How to feature NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT to enhance language teaching (15 key strategies)

INTRODUCTION: Finding innovative ways to support learners in engaging with NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT

If you found your way here, I believe you’re seeking out innovative ways to help your learners engage with NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT, basically the target language in its natural form, as opposed to specially designed learning materials. This exposure can come from various sources, such as conversations with native speakers, reading authentic texts, or watching movies and TV shows.

We know the critical benefits of featuring NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT to our learners as part of our language teaching approach. For advanced learners regarded as proficient users (e.g. CEFR C1/C2), dealing with NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT should already by part and parcel of their language lessons. As such, we’d not expect challenges in designing their learning experiences.

In other words, the 15 strategies I’m sharing here are really targeted at teachers working with learners who are at most intermediate users (e.g. CEFR B2). Of course, for classrooms with mixed abilities (I assume most of us teach in such classes), these strategies can be adapted accordingly. Let’s begin our journey with this understanding in mind.

1. Formulate a taxonomy of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT Sources.

Before we even begin to consider how to incorporate NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT in our approach, we should also be cognisant of our sources where we can extract our raw materials. This’ll then allow us to orchestrate a balanced diet of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT reflective of both the quantity and quality necessary to trigger language development. Below is the list for your reference:

1. Interactions with target L1 users: Spontaneous and unscripted interactions between speakers of a language. They can occur in various settings such as social gatherings, work environments, or educational institutions.
2. Radio and podcasts: Audio sources with formats like news broadcasts, interviews, and storytelling. The content varies widely, catering to different interests and levels of language proficiency.
3. Television, movies and videos: Visual media that presents a rich source of dialogues, narrations, and descriptions. The language used in these sources often reflects the colloquial speech patterns and dialects/varieties of target speech communities.
4. Books: Reading materials, in the broad sense of ‘literature’, offer written examples of naturalistic language, often encompassing various genres and topics. This input can help our learners pay more attention to their understanding of syntax, vocabulary, and discourse structures.
5. Newspapers and Magazines: Written texts of varying lengths (and difficulties) that deal with a broad range of topics. Due to its diversity, there is larger scope to identify selection of texts suitable for our targeted learner profiles.
6. Websites: The proliferation of blogs has resulted in a large amount of content online, which our target language(s) may be featured. This gives our learners lots of opportunities to demonstrate transfer of learning in engagement with targeted types of NATURALISTIC INPUT.
7. Social media: Online platforms such as Discord, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Tiktok, and Instagram provide a constant stream of NATURALISTIC INPUT through posts, comments, and conversations. This input can expose learners to informal language use, slang, and internet-specific jargon.
8. Live events and performances: Lectures, conferences, or theatrical productions can be authentic platforms to engage the target language in a captivating meaning-focused manner. Our learners can observe how speakers adapt their language to different audiences and situations, gaining valuable insights into effective communication.

2. Identify the positioning of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT in our curriculum or lesson.

And so, we have our taxonomy of sources from where we can draw our materials to design specific language learning experiences. That being handled, I believe we’re not looking for a one-time quick fix. Even as we plan for individual language units, we should maintain a macro perspective of the whole curriculum to maintain coherence for our learners. In other words, we (and our learners in general) ought to have a good sense of when, how and why selected NATURALISTIC INPUT enter the curriculum.

NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT can be integrated at various stages of our language instruction, depending on our teaching goals and the specific needs of our learners at each particular point in time. In realising this, we should adopt the perspective of a curriculum developer and scrutinise our curriculum structure, discerning areas where NATURALISTIC INPUT can support the learning experience hypothetically. Below are some possible positioning frames for thought:

1. Warm-up Activities: Begin lessons with short NATURALISTIC INPUT exposures to activate prior knowledge and set the context for learning.
2. Content Introduction: Use NATURALISTIC INPUT to introduce new vocabulary, grammar structures, or cultural concepts.
3. Comprehension Practice: Integrate NATURALISTIC INPUT into comprehension activities, such as listening or reading tasks with follow-up questions or discussions.
4. Language Production: Utilise NATURALISTIC INPUT as models for language production activities, such as writing or speaking tasks.
5. Independent Out-of-Classroom Learning: Encourage our learners to engage with NATURALISTIC INPUT outside of class time for additional practice and exposure, though we should strategically facilitate demonstration of learning in our classroom time.

