Page:Adapting and Writing Language Lessons.pdf/46

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Man is by necessity a language-using animal, but as an adult he is only for convenience a language-learning one. The first assumption therefore is that people learn features of a language best if they use those features immediately for their own purposes, instead of just mimicking, memorizing and manipulating forms. , This assumption is inconsistent with the time-honored practice of delaying 'free conversation' until the student is 'ready' for it-usually sometime near the end of the second semester or second year.

In this respect, it is worthwhile to distinguish between 'real' and 'realistic' use of language. I use the question 'What time is it?' only if (a) I don't know what time it is and (b) I want to know what time it is. I can use the same question