Atkinson, Dwight (2011, Mar. 2). Adaptive intelligence and a sociocognitive approach to second language acquisition. Linguistics Luncheon, Student Center, Southern Illinois University.
I mention this first because it's amazing to some degree that there is still a Linguistics Luncheon; that the tradition continues; that we have a respected second language acquisitionist here; that many people attended. I won't dwell on this but I think it's good to have a record
somewhere that linguistics is still alive at SIUC.
Then, as for what he said, I'll review. There was a cognitive revolution. It was anti-behaviorist. It considered mind as number one, and its proponents became interested in the idea of mind as computer. The sociocognitive approach combines social and cognitive approaches, and rejects the idea that cognitive processes are locked away in an isolated prison of the mind. We are adaptive by nature, good at frisbee but bad at math (abstract math, anyway). We have an extremely complex environment for several reasons; we learn as we adapt and the two are bound together. There is the
inseparability principle and the
alignment principle in which we have many tools of alignment including eye gaze, gesture, facial expression, etc.; language fits into this alignment process and has to be seen as part of it.
There was an active question-answer session, the first question being about our present alignment toward online communication and how this would alter our view of language and language learning. Dr. Atkinson brought up the chat-bots who carry on entire but disjointed conversations with each other and how that alters our view of "conversation" and "alignment." There were more but my cell phone rang, and I was called away on a personal situation. But thank you Dr. Atkinson! I hope I haven't too seriously misrepresented what you said; I realize that my notes are somewhat simplistic. It can be recaptured in more formal form, as necessary.
Labels: bib, chomsky, linguistics, siuc, sla
this Friday!
Benefit Poetry Reading
I took $291 over to Good Samaritan House today in small change, checks, and a money order; there was also food that went to the food pantry which is in another location. I considered the poetry reading a success for that reason alone. People came from CESL; some I knew from elsewhere, and some I didn't know at all. I believe that if they came only for the poetry, they heard good poetry, so it was a success from that point of view also.
Below is a picture of Thomas Gault, who read for Patrick T. Randolph, who was home with a newborn baby. The picture came from
The Southern online but was doctored with "picnik" which will soon be withdrawn. Thomas is my colleague at CESL and, being from LA and all, might not be used to the fact that in a small town such as this, one gets in the paper regularly. It can't be avoided.
As for the poetry itself, I will put a more detailed report on
my poetry blog; back at CESL, I realize that one reason so few students attended was that I'd loaded them down with studying. Such is life. On a cold and rainy night, I was grateful that those who came, seemed to enjoy it.
One of my favorite bloggers ever is a
DC cabdriver, slightly vulgar but a great writer and always entertaining, and one thing I like about him is that
every post ends with "don't forget the homeless", though these days he also seems to be calling for criminal investigation of some DC politician. I didn't (forget the homeless); I saw five or six more today when I took the money over. I realized that it would buy little more than a day at that place, probably. It doesn't matter. It felt good to go over there, lay some money on the table, and walk out. They promised to send me a letter, which I'll keep.
Labels: personal
Benefit Poetry Reading
Wed. Feb. 15, 7-9 PM, Longbranch Coffeehouse
100 E. Jackson St., CarbondalePatrick T. Randolph
Kathy Cotton
Thomas Leverett
More information
here.
All Welcome!
Labels: personal
Great picture, I just had to borrow it.
Cheredar, T. (2012, Jan. 19).
Can Apple’s new textbook initiative save U.S. education? (infographic) MediaBeat. http://venturebeat.com/2012/01/19/apple-textbooks-education-infographic/. Accessed 1-12.
articles
Rosenberg, T. (2011, Dec. 9).
Everyone speaks text message.
New York Times Magazine. Accessed 1-12. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/magazine/everyone-speaks-text-message.html?pagewanted=1&tntemail0=y&_r=4&emc=tnt.
Miller, L. S. (2012, Jan. 8).
ESL instruction videos teaching more than English on YouTube.
GigaOm. Accessed 1-12. http://gigaom.com/video/esl-instruction-videos-teaching-more-than-english-on-youtube/.
DeSantis, N. (2012, Jan. 6).
E-Textbooks Saved Many Students Only $1.
Chronicle, Accessed 1-12. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/new-study-shows-e-textbooks-saved-many-students-only-1/34793.
Crotty, J. M. (2011, Dec. 21).
M.I.T. Game-Changer: Free Online Education For All.
Forbes. Accessed 1-12. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2011/12/21/m-i-t-game-changer-free-online-education-for-all/
Bell, K. (2012, Jan. 14).
Internet creates a cat-and-mouse game between schools, students.
Victoria Advocate. Accessed 1-12. http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2012/jan/14/kb_school_internet_011512_164404/?features&education.
Labels: bib, chat, endangered languages, internet, youtube
e pluribus haiku
now available on Kindle
Labels: personal
