Role of Homework
When (if ever) is homework appropriate for a foreign language class? How should it be used? Do you feel it is ever improperly used? Should homework be given before or after the lesson is taught? Exchange ideas with your peers and be sure to use examples to support your opinions.
I do believe that homework is a necessary requirement to supplement educational learning. I also think that class participation should act as a supplement to homework and should also be required. The text refers to homework as an opportunity for students to explore and communicate their hypotheses with the new language. I think that homework acts as a logistical support to contextualize learning: the text also referenced classroom conversation versus real-life conversation. Homework can act as a stimulus to promote effective learning and how to respond effectively to correction of mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThe text references actual barriers to learning, such as an individual's level of anxiety or maybe the inability to recover effectively given a bad mistake made before. The text also describes the classroom as a defensive environment. I understand this concept because the classroom is an actual opportunity for the student to demonstrate their ability and what they have actually done to prepare. Improvement can be gauged in a classroom as can participation. A student can become defensive if they did not do their homework and then have to explain that, most likely the explanation will be given in L1.
I cannot see how homework would ever be improperly used. I think is issued, its intent is judicial in nature to promote learning, adaptability and maturity. I think that homework should be given after the lesson is taught in order to first learn correctly and then practice. The text references individual impedances to learning. I think that homework is a practical application to create a better student who can prepare their own personal work and can refine their academic skills. I think if a student continues to participate and complete assignments, their anxiety will decrease and they will be in a better position to learn. If a student completes more assignments, they will be less defensive and in a better position to learn. It is a student's responsibility to become engaged and seek out information.
I think that most people would agree that doing HW (homework) is important for learning in general. However, I've heard that students often complain about doing HW. I wonder what type of HW students are more willing and interested in spending time doing it. Also do you think that it's a good idea to make HW 'optional'? If so, I wonder how many students would do HW on a regular basis?
DeleteI agree, the nature of homework is to promote learning, adaptability and maturity. However, it is not always administered as so. Homework is really just an extension of whoever creates the curriculum, the professor. If the professor is incompetent, it is likely that the homework will reflect his incompetence, no?
DeleteThe more competent is a teacher the more efficient is learning material will be. When it comes to homework, the teacher will be able to discern what is valuable to the lesson taught and homework will definitely reflect that.
DeleteAssigning work for the student to accomplish can have a marked positive impact on their journey to proficiency. Homework should be used primarily as a tool to learn grammar and other rules of the target language, so that class time can be dedicated to speaking in the target language, and clarifying questions that students might have. Also, reading is often an assignment for foreign language learners, which would also be inopportune to do in a classroom. Translating a text, or understanding it in the target language, is an invaluable tool for the student. It allows for an expansion of vocabulary; a development of reasoning skills related to translating the significance of a thought, rather than literal translation; and gives the student a window into the target culture.
ReplyDeleteYes, the act of assigning work outside of the classroom can be used improperly. If too difficult, it could dampen a student’s self-confidence and consequently their performance in the classroom or as an effective speaker. Even if the assignment is easy, an overly repetitive and exhaustive worksheet may make a student think that the language itself is tiresome and boring. Homework should serve to clarify and explain ideas about the language. It should serve to pique the students’ interest about the target culture, history, or even idiomatic expressions -- and not beat a dead horse.
I think an educator can make an assignment function when given both before and after a class. A reading can be given before class as an introduction to a topic, or a worksheet can be assigned after teaching a complex grammatical concept in order to practice and cement the new idea. As long as the educator is conscious of both the quantity of workload given and its applicability to the eventual goal of proficiency, homework can be assigned in preparation of a class or given as a solidifying measure afterwards.
Sure, in theory "Homework should be used primarily as a tool to learn grammar and other rules of the target language," but how much grammar do people really learn by conjugating T charts at home. I'm sure they can now conjugate most verbs on that T chart, but can they put what they've done into practice. I doubt it. I think it is best to leave the majority of a students learning outside of class up to that student. If they aren't interested in one topic, doesn't it make sense to leave them more time to ponder other topics and questions which they can use to become a real person who does a real task in the world which can help real people. My issue with homework is that it hurts students morale in terms of how they feel about education. Students should be encouraged to use the topics they learn about in school in a fun way at home. For instance, math class could tell students to check out an interesting coding challenge at home and English class could tell students to find a book they enjoy and read twenty minutes or even just to find a short article which the class can discuss the next day. I believe that graded homework puts too much pressure on students and takes away any interest and passion they had for learning.
