Reviews for An Artist's Journey

The average rating for An Artist's Journey based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-06-09 00:00:00 Andrew Haskett What is the book about? The book is about the Natural Approach, a language learning/teaching approach the author asserts is superior to other approaches. What problem was the author trying to solve? He wanted to understand the principles by which languages are learned and how one can use them to teach more effectively. What are the main arguments? Do I agree? * languages are only acquired by understanding messages * there is a difference between unconscious acquisition and conscious learning, both have their uses but learning is not nearly as important as acquisition * attitude effects acquisition I agree partly because it makes sense and is well-argued, partly because of my own experience and partly because of the mentioned science. Krashen earned by trust by devoting a page to the rules of science and the degree of certainty regarding the truth of his hypotheses. What did I learn? I already knew the basic theses, but reading the book gave me more insights into the implications and applications. It made me think about his five hypothesis more in-depth, in what way they are supported by science and what caveats apply. Which three facts, ideas or principles do I want to remember the most? * we learn languages with interesting comprehensible input * errors are often best corrected with more input * grammar and production emerge naturally Which of my beliefs were challenged? None, unfortunately. However, this is mainly the case because I already researched Krashen's theses beforehand and got convinced. A possible exception is his suggestion that extensive reading (rapid reading for main ideas of long text) is more useful than intensive reading (for complete understanding). How did my life change by reading this book? I will hopefully be a better German teacher and explain the method better and with more confidence to my students. What are three action items I learned that I need to implement as soon as possible? * explain the method to my students because they might expect learning and drill * instill a sense of community in my students * make my content more interesting and engaging What else did I like about the book? I feel like nothing has been left unmentioned. Which other books were mentioned? among others: * The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages in the United States: A Report Prepared for the Modern Foreign Language Study by Algernon Coleman (editor) * Teaching Foreign Languages: An Historical Sketch by Renzo Titone What were the most memorable quotes? * "The central hypothesis of the theory is that language acquisition occurs in only one way: by understanding messages." * "Language is best taught when it is being used to transmit messages, not when it is explicitly taught for conscious learning."

Review # 2 was written on 2015-07-10 00:00:00 Michael Evans While it has been shown to not be as effective as Krashen wished, it is still a must-read. Extremely interesting and full of good ideas nonetheless.