View Content #23584

By Julie Sykes, CASLS Director

In his 2008 interpretation of research on what makes high achievers (Gladwell, 2008), Malcolm Gladwell posits “the 10,000 hour rule” or that with 10,000 hours of engaged practice, one can become great. While there are certainly exceptions and complexities associated with the idea (i.e., one is born with natural talent), the premise that practice can lead to expertise is especially applicable to language learning. Whether you consider uptake a fundamental cognitive process stemming from interaction and negotiation of meaning or occurring as a result of various levels of social mediation, time is critical. This month, we examine the idea of time, and more specifically, time-on-task.

Time on task is fundamental. For time on task to occur, learners need a learning space that is meaningful, relevant, and tied to their needs.

Meeting learner needs and engaging them in L2 activity can happen in a variety of ways. Throughout the month we will be exploring behaviors and contexts which can facilitate time on task – out-of-classroom affordances and tools, study abroad contexts, learning spaces, and place-based learning – as examples. This week’s Activity of the Week serves as one approach to facilitating additional time on task for learners while building skills and attitudes for learners to engage in language activity.  Utilizing journaling, reflection, and activities previously unfamiliar to them, the icebreaker activity encourages learners to begin exploring language in their environment though the notion of gratitude, while reflecting on ways the process itself further engages them with their L2. In doing so, the aim is to increase time on task while encouraging exploration and connection, ideally resulting in further study down the road.

Much of what teachers do in the classroom is designed to get learners working with the L2. As we continue to explore time on task, ideas for motivating learners to continue the hard work of L2 learning are always expanding and changing. Take, for example, recent attention to digital games and simulation as well as project-based language learning, as approaches to L2 teaching and learning. We look forward to exploring more ideas and contexts throughout the month. 

Reference

Gladwell, Malcolm (2008). Outliers. New York: Little, Brown and Company.