I Will Teach You A Language | Weekly Motivation And Language Learning Tips To Help You Become Fluent In Any Language

Matthias asks: "How can I help my students deal with fossilisation?" Episode Summary: Fossilisation is when a mistake becomes deeply embedded in a learner's language after years of "doing it wrong" It can occur in grammar, pronunciation, incorrect word choice (e.g. "it's mean", "why you have...?") In my teaching experience, fixing fossilisation is tricky because it amounts to reprogramming someone who usually doesn't want to change Fixing fossilisation has to begin with awareness If a student has come to you, it's because they're looking for an external solution, whereas it's the student who has learnt the mistake in the first place - only they can unlearn it As a teacher, you can go hard or soft, it depends on how best the student will react to it I would set the student tasks to do at home, as it relieves pressure on the student Set awareness-raising activities, followed up with regular highlighting of mistakes in lessons Today's Quote: People like to change their mind in private. - Sam Harris Start Speak