tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1425985850280051605.post3255237621985130511..comments2023-08-09T14:03:35.138+09:00Comments on Keith's Voice on Extreme Language Learning: Why the comprehensibility of input is unimportant... and why it is importantKeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02533265523359409077noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1425985850280051605.post-24313506889957980392012-04-01T18:32:45.988+09:002012-04-01T18:32:45.988+09:00@Neoglitch - Indeed, everything you have said ring...@Neoglitch - Indeed, everything you have said rings true to my ears. Something does have to be comprehensible. Being able to see a story unfolding gives us comprehensibility. Watching 2 people just talking back and forth, however does not provide us with any comprehensibility if we do not know the language yet. I think what my article was addressing is that there are those who promote comprehensible input but will only consider it worthy of the label if it is at least 70% comprehensible. They hold the belief that you cannot acquire language at all if you don't understand at least 70% of it already. I've already proven (to myself at least) that this is not true. I started watching Chinese at 5% or less comprehension of the words and made good progress. However, in my case, even 2,000 hours of TV has not been enough to reach a full understanding. But I still feel I benefit from all the repeated exposure to the words that I do understand.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02533265523359409077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1425985850280051605.post-63092053642894066942012-04-01T17:55:33.273+09:002012-04-01T17:55:33.273+09:00Hello Keith. If it's ok I'd like to give y...Hello Keith. If it's ok I'd like to give you my 2cents on the matter of comprehensible vs incomprehensible input:<br /><br />"Through massive amounts of input, our brains will organize the patterns of the new language." On that I ABSOLUTELY agree. By listening, watching and reading tons of content in your L2 you start getting used to it. You start seeing patterns and words that repeat themselves over and over again, and you also get used to how the language sounds, and SHOULD sound.<br /><br />Massive input, immersion, IS key. It is extremely important, yet many L2 learners ditch it because "it's not comprehensible thus it's just garbage noise". And that's a huge mistake.<br /><br />And now here goes the "however": HOWEVER, getting used to the language is half the battle. The other half is understanding it. We need to train our brain to connect abstract concepts and meanings to those sounds and patterns that occur in our L2. And how do you connect meanings to sounds? When input is comprehensible.<br /><br />I believe the TV method works, because it is not completely incomprehensible. That is primarily because of context: For example, if you are watching anime and a character is in danger another one will shout 危ない! Or if you are watching something you already watched in your L1, but dubbed into L2, your familiarity with the situations in the content will give you clues about the meanings of the words and phrases the characters use.<br /><br />I agree with you: More studies should be done on the subject. However, my hunch tells me this: If you want to learn korean, and you only use audio as your form of input (no TV, no videos, only music, podcasts, audio books, etc), then after one year of audio immersion you would indeed be VERY used to the language. You would recognize patterns, and you would notice that certain words get repeated again and again and again (that's happening to me right now, with words like とりあいす and だけど).<br /><br />You would notice all those patterns and words... but you wouldn't know what they all mean. Without SOMETHING (context, previous experience, a dicitonary filled with examples) that helps us connect sounds to meanings language acquisition cannot happen.<br /><br />I'd love to see what you think about this. Thank you for writing this blog; I came here from Ramses'! :DNeoglitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00989480721205965941noreply@blogger.com