Lessons Learned from Crystal

"Introducing Language"
p. 1-17

Lessons
1. Modes of Communication Vs. Language

I hadn't given much thought to the differences between these two, or the limits that modes of communication set. Although I hadn't thought about it, on some level I am aware of it. So this does agree with my own "theory of language." This distinction between language that is productive and exhibits duality of structure and other, more limited ways of relating information would be helpful in teaching because I could refer to these differences in responding to things like "I'm a physics major. Why do I need to learn to write when I'm going to spend most of my career in a lab?" For anyone, it is important to go beyond simple modes of communication, like those animals use, and master language on some level-both written and oral. It would particularly necessary to communicate totally new concepts or discoveries--even in physics.

2. Paralinguistic Communication

Of course, I've always been aware of this. In the realm of oral communication, this is something I've taken for granted--the way that it completes a linguistic experiences, but it does differ for varying cultures. So in one way, it does mesh with my notions of language. One can glean additional information from non-language sounds and facial that can augment and clarify the message, but in another way, it could muddle communication if one is unaware of culture implications of paralinguistic behaviors. This is what I learned from it. I am unsure how this is helpful for the realm of teaching besides that my awareness of it may be helpful in my verbal communications with students who originate from a culture different from my own. It would help in deciphering difficulties students may be experiencing but are finding it difficult to express using language alone. It might help me to bridge a gap between myself and my students.

3. Whistle Language

This discussion starting my thinking about how language comes into being and the human capacity for creating systems of meaning. I would not have thought that whistle language existed, or was as sophisticated as it is. While this is more limited, Crystal argues that it can act as a substitute for speech. I find it interesting that "ambiguity is uncommon" (12). So this doesn't mesh at all with my preconceived notions of what language is, what it can be or where it originates. It could be helpful in teaching in a discussion of the human capacity for meaning-making and means of expressing meaning to others and considering where our language comes from and why it is important to effectively communicating ideas to others in terms that are accepted and understood by our audience.

"Written Language"
p. 97-153

Lessons

1. "Full meaning does not always exist prior to writing. Often the process operates in reverse" (128)

This is something that does agree with my personal "theory of writing," but on a very tacit level. In thinking about teaching writing, this would be helpful for justifying prewriting-particularly for freewriting and the use of drafts. When faced with "I don't like prewriting, I just write," I could point out that "no pressure" draft writing or freewriting can be very helpful in determining what you want to say, and how to best say it, in a general way. It might help for students particularly resistant to prewriting or planning writing.

Lesson 2
"There is no necessary link between reading and writing: good readers do not always make good writers." (128)

This is probably the lesson from Crystal that is most important and resonated the most with me. When we were first asked in class to write about our "theory of writing," one of the first things that I wrote had to do with how important reading is for writing. I have not totally abandoned that idea, but I feel it necessary to reformulate it in light of new insights. In my own experience, as a reader and a writer, I have attributed most of my success with writing to my love (and huge amounts of time spent) of reading. On some level, I believe that it is true for me, but Crystal has made me think that maybe that something specific to me. This lesson really shook up a preconceived notion I had about how writing is learned, which in turn will clearly change the way I approach the task of teaching writing. It also highlights something that I've said several times in small groups in class. Although it is very simple, "everyone's different." All students are likely to respond more favorably to different methods of teaching. This highlights that I will have to go much further beyond "what worked for me" in assisting my students in their efforts to become better writers.

3. Dyslexia
The most startling of the lessons that I learned in reading Crystal had to do with dyslexia. Crystal describes different types of difficulties in reading and writing with which individuals may struggle. Of course I have always been aware of the concept of dyslexia, my own sister suffers with it. But, what I did not realize is exactly how little seems to be known about the causes of all its different manifestations. I'm sure that this is one of the moments in this book that could be characterized as a "skimming & acknowledgement of vast bodies of scholarship & research," and that more information is available, but this is something I have previous been aware of as a result of personal experiences and something I am concerned about in the teaching of writing. I come into this with the notion that dyslexia is something I will be likely to encounter, and my questions center around the notion of what I will be able to do to facilitate learning in students who suffer from this kind of disability of difficulty. In a way, I guess this returns to my comment (which seems to be quickly becoming my "tag line") that "everyone's different." In light of this ridiculously obvious fact, my questions seems to center around how to accommodate all of my students and offer them the best opportunity that I can for learning to write.