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Date Posted: 21:23:59 04/16/07 Mon
Author: Lindiane
Subject: Foreign Language acquisition, how men and women narrate their learning process.

Foreign Language acquisition, how men and women narrate their learning process.
 
 
        Language acquisition is a curios matter, which has been analyzed by many authors, researchers and also educators. Once it is not exactly definable how one learns a foreign language, questions and arguments related to language acquisition is still a very debatable subject. There is also the fact regarded to the uniqueness of the human being and learning itself is quite associated to one's background, as it is also connected with one's personality and there is even the matter regarding to the one's feelings towards the learning experience itself. For this reason, this paper aims to analyze how men and women, according to gender, narrate their learning process in a foreign language. Taking the stereotypes apart, it is possible to achieve many interesting aspects in men and women's narratives that are related to the differences and peculiarities of each male and female gendered groups.
       Besides taking in some consideration the matter concerned to the uniqueness of each person, the analysis of males and female's narratives concerns gender. Defining this concept, Julia T. Woods (2005, p.22) a professor and a researcher on gender studies, states that:
 
Gender is a considerably more complex than sex. There is nothing a person does to acquire her or his sex. It is a classification based on genetic and biological factors, and it tends to endure over time. Gender, however, is neither innate nor necessarily stable. It is acquired through interaction in a social world, and it changes over time. One way to understand gender is to think of it as what we learn about sex. We are born male or female, but we learn to be masculine and feminine. Gender is a social, symbolic construction that varies across cultures, over time within a given culture, and in relation to the other gender.
 

 
Taking in consideration men's and women's dissimilarities it is expected that we find aspects regarding to gender’s diverseness in their narratives. For this reason, comparing men and women's texts it is conceivable that we certainly find many disparities and few similarities among men and women's stories. Some of the major differences go from to the sexual aspect itself, the biological one and the gender, which is socially constructed according to patterns of each culture. In addition, gender can be understood as how male and female are separately seen by society as it also express how society is supposed to see men and women differently.
Regarding the similarities, both men and women have the objective of learning a foreign language. They have their strategies to acquire the language they are learning and they naturally have some problems to overcome in their learning process. However, they way they tell their stories is quite distinct one another. Thus, as a similar aspect between the two groups I prefer to consider them as human beings that require the same basic necessities and respect. Because of that, instead of reinforcing the idea that men and women are gendered equal ones, I tend to considerate them as a different constructed group by society. The narratives that have been analyzed can prove how male and female, in the many cases, have a diverse speech in telling their learning story differently too. Understanding better gender’s definition, Woods (2005, p. 23) states that:

By definition, gender is learned. Socially endorsed views of masculinity and femininity are taught to individuals through a variety of cultural means. From infancy on, we are encouraged to conform to the gender that society prescribes for us. Young girls are often cautioned, "Don't be selfish – share with others," "Be careful – Don't hurt yourself," and "Don't get dirty." They are praised for looking pretty, expressing emotions, and being nice to others. Young boys, in contrast, are more likely to be admonished, "Don't be a sissy," "Go after what you want," and "Don't cry." Usually they are reinforced for strength, independence, and success, particularly in competitive arenas.
 

      According to the narratives, it is possible to say that every narrative is quite peculiar from one another. As Paiva states, "Each narrative portrays a unique learning experience. Some students referred to family members who spoke English; others talked about traveling abroad and included their pictures; others regretted about their economic conditions and the consequent poor learning experiences in high schools" (PAIVA, 2006). According to the stories, men, for example, tend to see their learning process as a big challenge that they have to overcame and because of that they really feel quite motivated and also competitive about their learning. Moreover, they also tend to be more daring in their attitudes while women seems to be more private. Although women may also have a competitive attitude towards their learning process the manner they narrate is completely different form men's narratives. Women, instead, narrate their experience in acquiring a foreign language quite differently. Most of them tend to take their story as a fairy tale narrative that in the end everything goes fine.
Concerning the differences between Mars and Venus’s group, Diane Halpern, a psychologist and a researcher states that," Differences are not deficiencies" and she goes far explaining that,  "Even when differences are found, we cannot conclude that they are immutable because the continuous interplay of biological and environmental influences can change the size and direction of the effects some time in the future." Thus, basing on the peculiarity of each group the disparities among them do not exist as a matter of merely being pointed out, but the disparities are useful to a better knowledge of each gendered group and because of that it has to be cautiously analyzed and also accepted. The two following excerpts may exemplify how different boys and girls, as men and women, are supposed to be in society;

