E. D. Averina
St. Petersburg, Russia
ON THE ROLE OF SETTING INSTRUCTIONS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Traditionally, the problem of achieving high learning outcomes is associated with textbook quality or teacher qualification, and more recently, with educational technology. However, the most critical component of success remains unmanaged: the mental activity performed by the learner when executing different task types and engaging in various speech activities. It is precisely this activity that determines whether a teacher, textbook, or technology will succeed with a given learner.
As is known, action is governed by the mental set (D. N. Uznadze) formed in the learner over years of foreign language study. If, from the perspective of psychological process patterns, this set proves incorrect, the action will be ineffective. It follows that to achieve success in foreign language teaching, the teacher must first know which mental sets are correct for executing any recommended action, and which actually guide the learner’s activity. It must be remembered that forming a new mental set requires multiple repetitions (5 to 30 times). Unfortunately, there are individuals who cannot form mental sets at all, but fortunately, they are few. Therefore, one must not become irritated or spare time for repeatedly reinforcing setting instructions.
In the “System for Teaching Translation-Free Foreign Language Mastery” used in our institute for 15 years, and in my self-study guides, this requirement is consistently met through the inclusion of setting instructions (hereafter SIs).¹
Since everyone’s experience in foreign language learning is similar, SIs also describe typical incorrect mental sets to enable clarification of their fallacy. An SI precedes each task type. To create it, one must clearly understand the psychological mechanism for acquiring a specific skill or knowledge, as well as typical learner errors and task execution methods.
For example, the task “learn words” is usually performed in a completely unproductive way: a foreign word is memorized in a pair with its one-to-one native language translation. This subsequently creates a speaking barrier. A word, like a sparrow, only emerges in conversation when it is firmly associated with a mental image. Therefore, our students receive this SI:
“Never write down or memorize words with their one-to-one native language translation. (Teachers are prohibited from testing words this way). Based on the word’s multiple meanings, seek the significate (core concept) evoked in the national consciousness by this word. Memorize not words, but the texts containing them—not verbatim, but by fixing them as cognitive sketches (croki).”
Each type of speech activity, each level in the speech mechanism system requires its own SI.
Another example: The very first level in the speech mechanism hierarchy is the ability to hold in memory and reproduce a long sound sequence (syntagm, phrase, speech pattern). This mechanism is the foundation of the speech mechanism system; without it, the system will not develop further.
The older the person, the more difficult forming this skill becomes, especially if only one foreign language has been studied throughout life.
The fact that insufficient attention is paid to this level in foreign language teaching leads to the following practical difficulties:
- Misunderstanding interlocutors in conversation
- Inability to understand films, radio broadcasts
- Difficulties in consecutive and simultaneous interpretation
- Lack of self-directed learning in an immersion environment
This occurs because comprehension only arises after the heard syntagm is repeated internally by the listener. In one’s native language, this happens instantaneously and imperceptibly; in a foreign language, this mechanism must be specifically trained.
A single repetition at initial stages is insufficient for transferring information to long-term memory. A fivefold repetition of the phrase to be learned is necessary. With each subsequent repetition, it is desirable to find a reason for it: refining intonation, polishing the pronunciation of poorly articulated sounds—so that learners do not notice they have repeated the phrase 5 times. Only then can the phrase be written on the board and on flashcards.
SI: “When repeating a phrase or syntagm, listen intently to the intonation and copy the pronunciation precisely. Visualize the face of a familiar foreigner you are conversing with and the situation where this phrase is used.”
SI: “When listening to the teacher or a classmate’s response, repeat what you hear internally, syntagm by syntagm.”
Teaching Dialogic Speech
Learners who have developed the ability to memorize and reproduce long sound sequences will have no difficulty in conversation if they follow setting instructions.
SI: “At the initial stage, speak not about what you want, but about what you can speak about, because this material has been studied by you (i.e., the conversation topic). Call these learned typical phrases speech patterns (SPs).”
However, within the studied topic, you must speak about everything you wish. To do this, ask the teacher how to say it, write their response on a flashcard, and memorize it verbatim. It is crucial to memorize in the foreign language all SPs that come to your mind during conversation on a topic. In reality, there are not many, but their set is individual. First and foremost, memorize in the foreign language the phrases from your own set.
At the initial stage, do not compose phrases independently by translating from your native language. Use ready-made, verbatim-memorized SPs suitable for the situation. You may cautiously modify them by substituting your own realities. Then you will start speaking correctly from the very first lessons without any translation from your native to the foreign language.
