Diane Larsen-Freeman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diane Larsen-Freeman
|
|
|---|---|
Diane Larsen-Freeman
|
|
| Born | 24 February 1946 |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse(s) | Elliott Freeman |
| Children | 2 |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | The Acquisition of Grammatical Morphemes by Adult Learners of English as a Second Language (1975) |
| Doctoral advisor | H. Douglas Brown |
Diane Larsen-Freeman, born in 1946, is an American expert in languages. She is a retired professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is known for her work on how people learn new languages.
Professor Larsen-Freeman also studies how to teach English as a second or foreign language. She is famous for her ideas on how language learning is like a changing, "dynamic" system.
Contents
What is Diane Larsen-Freeman Known For?
Diane Larsen-Freeman is a leading expert in applied linguistics. This field looks at how language is used in real life. She has greatly influenced how we understand:
- How people learn a second language.
- The best ways to teach languages.
- How teachers can improve their skills.
- The rules of English grammar.
Her most famous idea is the "complex/dynamic systems approach" to learning languages. This idea suggests that language learning is not a simple, straight line. Instead, it's a complex process that changes all the time.
Her Journey and Career
Larsen-Freeman started her career helping others. From 1967 to 1969, she was a Peace Corps volunteer. She taught English in Sabah, Malaysia. This experience made her very interested in how people learn languages.
She then went to the University of Michigan. In 1975, she earned her PhD in linguistics there. A PhD is a very high academic degree.
After her studies, Larsen-Freeman taught at several universities. These included the University of California, Los Angeles and the SIT Graduate Institute. In 2002, she returned to the University of Michigan. She led the English Language Institute (ELI) there.
She retired from the University of Michigan in 2012. However, she still teaches courses. She shares her knowledge about English structure and language development. She does this as a visiting fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
Her Research and Ideas
Larsen-Freeman's main research focuses on how people learn a second language. She also studies English grammar. She believes grammar is more than just rules. She sees it as a tool for making meaning. Grammar helps us adapt language to different situations.
She found that "complexity theory" helps us understand language better. This theory suggests that language, learning, and using language are all complex processes. They are not always predictable.
This idea led to her "dynamic approach" to language. She even calls teaching grammar "grammaring." This means grammar is an active process, not just a set of rules. This approach also recognizes that each student learns in their own way. It sees teaching as guiding this learning process.
For five years, Larsen-Freeman was also the editor of the journal Language Learning. This is an important journal for language experts.
Dynamic Systems Theory
In 1997, Diane Larsen-Freeman wrote an important article. In it, she suggested using "complex/dynamic systems theory" to study how people learn a second language. This theory helps explain how many different things interact and change over time.
In 2017, a book was published in her honor. It was called Complexity Theory and Language Development. This book included many papers from other experts. They explored her ideas further.
Awards and Recognition
Diane Larsen-Freeman has received many awards for her work:
- 2008: Kenneth W. Mildenberger Prize with Lynne Cameron. This was for their book Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics. The Modern Language Association gave them this award.
- 2011: Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award. This award came from the American Association for Applied Linguistics.
- 2016: Selected as a "50 at 50 Leader in TESOL." This recognition was from the TESOL International Association.
