Sandwich technique
Encyclopedia
In foreign language teaching
, the sandwich technique is the oral insertion of an idiomatic translation
in the mother tongue between an unknown phrase in the learned language
and its repetition, in order to convey meaning as rapidly and completely as possible. The mother tongue equivalent can be given almost as an aside, with a slight break in the flow of speech to mark it as an intruder.
When modeling a dialogue sentence for students to repeat, the teacher not only gives an oral mother tongue equivalent for unknown words or phrases, but repeats the foreign language phrase before students imitate it: L2 => L1 => L2. For example, a German
teacher of English
might engage in the following exchange with the students:
With this technique meaning is conveyed quickly, interference from the mother tongue (or negative transfer) is avoided and students can fully concentrate on repeating the foreign phrase correctly. Proponents of this technique (notably Butzkamm & Caldwell and Dodson) claim that this bilingual technique makes it easier to establish the foreign language as the working language of the classroom. By and by, the teacher introduces important classroom phrases in order to create a foreign language atmosphere:
Teacher and students consistently keep track of expressions introduced so that further translations can be avoided. The teacher can also use richer and more authentic texts sooner, for instance in telling stories:
Mother tongue equivalents are always and immediately given in contexts, which is a far cry from isolated vocabulary equations. We have to understand the apparent paradox that by using the mother tongue skillfully we will eventually manage to conduct whole lessons in the foreign language only.
Second language acquisition
Second-language acquisition or second-language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the name of the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process...
, the sandwich technique is the oral insertion of an idiomatic translation
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
in the mother tongue between an unknown phrase in the learned language
Second language
A second language or L2 is any language learned after the first language or mother tongue. Some languages, often called auxiliary languages, are used primarily as second languages or lingua francas ....
and its repetition, in order to convey meaning as rapidly and completely as possible. The mother tongue equivalent can be given almost as an aside, with a slight break in the flow of speech to mark it as an intruder.
When modeling a dialogue sentence for students to repeat, the teacher not only gives an oral mother tongue equivalent for unknown words or phrases, but repeats the foreign language phrase before students imitate it: L2 => L1 => L2. For example, a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
teacher of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
might engage in the following exchange with the students:
- Teacher: "Let me try - lass mich mal versuchen - let me try."
- Students: "Let me try."
With this technique meaning is conveyed quickly, interference from the mother tongue (or negative transfer) is avoided and students can fully concentrate on repeating the foreign phrase correctly. Proponents of this technique (notably Butzkamm & Caldwell and Dodson) claim that this bilingual technique makes it easier to establish the foreign language as the working language of the classroom. By and by, the teacher introduces important classroom phrases in order to create a foreign language atmosphere:
- Teacher: "Your job is to match the sentences - die Sätze zuzuordnen - to match the sentences."
Teacher and students consistently keep track of expressions introduced so that further translations can be avoided. The teacher can also use richer and more authentic texts sooner, for instance in telling stories:
- Teacher: "…and her stepmother scolded her without mercy - schimpfte sie erbarmungslos aus – she scolded her without mercy…"
Mother tongue equivalents are always and immediately given in contexts, which is a far cry from isolated vocabulary equations. We have to understand the apparent paradox that by using the mother tongue skillfully we will eventually manage to conduct whole lessons in the foreign language only.