DeleteWhile I do say all this, I also see your view where it would be practical to have students learn conjugations and irregular verbs and so on outside of class so that you can focus on becoming proficient as a speaker and a writer in class. And yes, it certainly makes sense that these assignments would be graded so as to encourage students to actually do the work, and do it well. But I still can't help but feel that maybe, just maybe if we left students own learning a little bit more up to themselves, they'd make up for lost ground in the subjects they care about and even improve more so in that subject than they would've done through homework. Simply by building an interest and a desire to improve.
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DeleteI agree with you that homework is an important step into a positive step to proficiency. Your sentiments on that it should be used primarily on improvement on grammar is definitely true. The text does say homework stimulates learning. Using all these different ways as homework seems like you would be putting a lot of the actual teaching up to the student. But your thoughts on homework being too hard can have negative impacts on self esteem makes me think that what you would assign would be very balanced.
DeleteI like to use 'credit' and 'non-credit' system to grade HW. Nowadays, many textbooks come with online workbook and lab to allow students to practice vocabulary and grammar and do self-checks. They are actually very useful to students and teachers alike. However, this requires students' motivation to do HW online. I have had students who cannot be bothered to do HW and still get a good final grade on the course. So does HW really play a meaningful role in L2 learning?
DeleteI am not in favor of giving students assignments before the lesson is taught but Patrick you are making a good point about giving materials for reading as an introduction to class. I definitely agree with you in that instance.
DeleteI agree with your statement that time allotted to reading in the classroom would be futile, I think that implies that reading should be assigned as a homework assignment. I think that homework could be used a tool to implement cultural exposure to a student. Like you said, text translation allows the student to learn of different language use and culture. I agree that through homework, a student can find that they have accomplished something and therefore can feel more in control of their studies and learning environment. I also do agree that homework can serve as a fundamental way for students to learn grammar and vocabulary. Learning vocabulary will ultimately allow the student to feel more confident and learn how to begin to communicate. Also, assigning homework after a class is also a realistic approach to learning. The assignment then reinstates the learned information effectively.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe homework is an important tool to help guide students throughout their time studying. A foreign language educator has only so much time in the classroom with students. If you spent most of your time discussing grammar and vocabulary in class the students would never be able to just practice the target language.
ReplyDeleteHomework to me should be used in a more entertaining way. I think Quizlet is a great outlet to assign for homework. It allows students to make their own flash cards and input different words and definitions on them, then after it makes like 5 different games to play that are all based off what they put in. Homework in general is obviously something that is not enjoyed by students, so finding a way to make it more fun is something that I believe is very important.
Assigning homework can indeed be used improperly. One of the worst things in my eyes back in high school and also in 504-632 classes here at UNH is busy work. The homework assignments that take forever to do because its usually like a 5 page packet with fill in the blank questions. I personally believe that yes, doing that is helpful but if it was say condensed into like one maybe two pages it'd be just as effective and students would dread it less. I don't really think that it matters when homework is to be assigned, that seems like it's just a preference on a per-teacher basis.
I agree with you that homework is an important tool to learn and improve. Homework is also a tool that allows the student to know that they are being instructed at a higher level in order to advance their skills. A foreign language classroom has limited time and opportunity to read and write and there assigning homework is an actual legal opportunity to improve students' knowledge. I do agree that homework could be entertaining because learning in general is tedious and verbatim. Homework can be fun while being instructive.
DeleteI don't think that simply making homework fun is the answer. If a student doesn't enjoy what she studies, why does she do it? If she studies merely to get a job and doesn't enjoy what she studies, she probably won't enjoy the job that her degree will help her obtain. Making something fun just for the sake of being fun also has its costs to learning. I believe a way to make homework enjoyable and conducive to good learning is by giving students the freedom to conduct their own studies and research.
DeleteI do not think either making homework fun is the answer. I agree with the fact if you do not enjoy the degree that you are learning you will probably not enjoy the homework part and perhaps the type of job that you will land.
DeleteHomework is principally used to monitor students’ headway into or knowledge of the language. It is also an instrument that helps the instructor coordinate and execute her lesson plan and curriculum. As we discussed in the previous blog, classroom instruction has little to do with actual learning and acquisition — an ambitious learner can more effectively learn on her own time than sitting in a classroom. From my experience, 90% of language learning and acquisition is matured from outside of institutional instruction. To master any skill, one cannot remain in a comfortable and relaxed environment where things flow smoothly and naturally -- no; one must thrust himself into embarrassing circumstances that force him out of his Comfort Zone, thus obliging him to abandon all prior notion of himself and the world. To learn another language is to learn another viewpoint, way of life, set of norms and mores, facial expressions, and hand gestures. Assigned practice certainly aids the lecturer in advancing through her syllabus and unhurriedly constructing students’ knowledge and proficiency. The everyday student accomplishes such tasks with minimal effort and is satisfied with his progression in acquiring the new language. In such an environment, however, the zealous student will be constantly bored and ultimately delayed. For this reason it is important that the professor teach to the ambitious student with the ultimate goal of uncovering knowledge by allotting homework that permits the student a prerogative to truly express his capabilities as a substitute to an insipid two-sided grammar worksheet designed to satisfy the pseudo-intellectual whose primary intent for taking a language course is to unambiguously enhance his job prospects.
