LDIC
LDIC
Why are there no teachers?
Anyone studying a foreign language formally in a classroom setting with a teacher can also benefit from personal study in which the learner decides what to study and how to study. In many instances, this kind of individualized study is a kind of language practice that simply cannot occur within a classroom. There are at least three reasons for this:
- Most of the materials available in the LDIC are technology-based and cannot be found in a typical classroom.
- The LDIC makes it possible for one student to read-while-listening while another student watches a documentary at the same time a group of students prepares a classroom presentation.
- The LDIC encourages a student to work at his or her own pace—there is no pressure to work at the same pace as other students.
The real purpose of a self-study center like the LDIC is to provide learners a space where they can learn on their own, develop some aspect of language they want to work on, and simply use another language. It is important to point out that they can do this without the direction of a classroom teacher or private tutor. Some students may choose to do this in a very systematic way—by keeping a journal, taking notes, creating study pages or lists—while others may choose to study in a freer way, simply valuing the time to work with the language alone—with no pressure to follow a “method." All users of the LDIC can try different strategies for learning or using a foreign language to see what works best for them.