Practice makes perfect....

Since I moved to Finland I've met many other students - some study education while others don't - although, we are all here (officially) for the same reason that is to study at The University of Eastern Finland where one of our main joining point is the English language. These last couple of months I've given Englishs as a second or additional language some thoughts - and some of my reflections have surely given me something to think about in my own teaching - and communication.

How much does the EAL/EFL teacher's English competences effect the pupil's competences? Can great "teaching competences" make up for a lack of English skills?

A lack of vocabulary really makes communication a challenge for those who participate in the communication. It is definetely essential to train vocabulary and to do it consistently and efficiently if the learners are to accommodate the new vocabulary.

Pronunciation or intonation? I think the wrong intonation creates a greater challenge for understanding than wrong pronunciation does - although, both are of course closely tied together and can not be completely separated from each other.

And to the discovery that has striked me the most.. Does practice make perfect? Can exposing EAL/EFL students to an English speaking environment improve their language skills? Yes, surely it can, but from what I have experienced here, it does definetely not equal improved and expanded English skills. It seems to me that the main reason that people can learn more and become better is to be found inside them selves - and this leads me back to my reflections about "expert learners". Becoming very good at something seems to demand an active learner - and not just exposioure to "good learning situations". The learners really has to develop some kind of intrinsic motivation for learning and become somewhat of an "expert learner" before extensive learning can take place.

Practice does not necessarily make perfect - when active learners practice they might become perfect but non-active learners only become better at what they already know, they do not seem to develop their skills even further, to expand their knowledge.

So to go back to what I started out with. Can "great teaching skills" make up for a lack of English skills? If the teacher can help the pupils to become active learners, or one might say, expert learners, the answer to the question above might be yes.

These are all just my personal reflections, so I don't have references for these matters, but I think it could be interesting to hear my readers' thoughts about my reflections... Especially about what teachers can do to "create" active learners?

PS to put some of my thoughts in a more practical connection.. If mistakes are not corrected they might never become correct! But.. there's always a but. Who, when, why, where and what should one correct? Sometimes I wonder if I should correct my "fellow students" here in Joensuu, but I always end-up not doing so, beacuse I don't want to be rude and seem arrogant.. Even so, I really see a big difference between the way people learn here.. It seems obvious to me that those who expand their English skills want to learn more - and they do so in every conversation. They don't only focus on "understanding" but on "learning"..