Cognitive factors: language aptitude and native language learning problems. Skehan (1989) defined language aptitude as an individual’s abilities or skills to analyze language and learn large amounts of information through reasoning and memory. Skehan stated that second language learning aptitude is the “second language equivalent of a first language learning capacity” (1989, p. 200-201), or “a residue of first language learning ability” (Dörnyei, 2001, p. 44). In other words, individuals who develop quickly in their native language tend to have relatively high levels of second language aptitude. Ganschow and Sparks (1991) concurred with Skehan’s point of view and developed, The Foreign Language Screening Instrument for Colleges (FLSI-C), …show more content…
Students’ classroom learning styles can be viewed as patterns or characteristics in response to the learning contexts, and are usually considered unintentional or automatic individual characteristics (Dunn, Dunn, & Price, 1991). Reid (1995) added that learning styles are “natural, habitual, and preferred way(s) of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills” (p. 171). Papert (1987) proposed that learning style be considered “a contextual construct because what learning brings to the learning experience is as much a part of the context as are the more salient features of the experience itself” (cited …show more content…
65). However, some research studies argued that students’ learning styles are strongly rooted in their cultural background (Neuman & Bekerman, 2001; Wong, 2004). For instance, countries of Confucian heritage (i.e., China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, etc.) typically practice an educational system that conditions students to conform and give praise to submissive behavior in the face of authority, therefore, students that demonstrate the greatest degree of passive resistance tend to succeed in this learning context (Rao, 2006). In other words, the chalk and talk, teacher-centered, authoritative instructional approach continues to flourish in an environment that values and respects wisdom and knowledge (Wong, 2004). This teacher-centered instructional method results in students’ lack of proactive participation in class, as their questions may be misconstrued as challenging their teachers (Chan, 1999). Wong (2004) conducted a study that investigated Asian international students’ preferred learning styles while studying in Australian colleges. The author reported that students expressed preferred teaching and learning styles as lecturing and self-study, but were able to gradually adapt to the student-centered approach (i.e., group discussion) only if teachers promoted a learning environment of cultural understanding and respect for individual differences, and took the time to provide support for their individual learning
A big component of my learning style is hands-on experience; learning while doing. This usually involved someone with more experience instructing me as I performed the task. Through the hands-on approach, I picked-up the knowledge and gained proficiency as I went along. My learning style also involved standard classroom instruction, which usually meant listening to lectures and taking notes. My note taking was not the best so in order to make up for what I lacked in note taking, I would read the textbooks repeatedly until I understood what I was reading. I learned that in order for me to get a complete understanding from my readings and notes, there had to be a lot great deal of repetition ...
Metalinguistic awareness increased within the ESL students, therefore their phonics increased as well and they scored higher than some L1 students. Students who know multiple languages at an early age are proven to do better in both languages than students who only know one language.
And there is a four-type definition of learning styles: 1. Accommodators (CE/AE) 2. Divergers (CE/RO) 3. Assimilators (AC/RO) 4. Convergers (AC/AE)
Socio-cultural factors have an important effect on second language learning. In particular, cultural exposure plays a significant role in the language learning process. Cultural ignorance and prejudice may cause difficulties for language learners and the degree of exposure also determines how fast a second language learner can acquire a new language. In this mini research essay, I will first examine how people from China and Middle Eastern will be stereotyped. Next, I will discuss why people have similar cultural background with the native speakers learn a new language better. Moreover, I will show different learning strategies people used and finally, how these factors affect second language learning will be discussed.
Nagy (2013) makes an attempt, through a case study and the use of previous studies, to test the theories of prominent researchers on the field such as Francois Grosjean (2011), Ellen Bilyastok (2010) and Jurgen Meisel (1994). Nagy (2013) notes in her case study that bilingual development is depending on environmental influence just as much as on the child’s individual aptitude and general intelligence.
This would eliminate a gap between the language and being successful in academics, and children would not be limited to learn based on their ability to fluently speak English. In the article Validating English Language Proficiency Assessment Uses for English Learners: Academic Language Proficiency and Content Assessment Performance, this same issue is addressed. The article states how English based assessments are used for ELL students, and this determines the child's eligibility or readiness to learn certain material in schools. This article also mentions how based on these students’ scores, can affect the funding of the school or
Honey and Mumford say (Gallagher K., 2013, p. 23-24) that idyllically someone has a composed learning style, though some individuals have a robust preference for a particular style.
If a student is literate in her/his native language, the native language literacy skills can be transferred and used in reading and writing skills of L2. There is a powerful relationship that exists between native language competence and the second language acquisition. Knowledge of multiple languages or multi-competence that inform and enrich one another, helped me to recognize the sounds and grammatical features of the second language that ensure better understanding of a second language learning. School and political communities recognized the importance of students' knowledge in multiple languages that help culturally diverse students in learning the second language. For example, in 1870, the U.S. Commissioner of Education stated: "The German language has actually become the second language of our Republic, and knowledge of German is now considered essential to a finished education"(cited in Zeydel, 1964,
Williams, J. N. (1999). Memory, aptitude, and inductive learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 21, 1–48
“A learning style is a way of learning and refers to the way that you learn new information” (2). Most people have one preferred learning style and perform to a lesser standard when learning in a different style than what they’re used to. Nowadays, children are told to take a quiz in school to determine what their preferred learning style is, but after a few years, not many of these children remember what their preferred learning style is, or even if they do, they don’t apply it to their learning.
Children acquire their native language, which fall within a wide range of languages, at a very early stage of development. During development, a child begins to show signs of verbal communication, usually starting out as cooing, babbling, recognizable words, and later two or more word sentences. This occurrence is also seen in the development of second languages. Second language acquisition is the study of how second languages are typically developed. The process of acquiring our native language is very similar and influential to the development of a second language. The development of a second language has become increasingly popular throughout the world. Today more people are growing up with appropriate resources to acquire a second language, which can be seen from the vast numbers of bilingual individuals.
By cognitive development, it deals with problem solving, decision-making, memories, reasoning, and language processing. Studies show that it links to better memories and demonstrate a “greater cognitive flexibility” (Stewart 14). As well, when compared to same age students who know one single language, the foreign language learner exhibited higher cognitive abilities performing the same tasks. Since, foreign language learning prepares and provides students with classroom activities that uses cognitive function such as critical thinking, memorization, and organization. Foreign language learning expands and improves areas of the brain by imposing it to rearrange meanings, identifying, and targets communication skills. This improves their skills in problem solving and decision making. Altogether, these students practice areas that they lack in, all the while, expanding their cognitive abilities. Nevertheless, being presented to another dialect could simply be a positive ordeal for dyslexic students and aid their cognitive
Throughout history, many schools of thought have examined humans’ ability to understand and utilize language. Ancient philosophers, like Plato, used their observations to pose notions of language acquisition and early Indian scholars began the first debates between nativists and behaviorists (Stanford Encyclopedia). These early thinkers only touched upon this human process, as our modern day tests have shown that there are specific stages to acquiring language, varying ideas on whether language is innate or learned, and a definitive, but rarely studied, window for any human to acquire language.
Thought out our lives, we are faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have made a better impact than others. This can be attributed to everyone’s different multiple intelligences or learning styles. A persons learning style is the method though which they gain information about their environment. As a teacher, it is our responsibility to know these styles, so we can reach each of our students and use all of the necessary methods.
...t/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation, n.d). Just like in intelligence, successful language learners are not necessarily strong in all the components of aptitude.