFLesed students have a problem recognising TEFLese examples in the real world because they are few and far between. The same students have problem dealing with real natural langauge.

Another observation: You get so many "Is this sentence correct?" questions here and on other language forums and the majority of such questions are about the students' attempts at making perfect copies of the manufactured/TEFLese sentences that are found in most pedagogical grammar books, ESL classbooks and classrooms. Why is that?
  
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