P1.A1. Second Language Acquisition Theories Steven Krashen developed 5 theories of Second Language Development. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis states that people acquire language naturally, without any formal training, simply through their interactions with others (Freeman and Freeman p.62). Language learning, however, is a more complex process which requires instruction. Both of these processes are necessary for a person to acquire a second language. Implications for teaching include creating authentic social interaction time with peers in the classroom, collaboration with peers, modeling appropriate language use and using repetition (Vose). Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis says that language learning follows a natural sequential and predictable order. As language builds upon itself, students will make predictable errors. As a teacher it is necessary to know the scope and sequence of L2 development (Freeman and Freeman p.63). We must be aware of where each student falls in that sequence in order to scaffold them into the next stages of their language learning. It is important to understand that students have a silent period in which they are taking language in, prior to …show more content…
BICS stands for Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. These skills develop in around 1-2 years. BICS is social, conversational language that a person will pick up without specific instruction. BICS helps students develop CALP, Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, which is learned in an educational setting. According to Cummins, academic vocabulary can be mastered in 5-7 years in an enriched environment, 7-10 years in non-enriched environment (Wright p.40). Teachers should encourage students to make connections between previous learning in their first language to support their academic language learning in their second language. Students need to be scaffolded and provided explicit instruction in their acquisition of CALP
English Language Learners range from Newcomers learning survival English and developing foundational literacy skills to Long-Term English Learners who have had 6 years or more of their education in English yet continue have significant language gaps. These students may speak English with little or no accent and still lack the vocabulary, grammar and grade level literacy to be successful in school. English language learners may remain silent in the classroom as they adjust to a new school, environment, and culture unless he is a native language comrade to interact with. The English language learners are concerned about decoding verbal and non- verbal communication as well as understanding the social culture framework of the school. Most of the time English language learners are observing during instruction, trying to repeat words used by others, memorizing simple phrases and sentences, tired by midday or be frustrated attending long lectures unaccompanied by visual and gestures, relying on first language translation used peer translation or bilingual dictionary, as the students begin to learner they become more involved in the classroom, they can respond non-verbally to commands, statements, and questions in simple form. As their oral comprehension increases, they begin to use simple word and phrases and may use English spontaneously. They can understand short conversation on a simple topic when reading students can understand a narrative text and authentic materials, although they will be below
This essay is about a child’s development and learning, focusing primarily on language development. It will describe the main stages of developmental "milestones" and the key concepts involved for children to develop their language skills, discussing language acquisition and social learning theory. The essay will also look into the key theorists involved in language development, primarily Vygotsky and Chomsky, and how these theories have had an impact on the way society views language and their implementation within schools. The essay will describe the factors affecting language development, both biological and environmental. While also discussing key arguments among theorists, one being the nature vs nurture debate, and how these play a part in the teaching in schools.
BICS and CALP are two concepts usually used in the field of bilingual education to refer to the basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS), and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP). BICS and CALP are used to describe minority students’ levels of language proficiency (Rolstad and MacSwan, 2008). Minority students’ teachers need to be aware of those concepts and distinguish between, in order to effectively provide effective assessment for those students.
This essay is going to illustrate the different stages in language acquisition that children pass through and elicit the theories in accordance.
Child development language is a process by which children come to communicate and understand language during early childhood. This usually occurs from birth up to the age of five. The rate of development is usually fast during this period. However, the pace and age of language development vary greatly among children. Thus, the language development of a child is usually compared with norms rather than with other individual children. It is scientifically proven that development of girls language is usually at a faster rate than that of boys. (Berk, 2010) In other terms language development is also a crucial factor that reflects the growth and maturation of the brain. However, this development usually retards after the age of five making it very difficult for most children to continue learning language. There are two major types of language development in children. These include referential and expressive language development styles. In referential language development, children often first speak single words and then join the words together, first into –word sentences and then into th...
How do children acquire language? What are the processes of language acquisition? How do infants respond to speech? Language acquisition is the process of learning a native or a second language. Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the observations that children copy what they hear and the inference that human beings have a natural aptitude for understanding grammar. Children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native language through imitation, (which helps them learn to pronounce words correctly), and grammar is seldom taught to them, but instead that they rapidly acquire the ability to speak grammatically. Though, not all children learn by imitation alone. Children will produce forms of language that adults never say. For example, “I spilled milk on hisself” or “Debbie wants a cookie”. This demonstrates that children have the desire to speak correctly and have self-motivating traits to communicate. This supports the theory of Noam Chomsky (1972)-that children are able to learn grammar of a particular language because all intelligible languages are founded on a deep structure of universal grammatical rules that corresponds to an innate capacity of the human brain. Adults learning a second language pass through some of the same stages, as do children learning their native language. In the first part of this paper I will describe the process of language acquisition. The second part will review how infants respond to speech.