I remember something that happened when I was a little kid. Mon had taken me to the playground, and we were playing together. Some other boys started teasing me, calling me "mama's boy". I remember thinking I had to stop playing with Mon if I wanted those other boys to accept me. Abe (Wood, 2005,p. 45)


When I was little – like 4 or 5 maybe – if I got dirty or was too loud, Mama would say, "That's no way of a lady to act." When I was quite and nice, she'd say, "Now you're being a lady." I remember wanting Mama to approve me and trying to act like a lady. But sometimes it was hard to figure out what was and wasn't ladylike in her book. I had just keep doing things and seeing how she responded until I learned the rules. Victoria (Wood, 2005 p. 47)


The narratives that are used in this paper are important keys once they are able to demonstrate learner’s experiences and attitudes. They are also self reflective and it is quite interesting to learners to talk and to think about their learning experience. Among 79 interviews in English I have taken some texts that may show better the matter regarding to gender in their stories. The question made to the interviewers is related to how the interviewees have learned English and they are free to answer this question without any interruption. Below, it follows some men and women’s narratives. I have selected the narratives from the site www.veramenezes.com arbitrarily once I believe that the narratives by themselves may present the gender aspects, which are being analyzed in this paper.
 
Narrative 1 Feminine

My first contact with English happened in 1987, when I was eleven years old. It was an English course in my neighborhood. Actually it was just an introductory course, really focused on Basic English. The classroom activities followed a traditional method, by using non-authentic materials, and teacher centered all the time. Then I went to high school, where English classes are simply awful. Every year the same subjects were taught to us, such as verb to be, negative forms, interrogative forms etc. However, the sport I have been practicing from that period so far is full of English words and expressions, what made me more interested in English. In fact skateboard has been a 'catapult' to my English learning process. It is common to meet native English speakers in skateboard contests, so I had to communicate with them in order comment the contest, or even about my turn in it, for instance. This first step where then, related to communicative learning process, since real use of language was required in order to communicate. Slang and jargons were used all the time, and I did not know what exactly they meant, but I could get their meaning through the context we were in. After that, my interest have increased in many aspects of English, such as music, art and sports, what is just the continuity of the process that I began with when I was a child. http://www.veramenezes.com/i00.htm

In the narrative above we can realize how distinct this story is from what we are suppose to expect from women's narratives. First, because a girl plays the skate that is a "boy's game". However, an important feature is present in this story which is the fact regarded to the boring and repetitive English classes until the moment when she knows her "enchanted prince", her savior, which is the motivating skateboard activity and because of this it functions as a catalyst in her learning process.


Narrative 2 Masculine

When I was very young 12, I remember I acquired a little knowledge of English language from drills of rules and vocabulary. I remember well it is a boring way to learning English and since this time I liked English language although I stopped to study it. I started to study English language again in this course, after I have studied civil engineering. I will be graduated as a bachelor of arts. I have studying English language from different contexts and I emphasize my readings as a better way because my main aim in learning English language is a proficiency in reading and writing. I had studied a specific subject "Teaching English to Young Learners" by Gladys. This subject presented almost every communicative principles, for instance: Language was used in real context; the target language was a vehicle for classroom communication; opportunity to express their ideas an opinions were given to students; communicative interaction among students. http://www.veramenezes.com/i002.htm

In this narrative we can find a more direct and objective learning. Here, the learner seems to have a kind of control of his learning process. He shows to be methodic and well centered. He has a kind of strategic posture towards his manner of learning.

Narrative 3 Masculine

As many other colleagues, I started studying English in high school. My teacher used a method, which now I recognize as being very similar to the grammar-translation one. I was a teenager and I remember very well the book we used: Amadeu Marques' "English". My teacher always asked us to translate the texts and also the vocabulary exercises at home. I must admit that I acquired a certain knowledge about the language, as well as vocabulary in those times, but I got to the conclusion that if I did not studied by myself I would not learn so much. Since I always liked studying languages, especially English, I used to have a different hobby: I used to read my bilingual dictionary every time I could and also translate the lyrics of songs that I liked in order to increase my vocabulary. I decided to watch films with subtitles instead of seeing those dubbed ones. http://www.veramenezes.com/i004.htm

In this narrative is quite interesting the autonomous and independent manner the leaner has towards his learning experience. In such learning process, the leaner, a male one, states that the most of his apprenticeship in the language is regarded only to himself and he feels fine and also proud of it. In contrast, in narrative 4, which is a female text, the learner states exactly the opposite of what had stated the male learner in narrative number 3. The girl explains that her learning story is not so interesting because the most of what she knows she learned by herself. Besides she does not have an autonomous behavior in her learning she also demonstrates an unbelieving attitude in herself. Moreover, women tend to learn better when they share experiences, when they discuss and when they are in contact with others. Thus, women do not tend to be so individualist as men do.

