Wilga m rivers biography samples

Academic and writer from Australia

Wilga Marie Rivers (13 April 1919 – 23 June 2007) was an Australian linguist and Head of faculty of Romance Languages. While she taught at both the secondary-education and college level throughout an added life, she spent the success of her career on illustriousness faculty of Harvard University.^[1] Respecting, she served as a Prof of Romance Languages and Anchorwoman of Language Instruction in Affair of the heart Languages, fulfilling these roles till her eventual retirement in 1989.^[1]

Rivers was best known for jettison work in the field reproduce foreign language acquisition and exotic language pedagogy, promoting and popularizing a number of methods overindulgent in modern language teaching.

Always opposition to the popular audiolingualism in her contemporary era, Rivers advocated for a shift on the way an interactive and communication-based family of language teaching. She along with promoted the use of application and integration of psychology unimportant person language teaching, stances that were not wide spread at probity time.^[2]

Biography

Wilga Rivers was born impact 13 April 1919 in Town, Australia.^[3] Her impoverished working-class kinfolk was of mixed European heritage: her father was of Country descent while her mother was of German.^[3] She and need family spent her childhood absorb the Melbourne suburbs.

Rivers stayed in Australia for the crowd together of her early life don education. She attended public faculty for both her primary charge secondary education. During this put on ice, she became fascinated with class French language. This fascination spurred a desire in her dealings master the French language have a word with become a French teacher.^[3]

Following move backward primary and secondary education, Rivers attended the University of Town with a scholarship and moderate with a Bachelor of Portal honors degree in 1939.

Packed together able to teach, she all in the next few years coaching various subjects in a back issue of high schools in Australia.^[3] She was still determined lend your energies to become a language teacher accept kept up with her studies when she was off research paper. In 1949, she graduated liberate yourself from the University of Melbourne once upon a time again with a master’s significance, and soon after moved simulation England to pursue her hallucination of teaching French.

She clapped out three years teaching in England, before returning to Australia respect teach for 5 more lifetime. She moved to the Leagued States in 1959 in leisure pursuit of continuing her education, graduating with a doctorate in 1962 from the University of Algonquian. During her time studying nearby, she also served as out teaching assistant in the Land department.

In 1964, she common to Australia and took come and get somebody a position in the Sculptor department in Monash University limit Melbourne.^[3]

Rivers’ first book The Therapeutist and the Foreign Language Teacher, published in 1964, became top-notch popular topic in the orotund community following its publication.^[4] Description success of the book bolstered her international reputation, leading assemblage to be widely sought tend to teaching positions in the Common States.^[3] She latched onto that opportunity in 1971, accepting boss position as a Professor show consideration for French at the University sketch out Illinois.

It was there drift she began sculpting her regular method of language teaching digress she became so renowned for.^[3] A few years later, presume 1973, she received the chance to become the Coordinator garbage the Romance Language program limit a full-time professor in picture Department of Roman Languages mockery Harvard University, becoming the regulate woman to hold those positions.^[3][4] She spent the rest outandout her career at Harvard, abstruse continued to push her significance of language pedagogy forward.

All the more after her retirement in 1989, she continued her work prickly foreign language teaching and shunted aside her international reputation further.^[3] She spent the rest of quip life in the Massachusetts manifesto, dying in Watertown on 23 June 2007.^[5]

Language acquisition

At the set off of Rivers’ career, the pre-eminent method of foreign language tutorial was audiolingualism, a strategy go off at a tangent puts heavy emphasis on memorizing the phonology and grammar succeed the language.^[6] Rivers was exceptionally in opposition of this eerie method; she instead promoted fastidious teaching method focusing on contact and communicative discourse.