3. Scaffold the learning experience appropriately.

Ok, I also don’t want to impress upon us that our learners, particularly those who are beginners or intermediate learners, can be thrust into the wild without any guidance or support. Yes, we’re trying to get our learners to experience the wild, but we’ll need to equip them with the right “tools” to navigate and stay motivated to do so.

With that consideration, we could be mindful to only introduce NATURALISTIC INPUT in the classroom initially. At strategic points, we can then intervene to facilitate learners’ processing and comprehension of the input, akin to the provision of comprehensible input. The idea is that such experiences prepare our learners in handling NATURALISTIC INPUT with confidence. The subsequent strategies in this list will include specific tips to scaffold for the strategy to work.

4. Encourage extensive listening to podcasts of interest.

Podcasts offer a wealth of authentic language exposure, encompassing wide-ranging topics, accents, and speaking styles. I am myself a fervent listener of a number of podcasts and have observed how my own proficiency (and general content knowledge) has improved tremendously over time by a selection of podcast diets – aligned to my interest.

In the same sense, by encouraging our learners to explore podcasts that align with their interests, we can foster a sense of enjoyment and purpose in their listening practice. They get to indulge in content that they’re genuinely interested in while making sense of the linguistic forms carrying those content. Such extensive processing sustained by intrinsic motivation can lead to improved comprehension over time.

What’s more, this is an important add-on for L2 learners (L2 as defined in relation to a foreign language) where access to organic opportunities of listening to the L2 in their immediate environment is not an issue. For foreign language learners without ample opportunities to experience the target language as it is, this can be regarded as essential to enable more frequent “natural language processing” exercises – vital for getting used to dealing with “humans’ unfiltered unpredictability”.

Anyway, podcasts can be an important resource beyond providing NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT. As we introduce them to drive extensive listening, we can do three things to prepare our learners:

1. Introduce a variety of podcasts: Share a curated list of podcasts that cater to different interests and levels of our learners. Consider genres like news, comedy, storytelling, or educational content.
2. Guide and encourage active listening: Guide our learners to listen for specific information (e.g. identify main ideas, analyse speaker’s tone and intention). Such habits promote active engagement, which can then lead to deeper processing and possibly retention.
3. Facilitate discussions and reflections: Factor in discussion or reflection sessions in class and encourage learners to share their opinions and reflections of their learning experience through listening to podcasts. This fosters critical thinking and collaborative learning on linguistic habits related to self-directed extensive listening.

5. Incorporate extensive reading of age- and level- appropriate stories and news.

If we’ve dedicated one set of out-of-classroom NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT for listening, why not push further? Parallel to auditory NATURALISTIC INPUT, the extensive reading of age- and level- appropriate stories and news articles can vastly benefit language acquisition for our learners.

Extensive reading is the practice of reading extensively for pleasure and general understanding, rather than focusing on specific linguistic forms (as in the case of intensive reading). As our learners get consistent exposure to a wider range of vocabulary and complex sentence structures (beyond what can be plausibly presented in classrooms), they’re then better positioned to internalise the nuances of the target language and improve their linguistic competence. In simpler words, extensive reading can significantly improve reading fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and overall language proficiency.

The key challenge, however, is how to maximise the presence of comprehensible input within the NATURALISTIC INPUT presented to our learners within the reading materials. If this is not possible, for professional or practical reasons, then we’ll need to have other mitigating strategies in place. Below are some key tips:

1. Curate lists of stories and news: Select texts that are interesting and relevant to your students’ age, interests, and proficiency level. We can always do this with our colleagues or fellow practitioners.
2. Facilitate access to a variety of materials: Offer a diverse selection of reading materials to cater to different interests and self-efficacy beliefs. This could include fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and magazines through guided visits to the school library or community library(ies); or online reading materials through the internet (e.g. e-libraries).
3. Set realistic goals: Encourage our learners to read for a specific amount of time each day or week, rather than focusing on completing a certain number of books or texts.
4. Use technology to your advantage: Utilise online platforms and apps that offer a wide range of reading materials and track student progress.
5. Make it fun and collaborative: Create a positive and supportive environment for reading. Encourage our learners to read together and discuss what they are reading.
6. Provide opportunities for choice: Allow our learners to choose their own reading materials whenever possible. This will increase their motivation and engagement.
7. Leverage extensive reading to build background knowledge: Select texts that are related to the topics we are covering in class. This can help students develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

6. Introduce content learning in the target language.

Such is the construct underpinning Content-based Instruction, which is an approach that integrates language instruction with subject matter instruction from various domains, allowing students to develop language skills as a by-product of learning disciplinary content or content of interest. For example, students can learn Mathematics, Sciences, Design and Technology, Music or broadly current affairs (e.g. ongoing elections around the world, AI trends) and entertainment (e.g. Taylor Swift), using our target language as the medium of instruction.

