Revolutionizing EFL Education with PURE Optimal Unified Input: Inspiring Success Stories
Today, we share two remarkable success stories demonstrating the power of listening and reading in English as a foreign language education. These stories, which received optimal input in both listening and reading and were free from the pressures of traditional methods, are a testament to the potential of our proposed approach, PURE Optimal Unified Input (POUI).
The Need for a New Approach
Current Challenges in EFL Education SL/GSSR (Story-Listening/Guided Self-Selected Reading) recognizes the importance of early exposure to stories in English as a foreign language in educational settings. Currently, the approach used in schools is eclectic, employing methods based on two contradicting theories and requiring students to work on all four skills equally and simultaneously.
SL/GSSR is a pure optimal input approach focusing solely on input until students are ready to work on output activities. Optimal input is comprehensible and compelling and includes a sufficient amount of i+1.
“i”= current level of competence
“1” = “one” means a language item the student is subconsciously ready to acquire. Something that he understands without conscious effort.
Implementing Effective Input How is it possible to provide enough i+1 to every student in class? SL and GSSR are designed to satisfy these conditions by using:
- Teacher’s preparation and guidance
- Written stories
- Comprehension-aiding supplementation (Krashen, Mason, & Smith, 2018) while eliminating all unnecessary activities from the methods.
Success Stories: Evidence of POUI in Action
Hermione Lee: A Case for Revolutionizing English Education Ken Smith wrote an article about a Taiwanese teenager, Hermione Lee, who published her book in English at 16. She didn’t attend an international school or study overseas. In his letter to the editor, Smith makes a compelling case for a revolution in English education methods in Taiwan. He highlights Hermione's extraordinary success, emphasizing her mastery of the language and her accomplishment of publishing a book in English at 16. Hermione's love for reading and writing was sparked through early exposure to stories. Her parents read stories to her in English when she was small, and she was gradually guided to books she could read and enjoy. Her achievement would not have been possible without her background in listening to and reading books. This underscores the urgency and importance of implementing these changes in our foreign language education system.
A Japanese Girl's Remarkable Achievement A few years ago, a remarkable story emerged from Japan. A 12-year-old who had devoured 10,000 books achieved a staggering score of 980 out of 990 on the TOEIC test. This young girl's English learning journey is another living testament to the power of input. As a toddler, her mother read books to her in English, sparking her love for stories. This passion gradually led her to read books like the Harry Potter series, and she proudly claims to have read a staggering 10,000 books. She dreams of becoming a translator, focusing on translating English books into Japanese in her distinctive style. This story reminds us of the importance of cultivating receptive skills before working on productive skills.
Moving Beyond Traditional Methods
Challenges of Traditional EFL Education English as a foreign language education often uses grammar-centered textbooks, teaches English rules (including pronunciation), requires students to memorize 2,000 frequently used words, reinforces learning through drills, and punishes students who fail to remember. Despite implementing this method for many decades, we have not solved the problem yet.
Focusing on Receptive Skills First Developing receptive skills is a crucial preliminary stage before introducing output activities. These girls were not forced to do output activities, didn't use textbooks to learn, didn't try to memorize words, didn't take tests, and were not evaluated.
The Role of Parental Support These two girls were fortunate to have parents actively engaged in their English language learning. Not every child is as privileged to have parents who read to them in English daily, provide English books, or take them to a library with a rich collection of English literature.
The Solution: PURE Optimal Unified Input
Implementing PURE Optimal Unified Input in Schools
We propose implementing the PURE Optimal Unified Input Approach in schools. This approach emphasizes that teachers should prepare and tell stories using comprehension-aiding supplementations, ensuring that every student understands the flow of the story. The school library should also have various easy, interesting English books to cater to students' diverse reading levels and interests. When the teacher shows them which books to read and what books to read next and guides them to books, students will soon become self-selected readers.
Empowering Lifelong Learners Once students become independent readers, they are empowered to continue improving their language skills independently. This approach makes language acquisition more effective and enjoyable and sets students on a path to lifelong learning.
Conclusion
The PURE Optimal Unified Input Approach is effective and efficient for language acquisition and simple and accessible. It does not require sophisticated technology or extensive resources. All that is needed is a teacher who can tell stories and a library full of books. This simplicity makes it a practical and feasible approach for schools, regardless of size or location.
Let’s work together to transform language education and unlock the potential of every student.
Sources:
- Japanese girl scored 980 on the TOEIC test
- Lee, H. (2021). In the name of the otherworld. World Castle Publishing. Publisher's Link
- Smith, K. (2021). Letter to the editor: Hermione Lee exemplifies ideal English education in Taiwan