From the classroom to the street: bridging the Gap between formal language education and practical usage

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to investigate the relationship between language education and practical usage. Is language learned through formal education useful in a student's everyday life? How should language courses be organized in order to make them more useful? What classroom activities can help to reduce the stress students feel when actually trying to speak the language in their everyday lives? How can instructors strike a balance between using formal academic-style language and colloquial forms in the classroom