To continue with Larisa'a metaphor, language learners begin to emerge from the chrysalis when they start to be able to think and speak in the L2 without translating. This is a gradual process which takes different amounts of time depending on the number of teaching hours the student receives, the degree of exposure to English outside the classroom and learner characteristics such as tolerance of ambiguity and willingness to take risks; a learner who wishes to play safe will tend to cling onto the L1 as a crutch, without realizing that it is actually an impediment.

Work on learning styles can reduce the overdependence on translation if the student is receptive to the possibility of changing his or her style. However, one of the best ways to overcome the tendency to translate is to read as much as possible in the target language. Reading helps in three ways to overcome the tendency to translate. Firstly, learning to read fluently without translating can prepare students for speaking or writing directly in English. Secondly, reading will greatly improve the knowledge of vocabulary and structures, thus avoiding some of the lexical or structural gaps which force students into translation mode. Finally, on a psychological level, it will help make the foreign language sound more familiar and thus reduce the overdependence on the L1.

It's best for students  to read and listen to materials on topics that they are familiar with , as  topic knowledge can help them to overcome the structural and, above all, lexical difficulties that they will encounter.

I am not a fan of Krashen's Natural Approach: I find both the heavy emphasis on receptive skills to the detriment of productive skills and  the strict separation between learning and acquisition intuitively unconvincing and lacking in sufficient empirical grounding. However, two aspects of his approach can help learners.

Firstly, great benefits can be gained by encouraging students to devote part of their listening and reading time to narrow reading and listening, that is reading or listening which focuses on a single topic or topic area, or even a single author. 

The case for narrow listening

https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(95)00054-N

The Case for Narrow Reading

Stephen Krashen Language Magazine 3(5):17-19, (200

Secondly, Krashen is partly right when he states that the level of reading and listening texts should be only slightly above the learner's productive level, as the greater understanding ensuing from this policy will ensure that more language is acquired. However, learners also need to be exposed to more challenging listening and reading texts from time to time, as a means of developing their reading and listening strategies.

Dear Karen Riley-Brown,

Thank you for the interesting question. Clearly, the paralysis and the stress one feels for beginning to learn another language and to use it effectively with others seem to be the natural outcome of language learning process. The evidential basis supporting the claim may be found in the journals and dairies written by popular scholars in the field of language teaching. In their experience of learning Arabic in Tunisia and Persian in Tehran, Schumann and Schumann reported about the hard time they experienced in learning these languages. However, they maintained that "As we learned the basic rules of the language and acquired more words, we felt less stressful and more confident in communicating with native speakers". In 1976, professor John Schumann of L.A. University, talked about the social distance between one's L1 and the L2 s/he is trying to learn as well as the difficult process of acculturation in the new language, which can have unpleasant consequences for the learners.

Best regards,

R. Biria

Dear Riza Biria,

     Thank you for the wonderful answer and support.  I speak English and Spanish.  I remember when I could only read and write Spanish.  I could hear others speaking the language, but my translating the language in my mind to English was rather slow at first.  I felt frozen at that point.  I remember some students who were at that same point, it seemed and they could not move forward in English at that time.

     Finally, it was difficult to form the words and communicate to others in Spanish at first.  

     It must be exciting to learn Arabic.  I will look into the Schumann and Schumann report! Thank you again!

Perhaps, it is not precisely the same feeling for everyone but the stage in learning a new language that you have described is familiar to me. It's like a chrysalis stage before emerging. So, do not give up and keep on learning! 

To continue with Larisa'a metaphor, language learners begin to emerge from the chrysalis when they start to be able to think and speak in the L2 without translating. This is a gradual process which takes different amounts of time depending on the number of teaching hours the student receives, the degree of exposure to English outside the classroom and learner characteristics such as tolerance of ambiguity and willingness to take risks; a learner who wishes to play safe will tend to cling onto the L1 as a crutch, without realizing that it is actually an impediment.

Work on learning styles can reduce the overdependence on translation if the student is receptive to the possibility of changing his or her style. However, one of the best ways to overcome the tendency to translate is to read as much as possible in the target language. Reading helps in three ways to overcome the tendency to translate. Firstly, learning to read fluently without translating can prepare students for speaking or writing directly in English. Secondly, reading will greatly improve the knowledge of vocabulary and structures, thus avoiding some of the lexical or structural gaps which force students into translation mode. Finally, on a psychological level, it will help make the foreign language sound more familiar and thus reduce the overdependence on the L1.

It's best for students  to read and listen to materials on topics that they are familiar with , as  topic knowledge can help them to overcome the structural and, above all, lexical difficulties that they will encounter.

I am not a fan of Krashen's Natural Approach: I find both the heavy emphasis on receptive skills to the detriment of productive skills and  the strict separation between learning and acquisition intuitively unconvincing and lacking in sufficient empirical grounding. However, two aspects of his approach can help learners.

Firstly, great benefits can be gained by encouraging students to devote part of their listening and reading time to narrow reading and listening, that is reading or listening which focuses on a single topic or topic area, or even a single author. 

The case for narrow listening

https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(95)00054-N

The Case for Narrow Reading

Stephen Krashen Language Magazine 3(5):17-19, (200

Secondly, Krashen is partly right when he states that the level of reading and listening texts should be only slightly above the learner's productive level, as the greater understanding ensuing from this policy will ensure that more language is acquired. However, learners also need to be exposed to more challenging listening and reading texts from time to time, as a means of developing their reading and listening strategies.

Yes, because I have witnessed some students seemingly stuck between trying to transition from an all-Spanish environment and speaking only Spanish to now being required to speak English.  

Also, when it happened to me, and I was in the reading and writing, the Spanish language phase.  I was stuck there for a while, able to speak the language only slowly in communication with others as I translated (meaning from words to symbols or vice versa).  

Karen Riley-Brown

Thanks for the useful question because this is the burning question now a days to non native speakers in improving the speaking ability in foreign language. In my opinion, majority of the people feel stuck and paralyzed in going forth in the process of learning due to the basic reasons like, the need of the hour of the usage of the language, Pronunciation, Public fear, lack of vocabulary or less use of vocabulary and some times lower self esteem also may be one of the reasons.

Dear Pavanisasidhar Avula: 

     Thank you so much for clarifying the "fear" element or being shy, I like to call it.  I never thought that I was a shy or timid person until I was at the stage of translating Spanish for others, yet a little unsure at times of my translation (or the many ways something could, in fact, be explained).  

     After thirty (30) years of teaching, mostly bilingual Spanish/English, I find that transferring a whole class of Spanish-speaking students to English who are entering the classroom as first graders, and yet fluent in English by the time they leave my second-grade classroom, was quite a miracle to me.

    We used the Easton method, I think, where students speak and read first in all Spanish, or their native tongue, then transitions in one year to fluent English!

     As a teacher, I worked diligently and personally with each student in helping them master every sound, read it and understand every word required for the second grade.

     Some of these same skills can be taken into teaching adult learners as well.

     Best regards, 

     Karen

Dear Karen,

Thank you so much for your positive reciprocation. Pleasd feel free to give my feedback regarding my answers as I am a novice to Research gate. I Hope, we will have optimistic relation in augmenting our skills in future too.

Thank you,

Pavani.A

Dear Pavanisasidhar,

Thank you again for your candid responses and suggestions.  They help guide the course of future research in this area.

Best regards,

Karen