Familiarity Breeds Success

By Dr. Edwin Weaver

December 2008

There used to be an old saying that ‘familiarity breeds contempt’, however in the world of education and especially in second language acquisition, familiarity can mean success.

One of the greatest handicaps to language acquisition is the lack of understanding of the context in which the new words are being used. Through a review of literature and personal experiences I will put forth the need to design material which has a familiar context to the language learner.

In recent years there has been an increase in the research on text familiarity and cultural context in learning material and its impact on the student’s achievement level in second language acquisition. These observations were made while I worked with students in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and having used both, generic material and materials designed to match student’s culture with text familiar to students, I must stand behind the use of text which is familiar to students and text which corresponds to the student’s culture.

I have seen familiar text and text conforming to the culture used in language institutes, high schools and universities. I was even a part of a program to rewrite the books used at a university. During the pilot program some students continued with the ‘Headway’ series while other (from the same level) used the new course books. All the students using the new books scored higher on the mid-term, final and oral exams.

I observed some of the same results which Salmani-Nodoushan, M. A. (2002) found. In regards to simple testing of vocabulary with true/false answers (lowest cognitive assessment), there was no difference between those who used the generic course books and those with bespoke course material. However, when testing reading comprehension where the students had to write full sentences to explain their answers, there was a marked difference between the two groups. The students using the course books with familiar text and tailored to their culture surpassed those using the generic course books.

Reading is a very complex cognitive process. It requires the learner to connect new words or information with prior knowledge. The use of material which is familiar to the students aided them in understanding new vocabulary and to integrate and construct meaning (Barnett, 1989; Bernhardt, 1991; Carrell, Devine, & Eskey, 1988; Lee, 1997; Nassaji, 2002; Swaffar, Arens, & Byrnes, 1991). It also helped them to understand the grammar and syntax of the documents. This improved their ability to understand and appropriately use English as a Second Language.

Not only was their academic achievement improved, but their motivation to learn English improved. Students who participated in the “Headway’ English program found the material uninteresting and at times completely unrelated to them. Learning English was a task to them, whereas students using the books written at the university found the material interesting and relevant to their lives and to their studies.

Lack of relevance and unfamiliar text can cause students to disconnect from the learning process. Students in countries which have cultures very different from the UK or the US find much of the material confusing and at time revolting to their values. However, material which is written with the native’s culture in mind and using text which the learner may have seen in their own language increases the learner’s desire to apply himself/herself to the learning process. In fact the material becomes interesting to them.

Ever since the 70’s and reports from people like Savignon’s (1972), the emphasis has been on communicative English and communicative English in the context of where the L2/FL will be used. Since the majority of the students will never go to an English speaking country, they will use the language to communicate within their own country or with other countries which also use English as their second language.

This is not to say that we take the Western Culture out of English. That would be an impossibility. However, we can begin the student’s journey into acquiring English in a more pleasing, more esthetic manner.

As I stated above, I have seen the change in the students’ attitudes toward English when it was adapted to their culture. I have also seen an increase in their ability to acquire the new language. It warrants further investigation, not only formally but informally. I would suggest that you investigate which form of teaching works best with your group of students. You may be surprised that when you change the course material you have happier, more motivated students who apply themselves more and learn more.

If you have done any research in this area, I would like to hear about it. At present, I am discussing the possibility of doing more formal research on this topic with my current university. If approved by the committee, I will start adding information concerning our research to this blog. Once finished, I will post the entire research.

References:

Barnett, M. (1989). More than meets the eye: Foreign language reading, theory and practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bernhardt, E. (1991). Reading development in a second language: Theoretical, empirical, and classroom perspectives. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Carrell, P., Devine, J., & Eskey, D. (1988). Interactive approaches to second language reading. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Lee, J. F. (1997). Non-native reading research and theory. In K. Bardovi-Harlig & B. Hartford (Eds.), Beyond methods: Components of second language teacher education (pp. 152-171). New York: McGraw Hill.

Nassaji, H. (2002). Schema theory and knowledge-based processes in second language reading comprehension: A need for alternative perspectives. Language Learning, 52, 439-481.

Salmani-Nodoushan, M. A. 2002.Text Familiarity, Reading Tasks, and ESP Test Performance: A Study on Iranian LEP and Non-LEP University Students,

Swaffar, J., Arens,K., & Byrnes, H. (1991). Reading for meaning: An integrated approach to language learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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