Obviously learning doesn’t happen in an instant but I can certainly
think of some Eureka moments in my own development in a foreign
language. Obviously when you start out it can be easier to notice these
moments where you suddenly gain the ability to talk in the past or in
the future but it doesn’t have to stop there.There have also been moments when I suddenly realised that a phrase I learnt right at the start is actually a passive construction or the difference between two similar words suddenly becomes clear.
Of course, I didn’t always use the language perfectly afterwards and
so I was still “learning” and I didn’t suddenly learn the language I was
actually being exposed and laying the foundation to have that moment
but I wonder about the power of these Eureka moments.
Perhaps there is something very comforting about having a moment of
sudden realisation that you just “got” something and and can do
something new.
Is it possible to create moments like this so that Students can grasp
hold of knowledge more? I’m not sure but here are a couple of things
I’m wondering.
Dale Coulter recently talked about the difference between his planned grammar point and emergent grammar point and commented that the emergent lesson appeared to have “Stuck with the students” more than the planned lesson (they were the same grammar point) Perhaps in an Emergent situation the grammar is seen more as a eureka moment?
When you have a guided discovery lessons then the language is all
around the student from the start (in the text or listening) where as in
an emerging moment there might be a “I don’t know how to do this…” type
moment which might help students to appreciate the language? (this is
all just wondering aloud)
On the other hand in a guided discovery moment I’ve certainly had
students ask “what is…” so it is possible that the Eureka moment happens
in the situation as well (in fact perhaps it happened at home when the
student looked through the coursebook in advance of the next lesson. Who
knows) Basically this is a long ponder but I do have some questions for
you, fellow teachers
1. Have you ever seen/experienced Eureka moments?
2. When do they seem to happen?
3. Can we, teachers, help facilitate them?
4. Do they help learning?
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