Content-based Instruction creates meaning-focused learning experiences where our learners have to acquire and use the target language as a tool to access the content. This is akin to real-life situations where our learners (or ourselves) use the target language to accomplish a specific goal within different communicative contexts. As with extensive reading, the similar challenge lies in identifying the NATURALISTIC INPUT in our desired content area that is most appropriate considering our learner profiles. Below are some tips for reference:

1. Start with Familiar Topics: Begin with content areas that our learners are already knowledgeable about in their native language. This provides a foundation for understanding new concepts and vocabulary in the target language.
2. Use Multimodal Resources: Incorporate a variety of resources that depicts similar content with NATURALISTIC INPUT, such as articles, videos, podcasts, and interactive websites, to help reinforce meaning representation across modalities. This helps to make the learning experience more engaging and accessible for all our learners.
3. Encourage Active Engagement: Go beyond passive consumption of information by encouraging our learners to actively engage with the content. This could involve discussions, debates, presentations, or creative projects related to the topic.
4. Make Connections to Real-World Applications: Help our learners see the relevance of the content to their lives and future goals. This could involve guest speakers, field trips, or simulations that are conducted in the target language which help connects the learning to real-world contexts.

7. Use tasks or projects to anchor the language learning process.

Similar to the previous method, this is a way to present NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT more in the form of content for learning, rather a piece of language for linguistic analysis. Simply speaking, we are doing more of using the language to learn it, as opposed to learning of the language per se within a task-based approach or a project-based approach.

How do we define a task or project? Remember that we are not here to discuss on the implementation of task-based or project-based learning in its broad sense. Prioritising the exposure of our learners to NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT should be the guiding principle when designing tasks and projects.

As such, tasks or projects should be communicative and interactive in nature, preferably interfacing with the target L1 users (or native speakers). With a well-designed task or project, our learners will be driven to process NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT as they may do in real life (e.g. a task/project on identifying a prime suspect from a list of witnesses’ accounts). Below are further tips to use tasks or projects in our approach:

1. Set clear objectives: Begin by defining the broad learning goals and the skills (e.g. pronunciation and oracy in interaction) we want our learners to develop. This can then help us identify tasks and projects (e.g. transactions in a Michelin restaurant) that are relevant and meaningful to your students.
2. Choose or design tasks that require authentic listening or reading: Authentic tasks are those that replicate real-life situations, such as understanding a real estate agent to decide where to rent or making decisions on a course from a given prospectus.
3. Encourage collaboration: Doing this need not be a solo effort. Assign group projects that require our learners to work together and overcome challenges in dealing with NATURALISTIC INPUT effectively. This gives different learners space to develop relevant linguistic competencies while also fostering teamwork and problem-solving abilities.
4. Provide opportunities for feedback: Remember that our learners may not be fully equipped yet to deal with NATURALISTIC INPUT independently from start till end. As such, give our learners regular feedback on their progress and performance. This will help them identify priority areas and make necessary adjustments to their strategies in accomplishing the task or completing the project with maximal learning.
5. Encourage learner-led projects: Allow our learners to choose their own projects and tasks, based on their interests and learning goals. This will help them stay engaged and motivated throughout the learning process.
6. Encourage self-reflection: Have our learners reflect on their progress and identify areas for improvement. This can help them take ownership of their learning and develop a growth mindset.
7. Always prioritise “meaning”: Remember that the primary focus of a task or project should be on its “meaning” and that the process of achieving the intended communicative outcomes or project goals is more significant than attaining a particular linguistic form. Overemphasising other aspects may inadvertently discourage our learners’ motivation to complete the task or project.

8. Organise short immersion trips to areas where target language is used extensively.

Short immersion trips to regions where the target language is predominantly spoken offer an exceptional chance for our learners to be exposed to NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT within its native sociocultural context. This direct immersion submerges individuals in the spontaneous language flow, encompassing a range of conversational situations, dialectal variations, and cultural intricacies that our formal language classrooms may frequently overlook.

