Literacy

Unlocking the Mystery

of

Language Acquisition

The doors of language Learning

Door #1: Listening Door #2: Speaking Door # 3: Reading Door #4: Writing

What is Literacy?

1. Reading

2. Writing

Stages of Learning

Grammar Stage: K-4– Collect, memorize, gather information

Logic Stage: 5-8– Connect Facts: Critical Thinking (Why?)

Rhetoric Stage: 9-12– Expression with fluency, grace, eloquence,

persuasiveness

Areas of Language Study

Academic English Vocabulary Building/Spelling Grammar & Structure of Language Why Study a foreign language?

Academic English

The fabric of textbooks and manuals Highly organized though processes Specialized vocabularies More complex than pleasure reading Mostly grades 9-12

Vocabulary Building

Why the strong emphasis on vocabulary building?

Quote from Johnson O’Connor

How do you build vocabulary?

40-60 repetitions of a word in context Study of root words & derivatives Prefixes and Suffixes Read! Read! Read! “The Sin of Silent Reading”

English Word Pyramid

10 words 25% 50 words 50% 100 words 60% 1000 words 85% 10,000 words 98%

10 Most Useful Words in English

a an be

for have in

of that the

to

We Remember Reading

Hearing Words

Looking at Pictures

Watching a Movie

Looking at an Exhibit

Watching a Demonstration

Seeing it Actually Done

Participating in a Discussion

Giving a Talk

Doing a Dramatic Presentation

Simulating the Real Thing

Doing the Real Thing

90%

20%

30%

50%

70%

10%

Learning Grammar and Structure

“Bathed” in the sounds of the language Patterns of grammar and Spelling

– Shurley Method for Grammar instruction

Exceptions to the Rules Idioms

Language Learning Games

Bingo Tic-Tac-Toe

Vocabulary Bees Spelling Bees

Concentration – Memory Match Chain Drills Foldables Drama

Why Latin?

Isn’t Latin “Dead”?

Fact #1

60% of English words have Latin Roots

Most spelling has stayed the same or vary similar

Fact #2

90% of all words 3 syllables or more come from Latin

Large quantities of technical and specialized terms (medical, academic English, etc)

Fact #3

Romance Languages are spoken by

750 million people in 57 countries.

Language and Logic

Latin study provides

Rules

Order

Structure

that can be transferred to other areas of study.

Resources English From the Roots Up – Joegil Lundquist Vocabulary from Classical Roots—Norma Fifer & Nancy Flowers Victory Drill Book – August C. Enderlin, editor Everyday Words from Classical Origins –Perfection Learning Vocabulary Development Using Roots and Riddles – Claudia Vurnakes Vocabulary: Latin I – Frode Jensen Ways Children Learn – Geeta Rani Lall An ESL Teacher’s Handbook – Don Edic for LEI A Natural History of Latin – Tore Jensen www.memoriapress.com (source for Latin, logic and classical education materials) www.promotelatin.org

(website of the National Committee for Latin and Greek)

Also:

The Shurley Method – Brenda Shurley and Ruth WetsellThe Well-Trained Mind – Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer

Questions?

Answers