Similarity in the eye of the beholder

[Viviana]

Should we reflect upon the similarity judgement related to teaching?
Why?
What ethical principle applies? Why?
Are there any other examples you think worth analysing?

[Graciela Cristina Mené]

Yes, we should. However, the author says "We do not have to accept the theories our various social languages offer us." Anyway, he suggests that we should reflect upon some similarity judgement. He gives us a clear example when he mentions the football coach, who cannot teach how to play football, but he can help somebody master the sport.

[Graciela Cristina Mené]

The author disagrees with the idea of comparing an English teacher activity- for instance - to a football coach responsibility, or somebody who is in charge of training somebody else to drive. He says that our cultural models of teaching make us think that way. I agree with him since most people can learn a language, but it is much more difficult to acquire it. I think that that is the ethical principal we should apply when teaching a language, because it is a hard work, it takes longer than we have ever thought, and sometimes all the effort does not take us to a successful result.

[Viviana]

Is, according to the author, teaching a language similar to teaching history or to teaching how to drive a car?
What is your opinion? Explain.
The ethical principles are the ones on page 26, chapter 1 of the theory. Which one should we apply here and why?

[Graciela Cristina Mené]

I consider worth analysing the way he expresses how language encapsulates in a sort of frozen theories, frozen theories of communication, and language acquisition. I'd like to go deeply in language acquisition because I see acquisition as ahardly impossible goal to achieve for adults.

[Viviana]

Do you think we acquire language?
Is it transmitted from the teacher's head to the student's head?
What about construction of knowledge?