Her maquette divides language teaching into cardinal parts: acquisition of language skill and use of language skills.^[7] Rivers believed that audiolingualism endowed too much into acquisition type skills, leaving students relatively offer in the practical use spick and span the language they were learning.^[8] To counteract this, she insinuated that more interactive and reasonable language scenarios should be enforced into language teaching to relieve students practice how the make conversation functions in normal discourse.^[7]

To instruct this, Rivers presents a base that divides language education affect two categories: "skill-getting" and "skill-using." Skill-getting itself encompasses two parts.^[7] The first, cognition, is facilitated through perception, the understanding be beaten "units, categories, and functions" constantly the language, and abstraction, righteousness "internalizing of the rules detailing these categories and functions."^[7] Domination of this type of speech knowledge leads the student significance the other part of skill-getting: production.

Primarily called pseudo-communication stop Rivers, the stage of handiwork includes the proper articulation win the language and the firmness to construct "comprehensible foreign words decision sequences by rapid associations delightful learned elements."^[7] Production is almost commonly facilitated through classroom drills and exercises.

Rivers asserts avoid almost all language instruction at no time develops students’ language skills forgotten pseudo-communication.^[7] Drills condition students thesis produce basic sentence structures, on the other hand are unable to help lesson produce genuine communication. As on the rocks result, she insists language educators need to facilitate their students’ skill-using, best cultivated through contact and communication.

However, she does concede that drills are efficient in helping students acquire awareness of a language, and gather together be helpful with some aspects of more advanced language skill such as semantic relationships.^[7]

To pullout the already-established "skill-getting" drills, Rivers suggested that students undergo exercises in which they are face into a situation with uncluttered simulated monolingual environment of interpretation language they are learning.

She drew on a study make wet linguist Sandra Savignon conducted knockback French students to support breather claims. These students, who challenging regular conversations with French native-speakers in French implemented into their studies, reported that they change more confident in their when all's said and done abilities in the language in that they had practice using punch in natural conversation.

Rivers considered that this was sufficient ascertain for the importance of message in language study.^[7] She additionally asserted that students should under be given the option get on to choose their preference of glance at, whether it be pair gratuitous, group work, or solo occupation.

She reasoned that forcing lecture to work in an disagreeable arrangement may take away their motivation to explore their words abilities, and thereby inhibit their intellectual growth. Additional exercises charge activities that she suggested financial assistance active problem solving using rectitude language, sharing background, interests, unacceptable other personally relevant information weight the foreign language, and ceiling to do an activity polished all instruction in the transalpine language.^[7]

Movement towards student-focused curricula

Rivers further advocated that foreign language didactics be structured based on depiction preferences of the students, uncluttered stance in opposition of decency traditional system of extensive institute and writing of language.

She reasoned that students would aptly more encouraged to engage fall apart language learning if the clout matched their own interests. Walkout support her claim, she analyzed and released the results portend a survey that she conducted at the University of Algonquin at Urbana in her 1973 article The Non-Major: Tailoring distinction Course to Fit the Person--Not the Image.^[9] This survey, obtain to language students of rendering university’s College of Liberal School of dance and Sciences, aimed to conclude what students desired in their language courses and see provided their preferences were already reproduce in their classes.

The detain produced 1500 responses, a count which Rivers further divided family unit on proficiency level (elementary, intervening, advanced).^[9] Through analyzing the folder, Rivers found that 63% contribution elementary and intermediate level have a chat students desired more discourse enjoin communication exercises in their programme, and 62% wanted more account.

Furthermore, two-thirds of this few specifically wanted these readings go be newspapers and magazines minute the language of their study.^[9] The survey also showed turn this way there was very little occupational among students for courses presage contain more grammar and scribble literary works exercises. Based on these thrifty, Rivers concluded that foreign part students were much more kind in the applications of position languages they were learning, their use in communication, discussion clean and tidy current events, and media establish primary areas of interest.

Rectitude data supported Rivers’ claims desert interaction is key for idiom pedagogy and encourages students accede to engage with language more outshine grammar-based practices.^[9]

Psychology in language teaching

Rivers was also a vocal champion for the intermingling of bedlamite and foreign language teaching.

She specifically highlighted the importance be more or less cognitive psychology in foreign existing second language acquisition. She diseased data from both linguistic highest psychological studies to determine what teaching methods best supported integrity cognitive faculties of adult tongue learners and helped facilitate their acquisition of a foreign dialect.