Narrative 4 Feminine

My learning history is not very interesting. First of all, most of what I know today concerning with English I learned by myself. I stayed in English schools for a little more than three years. The point is that I've always liked English a lot. I've never been abroad, for financial reasons. In the English schools I studied, what really helped me were the role- plays. We used to create a kind of theater for each kind of peculiar situation, such as: being in a restaurant, asking for directions, in an airport and others. When I studied by myself, my focus was on vocabulary; I always read a lot and did lots of grammar exercises. By watching those cable tv series, I could improve collocations and idiomatic expressions a lot, as well as pronunciation. This way, when I was 16, I took a test to check my level at ICBEU and I started studying there on Intermediate 4 level. After this level, I was supposed to start the preparatory course for Michigan Proficiency Exam, but I had no money to go on. Then, after two years, I started studying Letras and also to work. I saved some money for a while and took the FCE Exam in 2001. Right after I knew I had passed, I saved some more money and took a six-month preparatory course for CAE at Cultura Inglesa. I took the exam last December and fortunately, I passed. It was a "dream come true", as everything in my life, because I've always worked very hard to achieve what I want. http://www.veramenezes.com/i006.htm

Narrative 5 Masculine

  My "relationship" with the English language may have began inside an unspecified classroom at an unremembered public school at a country town which insisted not to be called so. There were no impacts, traumas, or ecstasies in these initial contacts. Besides that, my fair grades (or fairly good ones) have never ever deigned to be known as memorable. Later, this relationship started to present stronger and distinct interconnections when one of my brothers migrated to Uncle Sam's land in pursuit of the American dream. Since then, perhaps my first flirting winks towards that remote land and language were flung. My interest grew stronger, my dreams and plans began to shape in the mind, and the contact with that tongue was intensified. Amongst those ceaseless comings and goings of my brother, my marriage union to the English language was finally sealed when I pulled up stakes to the States, the land of the green currency, a land of hopes of better days to come in contrast with those years lived at my birthplace, full of green, but short of hopes. http://www.veramenezes.com/i009.htm

Narrative 6 Feminine

My English Learning was based in the structural approach. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to study English outside of school, so for me it was usual to learn English through repeated words. The English’ class during my high school used to emphasize the "reading and writing". My classmates and I have never left the traditional classes to practice English in real situations. Today, however, it can be seen in several English courses: the learners take part in theaters and dialogues. This contributes for the understanding of language and to a fluent speaking. My teachers used to correct me when I made my mistakes of pronunciation when I read a text; thus I didn't want to speak in the classes. 
The educational books demanded accuracy in the answers and I didn't have any context situations. The activities were always very repetitive. Considering the communicative approach I couldn't identify any similar activity in my learning story because my course used to emphasize old practices. http://www.veramenezes.com/i012.htm

Here, such text can prove how women have a peculiar way to explain herself when she explains the process of learning as a sharing of experience.This is present in her story when she cites a good way to learn through theatres and dialogues. (...)

