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Can Communicative Principles Enhance Classical Language Acquisition?
Author(s) -
Overland Paul,
Fields Lee,
Noonan Jennifer
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2011.01149.x
Subject(s) - hebrew , grammar , linguistics , communicative language teaching , second language acquisition , biblical hebrew , psychology , language acquisition , process (computing) , computer science , mathematics education , language education , pedagogy , philosophy , hebrew bible , biblical studies , programming language , theology
Is it feasible for nonfluent instructors to teach B iblical H ebrew by communicative principles? If it is feasible, will communicative instruction enhance postsecondary learning of a classical language? To begin answering these questions, two consultants representing second language acquisition ( SLA ) and technology‐assisted language learning led 8 B iblical H ebrew instructors and a graduate assistant through a 3‐year process involving study of SLA principles, development of B iblical H ebrew classroom manuals, training of teachers, and field‐testing of materials with more than 90 students in 7 institutions. More than two‐thirds of the students and all instructors found the communicative approach both effective and preferable to grammar‐translation and audiolingual methods customarily employed for learning classical languages.