Teach yourself? : language learning through self-instruction manuals in nineteenth-century Scandinavia
To learn a foreign language from a self-instruction manual (teach-yourself book) is not as easy as the publishers will have us believe. Despite this, the genre has endured for many centuries. This thesis argues that the robustness of self-instruction language manuals is due to their ability to adapt to the personal circumstances of their readers. By surveying ordinary nineteenth-century Scandinavians, it is established that they turned to self-directed learning as a consequence of social and economic developments in the region. At the time, early globalisation was felt in terms of increased travel and trade. As a consequence, people needed to acquire foreign languages for the purpose of everyday communication. Because this area of second language acquisition was practical and took place outside formal education, it has not been accepted as part of the history of applied linguistics. I argue that âutilitarian language learning' deserves to be included as an example of the current theory of autonomous learning. I also draw the conclusion that autonomy is actually one of the reasons why self-instruction manuals are not as effective as traditional language teaching, because the learners take charge of their
Sorensen, L. M.
Teach yourself? : language learning through self-instruction manuals in nineteenth-century Scandinavia. To learn a foreign language from a self-instruction manual (teach-yourself book) is not as easy as the publishers will have us believe. Despite this, the genre has endured for many centuries. This thesis argues that the robustness of self-instruction language manuals is due to their ability to adapt to the personal circumstances of their readers. By surveying ordinary nineteenth-century Scandinavians, it is established that they turned to self-directed learning as a consequence of social and economic developments in the region. At the time, early globalisation was felt in terms of increased travel and trade. As a consequence, people needed to acquire foreign languages for the purpose of everyday communication. Because this area of second language acquisition was practical and took place outside formal education, it has not been accepted as part of the history of applied linguistics. I argue that âutilitarian language learning' deserves to be included as an example of the current theory of autonomous learning. I also draw the conclusion that autonomy is actually one of the reasons why self-instruction manuals are not as effective as traditional language teaching, because the learners take charge of their
teach language_learn self instruction manual nineteenth_century scandinavia learn foreign_language self instruction manual teach book easy publisher believe despite genre endure argues robustness self instruction language manual due ability adapt personal circumstance reader survey ordinary nineteenth_century establish turn self directed learning consequence social_economic development region time early globalisation felt term increase travel trade consequence people need acquire foreign_language purpose everyday communication area second_language_acquisition practical take_place outside formal education accept part history apply_linguistics argue utilitarian language_learn deserves include_example current_theory autonomous learning also_draw conclusion autonomy actually one_reason self instruction manual effective traditional language_teaching learner take charge