With the increasing popularity of dual immersion programs in schools and the widespread notion that language acquisition is something that needs to happen early on life, is there an ideal age to learn a second language (L2)?
Language is perceived as the way humans communicate through the use of spoken words, it involves particular systems and styles in which we interact with one another (Oxford 2009). Possessing this ability to communicate through the use of language is thought to be a quintessential human trait (Pinker 2000). Learning a language, known as language acquisition, is something that every child does successfully within a few years. Language acquisition is in itself the development by which humans acquire the ability to perceive, produce and use words to understand and communicate. This capacity involves the picking up of diverse abilities including phonetics, syntax and an extensive vocabulary.
Still today, it is the commonly held belief that children acquire their mother tongue through imitation of the parents, caregivers or the people in their environment. Linguists too had the same conviction until 1957, when a then relatively unknown man, A. Noam Chomsky, propounded his theory that the capacity to acquire language is in fact innate. This revolutionized the study of language acquisition, and after a brief period of controversy upon the publication of his book, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, in 1964, his theories are now generally accepted as largely true. As a consequence, he was responsible for the emergence of a new field during the 1960s, Developmental Psycholinguistics, which deals with children’s first language acquisition. He was not the first to question our hitherto mute acceptance of a debatable concept – long before, Plato wondered how children could possibly acquire so complex a skill as language with so little experience of life. Experiments have clearly identified an ability to discern syntactical nuances in very young infants, although they are still at the pre-linguistic stage. Children of three, however, are able to manipulate very complicated syntactical sentences, although they are unable to tie their own shoelaces, for example. Indeed, language is not a skill such as many others, like learning to drive or perform mathematical operations – it cannot be taught as such in these early stages. Rather, it is the acquisition of language which fascinates linguists today, and how it is possible. Noam Chomsky turned the world’s eyes to this enigmatic question at a time when it was assumed to have a deceptively simple explanation.
Language acquisition is the process by which humans get the ability to identify and understand language. It is also a process to help create communication thorough words and sentences. All over the world, every minute, every second there is adults and children communicating in different languages. Adult language differs from a child language in many ways; children must learn the process like any other type of learning activity. A question comes to mind, do all children obtain language the same way.
Another theory is Vygotsky’s (1978) theory. In his theory which is called the sociocultural theory, it is believed that language learning is a social activity and is mediated by language. He believes that learning occurs when an expert of the language assists the learner by using language and
An ability that many individual wants to achieve is the ability to learn a new language. Every language has its own difficulty and many times they take up quite a bit of time to learn. On average learning a new language can take anywhere from 23 weeks to 88 weeks, depending on the language the individual decides to learn and their learning pace (Effective language learning, n.d.). Another factor that plays a critical role in language learning is age. Age can be a factor because depending on the age an individual would have an easier or harder time learning a new language. For younger individuals’ language learning seems easier. Language learning is an ability that could take someone months, maybe even years to learn. However, if the language learned is not used after it has been achieved can be forgotten. Nonetheless, there are individuals who would become fluent in a language. No one can really master a new language, due to the fact that languages will continue to change. Every individual has a different style of learning a new language. For example, some individuals would prefer to learn a new language by going through online tutorials and another individual would prefer to learn a new language by attending a
A child cannot learn a second language just by being exposed to it; they must learn to interact with someone in that language so it is able to stick with the child. (Bialystok, Ellen, & Kenji, 1994)
The behavioural approach is closely linked to behaviour psychology and guides the individual towards learning a language through direct interaction which people who speak the language. The natural behaviour of learning a language is linked to first listening to the language before gradually beginning to pick works, building sentences and eventually attempting conversation (Littlewood 2002). This requires for there to be a positive stimulus which keeps presenting the learning with opportunities to hear words, learn them and reply. It’s also the responsibility of the tutor of stimulator to re-enforce the individual confidence through encouragement, acknowledgement and polite corrections. The tutor or stimulus is a very important aspect linked to learning a second language but it’s also important to remember the individual must be able to bond with the educator to secure the required response while
Language acquisition is the processes by humans learn to perceive and communicate language as well as being able to produce words and sentences to communicate. It is one of the most essential human traits. First Language acquisition refers to the study of acquisition of first language in children. There are several theories on how children’s acquire such a complex understanding of language from young age. The theories are mainly based on two conflicting sides, namely nature (humans are born with a biological instinct for language built in them) or nurture (humans learn language through social interaction.) ("Language and Linguistics: Language Learning").