I’ve discussed on the various benefits of short immersion trips in this article (and specific tips to maximise language learning). I’d just highlight that short immersion trips provide great intense episodes of NATURALISTIC INPUT while also developing the intercultural competence of our learners – something which is increasingly important in the age of AI.

9. Facilitate language exchanges for learners of different target languages.

A language exchange is a reciprocal learning experience where individuals who’re learning different target languages collaborate and teach each other. In other words, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement in which one person helps another to learn their target language while simultaneously receiving help in return for learning the other person’s target language. This is a classic example of peer teaching, where there are numerous benefits.

If we’re working with mature learners, this is one fantastic way to feature NATURALISTIC INPUT in our target language to our learners while also contributing the learning of our learners’ L1 by others. Such endeavours can take place as online exchanges – which is very much achievable these days; they can also be face-to-face experiences – which I do think is more powerful in terms of engagement.

If we happen to operate in an environment (e.g. school, town) where there are learners of different second languages, and that there’re also L1 users of these languages, then such structured language exchange opportunities can be a very accessible and meaningful source of NATURALISTIC INPUT for our learners. What’s more, such initiatives can be powerful in building rapport among these different groups of learners as a closely knitted community!

If we don’t have the privilege of having access to such resources in close proximity, the online space does have many platforms for exploration, the only caveat is that our learners are skilful in managing their social media habits. Facebook (for the really more mature learners) and Discord do have many language learning groups (some of which I’m also a member). Below are other tips for facilitating such exchanges:

1. Set clear goals and expectations: Establish clear goals and expectations for the language exchange programme. We need to help our learners understand what they can achieve through the programme (e.g. engagement with NATURALISTIC INPUT) and how they can contribute to its success actively.
2. Encourage informal conversations: Language exchanges should be relaxed and informal, allowing our learners to practise speaking and listening in a natural setting. Encourage our learners to discuss common topics they find interesting and relevant with their language partners.
3. Monitor progress and provide feedback: Regularly monitor the progress of our learners with language exchanges and provide constructive feedback on their processes. Note that we’re not focusing on the monitoring of specific language learning outcomes here, since we have little control over what is discussed. Our monitoring zeros in on how learners are leveraging the exchanges to receive NATURALISTIC INPUT.

10. Harness the linguistic landscape for language acquisition in the physical environment.

In general, linguistic landscape refers to the visual representation of written language in a given physical space. It encompasses the multilingual and multicultural manifestations of language in public spaces, such as signs, billboards, and graffiti. These manifestations reflect the sociopolitical, cultural, and historical contexts of a particular area.

Sociolinguists have long recognised linguistic landscapes as an important source of input which reflects social realities. By simply alerting our learners to this concept, we’re already expanding the space of incidental learning through NATURALISTIC INPUT for our learners. Such interactions between our learners and the written word in situ can be instrumental in sensitising them to the target language as it organically appears in the world around them.

Notwithstanding such, linguistic landscapes offer more just than a source of  NATURALISTIC INPUT. They can also be an avenue for the development of language awareness and multiliteracies – all which I have explored further in my article focusing on harnessing linguistic landscapes holistically for language learning.

11. Offer differentiated instruction targeting at different learner profiles.

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that acknowledges and responds to the diverse learning needs of our learners within a single classroom. It involves us strategically modifying content, process, or product. This approach maximises the potential for each of our learners to achieve optimal outcomes from that lesson.

How can this be contextualised to exposure to NATURALISTIC INPUT? To me, content is probably the most intuitive area for differentiation: themes or topics (think of strategy 5 and 6) can be identified or chosen with cognisance of our learners’ natural fit; scaffolding (e.g. visuals or just pure text) be tailored to specific proficiency levels. Process can also be differentiated in the sense of how our learners may access or attend to the NATURALISTIC INPUT (think along the line of choosing between the strategies in this list for implementation). As for product (e.g. a demonstration of learning/processing), we can design along a spectrum of broad and flexible types to the more specific and targeted types. For a more effective implementation, below are some tips:

1. Understand Learner Profiles: Differentiated instruction can only be rationalised based on our learner profiles. So, begin by identifying the unique learning needs and preferences of each learner.
2. Provide autonomy of choice: Sometimes, a top-down distribution from us may not work as effectively as bottom-up self-allocation. In a sense, we provide the materials and guidance, but let our learners take ownership of their differentiation. It takes the guessing game out of the equation, with additional boost to our learners’ motivation that comes with autonomy.
3. Leverage technology: I know this sounds like a panacea tip for any approach/method. However, the progress in AI has indeed brought about a radical increase in the likelihood of mass customisation. This means that differentiated instruction can now be implemented in a scale never imagined. We should deliberate on how we can use it to help tailor the type of NATURALISTIC INPUT (and in fact other types of learning content) our individual learners should receive.