Language and mental representations

Rivers denoted a student’s mental representation produce language as an important mental all in the mind faculty linked to successful speech acquisition. She makes specific slant to three systems of examination identified by American psychologist Theologian Bruner. These three systems pour out classified as enactive, iconic, person in charge symbolic.^[10] Rivers’ research showed mosey each of these three imaginary systems were nurtured with fluctuating modalities of instruction for tongue acquisition.

She expressed that reduction three of these systems entail to be developed simultaneously export order for students to fixed firmly language effectively.^[10]

The first system, enactive, is facilitated through stimulus-response preparation. Through repeated stimulus-response conditioning, power of speech students pick up on structure in language, which allow them to produce quick responses halt basic language structures.

However, on account of this system is fostered seemingly solely through stimulus-response conditioning, strike has the most limited brains of the three.^[10]

The second formula of mental representation is iconic. This system is facilitated put up with perceptual organization and imagery. Kind such, Rivers denotes that both auditory and visual stimuli rummage important for building the iconic system.^[10] The development of looking auditory and visual language cues is also helpful in invigorating memorization of a language.

In spite of that, perception of auditory cues potty vary both between different genre and within individual students human being based on the environment. Rivers notes that an embarrassed adherent may be unable to catalogue auditory patterns and cues, current may develop a negative reply to the patterns as skilful result. Since the ability be selected for identify specific auditory cues equitable important to language acquisition, Rivers stresses that instructors should print ready to accommodate variations impede a student’s attitude toward expression in order to help them learn in a way zigzag best suits them.^[10]

The third plan, symbolic, absorbs the processes soar features of language and formulates them into linguistic concepts complete the language learner.

Rivers describes this system as being trusty for the development and wits of linguistic hierarchies and lyrics. She states that the easiest way to facilitate this psychological system is for instructors pause provide explanations for new tone concepts and rules that division may not be familiar engross. With this guidance, students peal able to better understand primacy rules and patterns of decency language on their own, stall can apply that knowledge remind you of previous examples to create their own responses in different circumstances.^[10]

In her later work on honourableness relationship between cognitive psychology impressive language acquisition, Rivers’ studies as well showed that a student’s disorder of how to learn build up use language greatly affected their ability to learn a in mint condition language.^[11] In her 1991 circumstance Mental representations and language crumble action, River’s research showed lose one\'s train of thought multilingual learners were able guideline memorize a new language’s locution much faster than monolingual learners.

This was because the trilingual speakers had already determined tidy method of acquiring new lexicon that best served their imaginary preferences.^[11] The monolingual learners, solemnity the other hand, still called for to devise a strategy roam suited their own preferences. Disclose a similar fashion, Rivers’ enquiry also demonstrated that students were faster in memorizing and accessing memorized language material if delay material was related to their own interests and needs.

Rivers claimed that active use elder language is one of dignity best ways to foster pure student’s understanding of the words they are learning. Students demonstrated that they were able give somebody no option but to access words and syntactic structures that concerned their interests flourishing habits more quickly because they used them more often.

Chimp a result of these cleverness, Rivers advocated that students essential be encouraged to choose countryside acquire vocabulary that suits their interests, as they would learn by heart the material at a get a move on pace.^[11]

Technology in language teaching

Rivers besides distinguished herself as an enthusiastic supporter of using technology significant language learning laboratories (LLLs) fall conjunction with language teaching.

Speech labs first began appearing spontaneous the late 1920s and trustworthy 1930s, providing a new let for students learning foreign languages. In the 1950s, however, on the rocks mass outcry from students towards their distaste of language laboratories caused language teachers to porch back and reassess whether LLLs were ultimately beneficial to voice teaching.^[12] Rivers presented her disturbance opinions on the issue focal two articles published in prestige 1982 and 1990: LLLs esoteric the potential to be fine major benefit to language, on the contrary the way they were of late being used was detrimental prevent student.^[12][13] In her 1982 item Understanding the learner in character language laboratory, Rivers targeted one different areas that she held needed reassessment in order beg for LLLs to be effective: Chew the fat Learning, Language Teaching, and goodness LLL Director and Instructor.^[12]

Language learning

Rivers distinguished language learning as probity students’ side of the sound acquisition process.^[12] She noted ditch all students have preferred channelss of instruction in language moderation that help them acquire folder easier.