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt the theories we have previously examined, especially those advanced by Skinner, Chomsky and Krashen, are perpetuated by the spectre of capitalism. They are hypothesized, researched, developed and presented in a manner which holds in mind a key ingredient of capitalism: that financial gain is more valuable than understanding the meaning of life. These theories are not meant to help us master a second language, but to create the next generation of industrious, obedient American workers. Perhaps this is the reason why cognitive theories of language acquisition are so often looked over. Perhaps this is the reason why funding for humanities studies has been cut in favor of STEM fields.
I also believe the student should be dealt more responsibility in improving their abilities as a foreign language speaker. Be that through talking to foreign language speakers, watching television, or reading articles outside of class and spending time reflecting internally on the skills they are acquiring or possibly those that they need to improve.
DeleteTime at home should not be spent filling out meaningless worksheets that have almost no value in real world situations, that I agree with. I'm curious to know if you believe any foreign language, or any subject for that matter, should be required or if it should all be up to the student to discover the knowledge that they are seeking because you appear to believe that learning really only happens through real world experiences at least in the realm of foreign language.
I agree with you that a lot of language learning and acquisition come from learning outside of the classroom setting. The way you speak on needing to get through your comfort zone by being in real life situations (even if it may be embarrassing) is more important makes sense. But, I do believe that practicing at the beginning level with some work sheets are also important. Students need that extra reinforcement at the beginning to learn things like grammar and vocabulary more efficiently.
DeleteI agree with Bryce. Can you imagine a language class WITHOUT homework? How about if I stop assigning HW? Will you still do your reading, go over exercises yourself, and get ready for classroom activities and discussion?
DeleteYou make a good point, Professor; A class without homework isn't much of class at all. If you weren't to assign any homework, most of us (myself included) probably would not read the book to the lengths that we currently do. My point was not, however, that homework should not be assigned, but that it be given completely individually in that the student has the autonomy to decide what and how much he will write or read or record or film. Think of this: you give us a reading assignment and ask students to respond how they like. You might see that some students write more or less than others or that some students come up with better content than others.
DeleteA class without would definitely greatly impact how much we study or learn. It would be almost to complete homework without some reading or studying. Therefore, I think homework reinforces learning and requires some type of studying
DeleteI agree with your introduction of capitalism to the study of foreign language. It appears that capitalists suggest that a more educated work force creates a better and more stable economy. I think that the study of foreign language should be nationally supported economically in that it supports a more diverse population. I think that capitalists should consider the longitudinal effects of foreign language study to its domestic agenda and economy in order to support students and their studies.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that homework is a personal task that allows students to gain insight into their personal ability and foresight. Homework is a personal and objective reminder of strengths and weaknesses. As homework is done alone and then is examined, it allows the student personal room for improvement and growth. I think that you are right in stating that individual learners of foreign language can experience embarrassing situations to learn more appropriately.
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ReplyDeleteSpanish homework for the most part should be student centered or at times research based. If it were up to me there would be little to no required graded homework. I do believe in studying vocabulary and being encouraged to do research at home which can later be discussed in class and elicit conversation. I believe more in putting responsibility on students to put in work at home based on their own will to learn. If students have no interest in what is being taught out of class then I have done something wrong as a teacher. I haven't introduced the students to interesting external sources which heighten their interest in the language and with which they can improve themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly useful to give students evaluation before and after a lesson to see where they were before and after, although I don't necessarily think it should be given as homework. Homework is certainly abused in the foreign language department, students are forced to memorize conjugation tables, but never learn how to use these conjugations in real world situations. Other vocabulary based graded assignments I also find to be useless. Students match a word to its definition one time and never look at it again. This is why I put importance on letting students discover themselves, if they truly have interest, they will study on their own time. Of course I will tell students to look up relevent topics which we can speak of in class or I will tell them to read articles at home which we will discuss in class or possibly write about during a period the next day. They will be graded on participation, accuracy, and ability. if they didn't do the short assignment at home they of course will have nothing to add to class and will be given something else to do so as to keep them involved, but of course they will realize these assignments need to be done if they want to do the more engaging and involved assignments and participate on discussion. And I do believe in selecting students at random if no one is participating. My point here is that class can be run with a focus on improving oral and written proficiency without giving students pointless homework which they don't really focus on and typically copy from others or do once and then forget. I'd rather assign students to look up what interests them at home, something that can be done in fifteen minutes or less such as reading a very short article or watching a clip. We can even pull up these short articles or clips the next day if they sound interesting and discuss them as a class. I don't believe in graded take home work, unless we are talking about projects which are simply too large to complete during class which of course would not be a common thing.