12. Heighten learners’ sensitivity to contextual clues.

Contextual clues are essential elements of communication that aid in understanding the meaning, tone, and intention behind a particular message or text. These clues can be found in various forms, such as words, phrases, or even the overall structure of a text. By identifying and analysing contextual clues, our learners can overcome ambiguities of a given spoken or written text, and can better interpret the intended meaning of the NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT.

Making strategic use of contextual clues in listening or reading is a trademark of skilful language users, even in the early stages of learning. It’s a critical skill in navigating novel NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT while also aiding vocabulary acquisition. For a start, we can explicitly guide our learners to identify a range of contextual clues. Other tips include:

1. Engage in contextual role-playing: To help our learners become more attuned to contextual clues, incorporate role-playing activities where they are required to use scripted natural language in various scenarios, but without oversight of the script of their practice partner(s). By participating in these exercises, our learners can then develop a better understanding of how language is used in actual communicative contexts and become more adept at recognising contextual clues.
2. Analyse natural language samples: Provide our learners with natural language samples (best if pitched at a level slightly beyond their current proficiency) from various sources (refer to our 1^st strategy for all sources) and encourage them to analyse the contextual clues presented in these samples. Facilitate a discussion on how they can use these clues to decipher the meaning of the texts.
3. Emphasise the importance of context in language learning: Automatisation of a skill is generally achieved through well-designed deliberate practice. Throughout our lessons, we can emphasise the importance of contextual clues in language learning and facilitate practices of using various types of clues to understand novel input.

13. Involve parents in a more coherent and holistic introduction of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT.

If we’re working with younger learners, always remember the significance of partnership with parents, which I discussed quite extensively in my linked article. Involving parents in the language learning process represents a strategic extension of shaping our learners’ linguistic environment, tapping into the foundational role of caregiver-child relationships in language development.

With younger learners, as we adopt the various strategies in this article, we’ll have a better shot at sustained success if we have the skilful support of parents. To put it alternatively, we’re then amplifying the quantity and diversity of language input encountered by our young learners while also reinforcing the social and emotional dimensions of language learning. Specifically for facilitating exposure to NATURALISTIC INPUT, below are some tips:

1. Offer professional support for parents: Consultations, workshops and training sessions can help our learners’ parents understand the importance of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT and how they can contribute to their children’s language development. These sessions can provide practical tips on how to facilitate the engagement of NATURALISTIC INPUT with their children (as presented in other strategies).
2. Establish a communication platform for parents: Creating a communication platform, such as a dedicated Facebook group or a WhatsApp chat, can help our parents stay connected with each other and us. This platform can be used to share helpful resources, ask questions, and receive feedback on our learners’ journey in dealing with NATURALISTIC INPUT.
3. Encourage parents to create an immersive environment for our learners: Parents can be encouraged to create an immersive environment at home, such as playing language-based games, listening to music, watching movies, and engaging in conversations with their children in the target language. By doing so, parents can reinforce the spectrum of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT received by our learners and promote a more holistic language learning experience.
4. Encourage parents to seek out language learning opportunities in the community: With reference to strategy 5, 8 and 10, parents can be encouraged to seek out language learning opportunities in their local community, such as visiting public libraries frequently, organise short tours to communities which use the target language predominantly or have more conversations about the linguistic landscape.
5. Provide parents with access to resources and tools: We can provide parents with access to resources and tools which provides rich repository of age- and level- appropriate NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT, such as bilingual books, apps, and websites. By doing so, our learners’ parents are better equipped to sustain the out-of-school exposure to the target language independently.

14. Leverage technology to resolve challenges related to accessing NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT.

I’ve probably mentioned this too many times that I sound naggy. However, I do often receive on queries pertaining to resources and methods, even though this is such an omnipresent enabler that tends to be forgotten. Of course, I won’t deny that not all our learners are privileged to tap on technology freely, but let’s not forget to do so if they can.

