Millions of students through out the world take up language learning in a classroom. But how many actually learn a language in a classroom? Although I have never claimed that language could be learned in a classroom, I have helped maintain the notion, having been an English language instructor for most of my adult life. Can and do children actually learn a language in a classroom? If society is trying to teach children language in a classroom, and it can’t be done, should we then stop? The answer from my point of view is, no, but changes, transformative changes in the classroom must be made.
I have taught hundreds, perhaps thousands of Freshmen English learners, and it is common for them when responding to me, to look at a friend. Here in lies the greatest flaw in learning a language; the learner is not engaged with the interlocutor, or the conversation lacks a common ground.