I think your are projecting an important notion that homework should not be graded (maybe you are suggesting that if assigned, homework should be guaranteed accepted and graded well if done.) I think that homework can prepare a student with a baseline understanding of general rules and guidelines of that foreign language. It is important for the teacher to prepare the student and attempt to create a classroom that fosters personal growth. I think that homework can create a more structured classroom and then students should be introduced to external sources, in order to learn more applicable and accurate information. I do agree with you that participation should be a main component to a students' grade and overall evaluation. Also, the random selection of students (if there is a lack of participation) is a good idea. I do think though, that students need to have a dependent variable in order to do the actual homework so that the learning environment is continuous and adaptive to learning.
DeleteI agree with you that it is very important to inspire students to explore more on their in own time in place of graded worksheets. I do also believe though that when a student is just starting their journey to learning a second language, homework is important to have. It helps maintain more true learning homework helps one gain good "technique" if you think of it like a sports analogy. The day you pick up a bat you're not hitting home runs; you're learning how to swing the bat. I do think that their is a limit to how much to assign and how challenging it should be but homework is still needed nonetheless.
DeleteInteresting observations here. How much should we assign? How much should HW be weighted? I know some teachers do not give credit for HW assignments but encourage students to go over them before and after class. They also use some of exercises /questions from HW for quizzes and tests. Do you think it's a good idea?
DeleteStudent centered homework would be interesting to observe. I believe it would clearly separate the motivated from the indolent. It would be interesting to see how these students would be evaluated as well i.e fail the lazy ones and reward the industrious. Then again, this practice will unlikely be implemented on a large scale (at least in this country) considering the importance of the paying student. What student would be willing to pay for an education when it would be likely that he fails? Only an inspired one.
DeleteI truly believe that homework is an essential part in learning a foreign language. When it comes to homework, trying to find the right balance between too much homework or if the homework material is achieving the goal of learning the objective for what is being taught is not an easy task. Therefore, we have debates about the usefulness of homework. According to an article from theguardian.com, a survey of high-performing high schools by the Stanford Graduate Education, for example, found that 56% of students considered homework as primary source of stress. The same students reported that the demands of homework caused sleep deprivation and other health problems, as well as less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits.
ReplyDeleteI personally think homework is necessary because is of the primary ways to practice what is being taught. Also, homework should be given after a lesson was taught since sometimes the level of complexity of a chapter or lesson can require some type of prior knowledge or explanation. That would definitely reduce the amount of stress that involves doing homework. I do not think homework is improperly being used. Homework that does not target real learning can become a real burden.
Homework is principally used to monitor students’ headway into or knowledge of the language. It is also an instrument that helps the instructor coordinate and execute her lesson plan and curriculum. As we discussed in the previous blog, classroom instruction has little to do with actual learning and acquisition — an ambitious learner can more effectively learn on her own time than sitting in a classroom. From my experience, 90% of language learning and acquisition is matured from outside of institutional instruction. To master any skill, one cannot remain in a comfortable and relaxed environment where things flow smoothly and naturally -- no; one must thrust himself into embarrassing circumstances that force him out of his Comfort Zone, thus obliging him to abandon all prior notion of himself and the world. To learn another language is to learn another viewpoint, way of life, set of norms and mores, facial expressions, and hand gestures. Assigned practice certainly aids the lecturer in advancing through her syllabus and unhurriedly constructing students’ knowledge and proficiency. The everyday student accomplishes such tasks with minimal effort and is satisfied with his progression in acquiring the new language. In such an environment, however, the zealous student will be constantly bored and ultimately delayed. For this reason it is important that the professor teach to the ambitious student with the ultimate goal of uncovering knowledge by allotting homework that permits the student a prerogative to truly express his capabilities as a substitute to an insipid two-sided grammar worksheet designed to satisfy the pseudo-intellectual whose primary intent for taking a language course is to unambiguously enhance his job prospects.
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