Free English Language Dissertations - Both Oral And Written English Play Crucial Roles In Allowing Opportunities
Both oral and written English play crucial roles in allowing opportunities for education, employment and full participation in society. There is a clear relationship between functional literacy and equal opportunities to gain access to rights and benefits.
It would also help to point out that there are students from all backgrounds and at all levels of development who have difficulty with the writing process. This includes native speakers as well as those acquiring a second language, though admittedly there are often more challenges for those learning English as a second tongue. The difficulty writing is inherent in the process and is not an indication of a student’s inability to master it. Writing is a thinking process, and it involves not only accurate use of language but also engaging with meaning for a specific purpose.
Conclusion
The English language is a constantly-changing and often frustrating entity, and it is composed of myriad varieties. Mastery of it is an arduous task, even for those who are born native speakers. For those who acquire it as a second language, it poses challenges and stumbling blocks that go far beyond correct syntax or punctuation. The purpose and context of language often determine its ‘appropriacy’ and add an additional layer of meaning.
As Ellis and others have shown, there are levels of development in language learning, and students should be allowed to work at levels they are comfortable with until they are ready to progress. For students who are not adequately prepared, focusing on meaning instead of on form can result in serious structural problems in their writing. In addition, positive attitudes and encouraging feedback from teachers strongly impacts students’ continued development.
However, in closing, it is important to have a sense of perspective to avoid getting discouraged or frustrated when trying to navigate through the complex and confusing rules. As one linguist advises, ‘since there is no way of establishing a best rule for any particular set of language phenomena...there are sound reasons, both practical and theoretical, for learners and teachers to assume a cautious, if not skeptical, attitude towards any pedagogical treatment of language regularities. (Westney 1994).
Works Cited
Baugh, A. and T. Cable. 1993. A History of the English Language. London: Prentice-
Hall.
Ellis, Rod. 1993. ‘Talking Shop: Second language acquisition research: how does it help
teachers? An interview with Rod Ellis’. ELT Journal. Vol. 47/1 Jan. 1993: 3-11.
Ellis, Rod. 1985. Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Newby, M. 1987. The Structure of English: A Handbook of English Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Westney, P. 1994. ‘Rules and pedagogical grammar’ in T. Odin (ed.): Perspectives on Pedagogical Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 72-96.
Works Consulted
McArthur, T. 1998. The English Languages.
