Accomodation theory

Accommodation Theory

Would you speak to your mother the same way you speak to your friends? Would you be able to speak with a foreigner without feeling uncomfortable? Are you conscious about the way you speak to others according to their distinctions? The accommodation theory explains why and how the process of speaking or writing changes according to different variables.According to Thanasoulas writers may manipulate the language because of their audience characteristics (sex, cultural background, ethnicity, memberships, etc.). Here in Panama as any other country people may face this kind of situation. Moreover, students who are learning a second language will use the accommodation theory while speaking with foreigners. The main purpose of this study is topoint out how to manage the accommodation of our language while writing on a second language.

After reading Dimitrios Thanasoulas work about this theory, Panamanian students will be classified in to two main problems according to accommodation while writing in English.

How to use the language (to work with semantics)

How to organize the information accordingto American English standards

First, after acquiring or learning many words on the second language, students should be guided into a different way of word usage. Knowing the semantic of one special language is not an easy task. You will need to understand many fields of this science, including lexicology, syntax, pragmatics, etymology and others. However, we can at leastacquire some words or phrases which will help us to sound more “natural” and less like a non-native speaker. The meanings and forms of words are reflections of the cultures that use them; culture and language are closely linked. 

The problem is that our teachers will never teach us how to use slangs or idiomatical expressions, so… how can we do it? Remember: not all the things youdo or study in the university are enough to get better on learning a second language. Consequently, as teachers, advise your students to push themselves into the language and star having a different life where we try to be surrounded by it.

On another example the knowledge about the semantic of the language is essential while translating text. Translating from English to Spanishis not difficult; the most difficult part is to find the exact words we need to use in order to convey the same meaning form the source to the target. In other words, we should know besides words and meaning its USAGE in context, for example:

• It’s a hit {instead of “es un golpe”} to “es un éxito”…

Occasionally, students have problems while reading due to thelack of vocabulary. These problems may be solved in the way they practice their reading and writing skills. One motivation comment should be transmitted to your students is – no one is perfect, but to make perfect written papers what you need to do is to be organized and to practice the language until you get used to using it.

Secondly students may face the problem of organizationwhile writing in English. In personals opinions it was found that in Spanish the organization of ideas does not follows a clear patterns as in English therefore you may find it easier. At the beginning of the English career students without a guide may develop or find concerns about the order of ideas. There are many books which have conveyed to the same idea of order (importance,spatial, time). Therefore, at the bottom line to organize our ideas should be easy if we follow a basic order.

The organization of our ideas and the good use of words in the language will help students to master or improve the way the write. Besides these aspects we should take in consideration the other main parts of the language because each one of them is tighten to the other....