Narrative 7 Masculine

I suppose, just like most of us, I will not consider my English lessons in school as an experience worth mentioning. Things may well have changed since my old schooling days but, we all know that we often come out of mainstream education knowing as much as we knew when we got in: Zilch! So, for the record, my first "real" contact with English in a classroom environment was at Number One Language School. That was back in the late 80's. I have to admit that, as first steps into the world of the English language, their methodology brought me good results. In less than one year I had a fairly basic-but-decent knowledge of Present Simple, Past Simple and other tenses. Adding to that, my vocabulary was far from being vast but I tried to use it and also to learn new words. The method employed at Number One was the PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production). It has its roots in the behaviorist ideas of the audio-lingual methodology but it seems to offer more contextualized situations presented to students, therefore, making the drills more meaningful than a straight down-the-throat substitution drill. After lessons, I used to walk home for I had no money for the bus fare. It was a long walk from Belo Horizonte's Getúlio Vargas to my place. In order to make use of the time I had, while I was walking home I would create situations similar to the lesson that I had just attended to. I think it worked wonders for me as the practice of new structures and vocabulary is fundamental to the bedding down of language in our minds. After one year of Number One lessons I went to Europe. The reason why I decided to go there is still a mystery for me. Perhaps, it lies in the spirit of seeing the world or just for financial reasons. The fact is that I packed my bags and went to England. For me it was a great experience to realize that what I had learned in class was actually real: I would say the words and get a response. Simple and fascinating as it is I was able to gather: I communicate, therefore, I exist! After three months in London I went to the Middle East. It was in Israel and Egypt that I had the chance to really break the barrier of being able to speak a second language for long periods of time without getting extremely tired. I had no chance to speak Portuguese for months. I had to speak, write, listen and read everything in English. There was a stage that I had to rack my brains to get going but then, suddenly, it all became a lot easier. After the Middle East I returned to London. I was able to communicate without difficulty but I found I needed to improve my skills. It was my understanding that the best way to do it was to go to school and study the language further. I studied at Westminster College, in London's Vincent Square, for a few months. The method used was supposed to be the Communicative approach but it was in fact a mixture of alternatives to PPP, Humanistic and Communicative approaches. I was learning English at a very fast pace. The difference was obvious. What I learned in the morning was put into practice during the rest of the day. I suppose I was learning English as a second language rather than as a foreign language. Still, classroom activities, such as writing, played a vital role in my learning because these were simply not required in my day to day life. School was important because I would be talking (and learning) about things that I would not come across in normal circumstances. One thing is to live abroad and to assume you will learn the language. The other thing is to realize that there are different levels you can reach and you are the one who determines which level you want to get to. For me it is hard to go on and talk about the methods and courses I have attended due to my own personal experience. What I can say, without a shadow of doubt, is that I have been in this business of learning English for many years now. I have lived most of my adult life in abroad. I have lived many experiences in English. From farming in the Israeli desert to popping into my local bike shop to buy new brake pads and sprockets. From phoning the local council about the lack of reliability on the refuse collection services to ordering a pint of bitter at a John O'Groats pub. I have lived the language and what I see is that the further you go, the longer the path. After coming to UFMG, last year, I started doing my graduation in English. I realize I have learned so much in just over twelve months that I have been here. That makes me acknowledge that the experience never ceases. I have already talked about my days at Number One and at Westminster College in London. I prepared myself to the First Certificate in English and The Proficiency Exams. I find it hard to comment further on the methodology employed during my learning experience because most of it happened in English speaking countries making the learning well beyond the methodology and classroom environment. Possibly, there is no bigger "communicative approach" than that. The problem is that it goes away from the very subject of this task just as much as it talks about it. Ambiguous as it may be that is how I perceive it. To talk about functional, sociolinguistics, interactional and cultural competence within the circumstances I have had my learning experience is as obvious as it is contradictory. I hope the reader will forgive me for my slight deviation of the subject but in my case it all happened naturally. For most of us, learning a language in Brazil is a very difficult thing because we live in as such continental country. On top of that, we do not have many chances to talk to foreigners, let alone go abroad.  My conclusion is that we should, as learners, enjoy every and each step of the way. There is no ending to this one. We will never be able to know everything and become absolute masters of the language. It is a futile attempt. Not even natives do that. By doing this, humbly, we should enjoy every new word we learn. Every new expression. Every step of the way. http://www.veramenezes.com/i016.htm

In male speeches, as states Wood (2005, p.121) ...

To conclude, it is possible to say that the narratives are quite good testimonials of how gender may interfer in people atittudes. Although both men and women have the same objective which is learning english when they are asked about their learning process it seems that they folow a kinf of pattern that is male and female ones. In this manner, men tend to be more assertive and individualist when they talk about their learning process. In contrast, women tend to be more private. They also have the necessity to share experiences with other people. Thus, this paper had not the pretention in analysing men and women's lanaguage acquisitn, but it aimed to analyse some interesting marks in male and female narratives according to gender.



References:



PAIVA, Vera L.M.O. - Sharing learner histories through multimedia narratives, 2006.

PROJETO AMFALE: - narrativas http://www.veramenezes.com/nar_ing.htm

WOOD, Julia T – Gendered Lives; Communication, Gender & Culture. Thomson Wadsworth, USA 6th edition, 2005.

http://www.psychologymatters.org/nodifference.html

www.veramenezes.com

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