Practices make perfect. Language learning is not an exception. Homework is an essential part of foreign language class, because if someone wants to master a new language, they need to practice as much as possible to catch up with the native speakers. Homework should be used not only after the lesson but before the lesson on the requirement of content of class (listening, speaking, reading, or writing). Take English reading class as an example, if the teacher doesn't assign homework to students to prepare for the reading material before the lesson, they won't have the chance to confront unfamiliar words by themselves and determine the meaning of words by context, which is a significant way of learning new vocabulary. Also, if there is some long and complex sentences students may find difficult to understand in the reading material, asking them to preview can deepen their impression, which is better than just explain to them in the class without let them have a moment of thought. However, for a writing class, written practices after lesson definitely can improve students' writing skill effectively. Before the lesson, students just need to do some oral homework like brainstorm or questioning to explore the topics. Homework such as let students memorize words without understanding how to use them in the sentence is an improper way of teaching language.
I agree with some tips in the video that before you start to do the homework, firstly you need to give yourself enough work space and clear all the potential distractions. A tidy working environment can help you think clearly. Taking notes on the textbook and give yourself a break once in a while is a good way to increase efficiency. Music is not a necessary part of doing homework, students can use it or not according to their different learning habits.
At first thought, I disagreed that homework should be assigned before a lesson was actually taught. But now that you mention looking up/learning vocabulary before class, whether they come across it in a reading or have a list they must define in the target language, I can see how that could help the student understand better and get more out of the in-class learning.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. Homework should be assigned before and after the lesson, but the real question is what type of homework is beneficial for students? Practice does make perfect, but students should be encouraged to do more than just rote learning, which is merely memorization and imitation, using those specific keywords and phrases they have learned. This by no means is "language," but for a beginner this is a good place to start. Taking this to light, I think that teachers need to assign homework that goes more in-depth of the subject area and requires students to do higher-order thinking so they actually learn, not just memorize.
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