Build your own bank of SPs! Use the dialogues you learn, phrasebooks; record SPs in class from the teacher. Write SPs on small flashcards: foreign language on one side, native language on the other—no more than one SP per card. Always carry them and use “wasted time” (queues, transport, etc.) for memorization.
When memorizing, visualize a familiar foreigner’s face and, pronouncing the SP aloud in the foreign language, address them. Strive to speak emotionally, with gestures and facial expressions. Hold in your mind the situation where the SP is typically used, not its native translation. Do not allow your native language to intrude into your conversation!
Dialogue consists of questions and answers. Formulating a question is much harder than giving an answer, as the latter incorporates words from the question. Therefore:
- Memorize as many questions as possible
- Upon hearing a question, before answering, repeat it internally multiple times and select words and structures from it for your answer. Usually, only one or two words need to be added; the rest can be borrowed from the question without making a single error.
Use brief answer forms, which are more natural in dialogic speech. Detailed work with SPs is described in the book “Everyday Communication”.²
Teaching Listening Comprehension
The ability to memorize and reproduce a sound sequence internally during a pause also underlies successful work in text listening. Its absence hinders comprehension.
Another obstacle to understanding heard speech:
The learner attempts to translate what they hear into their native language from the very first word. This is the main barrier to foreign language mastery. The correct approach is to immediately begin repeating what you hear, syntagm by syntagm. Our brain processes semantic code with some delay relative to sound. After all, if information is not recorded in the “computer” (this role is fulfilled by instantaneous internal repetition of what is heard), it is impossible to answer a given question (i.e., impossible to understand what was heard but not repeated internally).
SI before listening:
“Sit comfortably, relax. Rest your head on your hands, close your eyes. Feel warmth in your feet and hands, coolness on your forehead. While listening to the narrative, do not pause at unfamiliar words. Evoke a mental image in your consciousness for each familiar word. Guess the general meaning based on combinations of familiar words, prefixes, suffixes, logical stress, intonation, and the overall topic of discussion. Mentally ‘film’ the text being audited. When completing subsequent tasks, revisit this mental film and extract information for answers. Under no circumstances translate into your native language!”
Teaching Reading
We must immediately distinguish two types of work:
- Reading with comprehension
- Reading as the process of sounding out letters (i.e., the ability to associate letters with sounds).
A person who reads quickly and with correct intonation does not assemble words from letters or syllables but recognizes the word as familiar based on certain features. These include the word’s contour, combinations of certain letters within it, and the learner’s orientation to the topic under discussion. This is the basis of speed reading techniques.
To teach this, we use the setting instruction:
SI: “Repeat after the teacher or narrator in the pauses between syntagms what you hear. While doing so, look precisely at the words you are repeating, but do not analyze individual letters or assemble words from syllables.”
Prolonged work with this set will lead to stable associations between the visual image of the whole word and its auditory image. Do not spare class time for reading each new text aloud in chorus after the teacher. As a result, a bank of syntagms is created in the learner’s auditory memory, their engrams (imprints) are formed, and associations between the sound and visual image of the word emerge. This will later prevent errors in oral and written speech, enable easy comprehension of read texts, and allow the learner to work as a simultaneous interpreter.
Every material intended for mastery must be processed at this level, even if the learner can read the text without errors. They can but will not do it independently, yet all subsequent work on the text will be easier and more successful if they do.
Incidentally, this is precisely how preschoolers and first-graders should be taught to read. Then they will not need to enroll in speed-reading schools and will always read with pleasure.
The scope of this publication does not permit presenting other SIs. They can be found in my book.¹
Twenty years of using setting instructions in the educational process with both adults and children have confirmed their high effectiveness. However, abandoning old mental sets and acquiring new ones is a lengthy process, provoking active resistance in some learners and even teachers. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with the system itself are invited to the website: https://eaverina.ru/ .
It is developed based on the conclusions of leading Russian psychologists:
B. G. Ananyev, B. V. Belyaev, V. P. Bespal’ko, P. Ya. Gal’perin, P. I. Zinchenko, N. V. Kuz’mina, A. A. Leontiev, Yu. A. Samarin, A. A. Smirnov, and N. D. Uznadze.
References:
¹ E. D. Averina. Foreign Language in 200 Hours. St. Petersburg, Rudi-Bars, 1994
² E. D. Averina, O. Yu. Antonova. Everyday Communication (810 Speech Patterns), German Language. St. Petersburg, 1996
³ E. D. Averina. DEUTSCH. Lexical Maps. Me and My Home. St. Petersburg, 2004