Teacher Discussion Forums

I am currently going for my ESL endorsement because I feel that I will be able to help my students better. Unfortunately, the "introduction" class on the road to that endorsement is really difficult. I struggle to understand the course material and the professor is not very helpful. Most of us have never taken a linguistics class before (I'm not the only one struggling) and because it is a graduate level class he practically refuses to help. He says since it's a graduate level course that there is an expectation of knowledge that we should already have. I was wondering if there was anyone out there that could help me understand some of this stuff better. My head is swimming all the time, on-top of teaching full time. I just feel like the proffessor has this superior attitude and I don't feel like I'm learning anything from him.

For example, this is one of his questions:

Your book lays out a rather complete description of the pronoun systems of a number of languages and makes some generalized observations about the universal patterns. Now, given that information, describe some typological features in other languages that are NOT shared by English and how that might contribute to learning difficulty or ease for English speakers learning those languages as well as those learning English.

Now I understand this part:
1. All languages have at least first-person and second-person pronouns.
2. If a language has singular and dual forms, then it will also have plural forms.
3. If a language makes an inclusive/exclusive distinction, it will make it in the first person.
4. If a language has singular, dual, and trial forms, then it will also have plural forms.

What really gets me is the trying to describe some typological features in other languages that are not shared by English. I can explain how it might contribute to learning difficulty or ease for English speakers. I just want to know where I'm suppose to find some typological features.
Am I just freaking out? Or does it seem really difficult for someone who has no linguistic background to figure out?
Ok. I'm done.

Sara

Sara,

It seems that you have it! Yes, maybe you are freaking out, deep breath You said that it "gets you to try and describe typology features of other languages," but that is exactly what you have done in 1-4! As far as where you "are supposed to find typology feature;" this info should be in your text (similar to 1-4), if not, try searching the net (e.g. search: japanese pronouns).

Has this Prof. been grading you very harshly? If so, try having him look over your work before you submit it.

-Eric

Thanks Eric. I'm just used to my graduate level education courses being pretty much a bunch of fluff. This is something that is new to me that I have no real knowledge base on. There are some examples in the book but somehow I feel that he's looking for something more. He's been in between harsh and not so harsh, but it takes him forever (!) to respond to anything and sometimes he's so vauge I could strangle him! But thank you very, very, very, much (shoot! my professor called that something tonight and I don't remember what--the use of very more than once). I will definately try your suggestion.