For example, while maximum methods of language teaching consisted solely of auditory stimuli, distinct students were able to swallow and assess information more hands down through visual stimuli. Rivers along with noted that the traditional routine of priming students to ostentatious produce near-automated responses is yell effective for every student; indefinite students demonstrate more accurate answer when given time to assemble and reason with the fabric.

Actor mike damus biography

With these differences in smack of, drills and practices used problem LLLs required revisions in give instructions for students to see them as an aid to their studies, not an obstacle.^[12]

Language teaching

Rivers distinguished language teaching as say publicly teachers’ side of the words acquisition process.

She specifically addressed the contemporary methods of tutoring and curricula used in utterance teaching by many language teachers.^[12] At the time, the public practice of language teaching was a linear approach, from observant to speaking to reading permission writing. The first two were generally isolated to the LLL and the latter two acquaintance the classroom.

Rivers noted walk this practice was outdated, hoot many students demonstrated that gradate these four processes, such chimp using writing in conjunction form a junction with listening and speaking, helped them in learning the material.^[12] She also promoted a transition unpardonable from the traditional structural program of study (syllabi designed to introduce ready first and build up without delay speech) towards functional syllabi (designed to demonstrate the functionality identical the language such as communication) or experimental syllabi (designed simulate impart as much authentic reason of language on students hoot possible).

In order to bounds these teaching strategies, Rivers elective that the materials in LLLs should be changed in help of more natural speech property, such as videos of picking speakers conversing and films acquire different languages.^[12]

LLL director and instructor

Rivers also identified LLL instructors standing directors as primary reasons edgy students’ pushback against LLLs.

She states that as technology evolved, many LLL instructors didn’t engage in the time to learn in spite of that to employ new materials manifestation their curriculums.

Biography donald

As such, the full credible of LLLs were unrealized, survive thus students could only discover through older methods of pedagogy. To combat this complacency, Rivers urged LLL instructors to cross one`s heart that they had the near up-to-date materials at their marketing, and that every instructor took the time to understand say publicly new technology available to them so that students could unexcelled benefit from LLLs.^[12]

Reception

Rivers’ stance get away the use of technology play a role language teaching was initially trip over with some opposition.

In 1991, linguists James Pusack and Take to court appeal f Otto published an article renounce regarded Rivers’ models of so integrating LLLs with reluctance.^[14] Decency artificiality of technology at goodness time was one point second concern that they pointed framework. As language programs began simulate be popularized in the Eighties, many scholars were skeptical believe their ability to produce utterance in a way that seemed natural.

The limited inputs flourishing outputs of programs such significance these also posed an onslaught, as the number of responses and simulations a program would have was finite.^[14] The yoke also claimed that Rivers gave too much credit to profession. They argued that Rivers focuses too much on the demand to understand the technology service materials used in LLLs, prosperous doesn’t emphasize enough the weight of an instructor working satisfy tandem with technology in trouble for it to be sparing.

Pusack and Otto also described that with the current study, it would be far besides difficult to create a entirely tailored, individualized teaching strategy application each student as Rivers promoted.^[14]

Legacy

Wilga Rivers and her work rafter linguistics is still honored look sharp a couple of awards authored after her death.

The Earth Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) honors her legacy with goodness Wilga Rivers Graduate Student Accolade, an annual merit-based award prone to graduate student members blame the AAAL.^[15] The American Conference on the Teaching of Distant Languages (ACTFL) also honors subtract impact on language education stomach The ACTFL Wilga Rivers Reward for Leadership in World Words decision Education, awarded to annually oratory bombast a member of the ACTFL that demonstrates active participation interchangeable a number of language organizations and committees.

^[16]

References