Particularly in the context of foreign language learning where exposure to the target language can be limited, leveraging technology presents a pragmatic solution for many of our learners to the challenges associated with accessing NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT. Digital platforms, online resources, and interactive applications offer a wealth of such opportunities for immersing them in authentic target language environments. This can be invaluable even for the context of second language learning.

Of course, with the strategic integration of technology, the affordances go beyond just gaining access to NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT. Just reflect on “how can technology boost this strategy” to each of the preceding strategy in this article, and we may find additional inspiration in implementing that strategy. Beyond that, below are a few tips that may help our next innovation:

1. Use video-conferencing to connect learners across borders: In this post-pandemic world, most of our learners (and ourselves too!) would have gotten used to using various video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet (note that even Discord offers its own conferencing space). These can be used to connect our learners with target L1 users (or native speakers) for language exchanges (strategy 9).
2. Guide our learners in using generative AI productively: There is no lack of articles targeting language educators on the use of generative AI for lesson planning or self-directed learning. While I must highlight that we can’t succumb to the illusion that interaction with an AI chatbot is comparable to a human-human interaction (i.e. AI output is not strictly considered NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT even though it does resemble one), AI chatbots are very useful for general conversational practice for our learners, especially those that might face more anxiety in live practices.  
3. Create a personalised learning plan: With good overview of all strategies in this article, we can guide our learners in designing a learning plan that incorporates various digital resources and interactive applications to engage NATURALISTIC INPUT extensively. Such a plan should include broad goals, such as increasing overall vocabulary, improving oracy confidence, or enhancing comprehension with novel texts.

15. Prepare learners’ mindset in attending to NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT.

Regardless of techniques or scaffolding, our learners have to embrace the gap between what they can confidently understand and what is in the wild within NATURALISTIC INPUT. In other words, they have to develop “ambiguity tolerance”, the capacity to adapt to unpredictable environments without becoming anxious.

To push it further, our learners need to have a growth mindset: the belief that one’s abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work, dedication, and persistence. In engaging NATURALISTIC INPUT, especially for beginners or intermediate learners, it’ll not be surprising if our learners may find themselves disoriented frequently. With a growth mindset, our learners are then able to embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth, which can then ultimately lead to enhanced language proficiency and confidence over time.

Let’s put it this way: it’s okay for our learners to be silent, it’s okay for them to just observe with inaction, it’s okay for them to misunderstand much. Our responsibility is to empower them to feel that this is the accepted norm in our classrooms and even beyond. That being said, below are other tips that can aid our learners in developing such a mindset:

1. Embrace humour: If we prioritise learning as an enjoyable experience, initial inaction or mistakes will seem trivial. For this to manifest, we need to model, sometimes by laughing at our own mistakes and dealing with them confidently in class (e.g. experimenting with something in front of our learners). Once we develop the class as a safe space to learn, all the uncertainties that come with managing NATURALISTIC INPUT can be transformed into miniscule challenges that just need to be tackled one by one.
2. Assemble success stories: Depending on our teaching experience, we might have encountered learners that overcome all odds and become successful in learning a target language to a level that is regarded respectable. Even with just one case example, we may inspire our learners to develop the self-efficacy or confidence (and usually we don’t just have one example) to work with NATURALISTIC INPUT even when it feels like an insurmountable challenge.
3. Gradually increase difficulty: This may sound counterintuitive, since we started out with wanting to condition our learners to the most authentic unfiltered NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT. However that may be, I believe we should be able to distinguish between different levels even within NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT – sense-making an exchange in a daily transaction is usually more attainable as opposed to reading a full academic article for a beginner. And so, we should sequence the introduction of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT in a way that is conducive to our learners.

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CONCLUSION: Empowering learners with NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT

And there you have, a comprehensive list of 15 strategies packed with actionable tips for each. We probably would have realised that the 15 strategies are not mutually exclusive and overlaps in terms of how they can be implemented. Do take note of that as we plan for the featuring of NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT in our approach.

Herein I’d also like to remind that while NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INPUT is indeed an important type of language input, it’s not the only type that is important – we need to factor in the distribution alongside other types of language input. We should be cognisant of the limitations involved, so that we can design optimal learning experiences for our learners.

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