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An Overview of Approaches to Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Practices

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An Overview of Approaches to Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Practices SOCIAL RESEARCH NUMBER: 12/2018 PUBLICATION DATE: 28/02/2018 An overview of approaches to second language acquisition and instructional practices Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg. This document is also available in Welsh. © Crown Copyright Digital ISBN 978-1-78903-488-2 An overview of approaches to second language acquisition and instructional practices Tavakoli, P. and Jones, R. (2018). An overview of approaches to second language acquisition and instructional practices. Cardiff: Welsh Government report number 12/2018.> Available at http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/overview-approaches-second-language- acquisition-instructional-practices/?lang=en Views expressed in this report are those of the researchers and not necessarily those of the Welsh Government. For further information please contact: Dr Catrin Redknap Social Research and Information Division Knowledge and Analytical Services Welsh Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ Tel: 0300 025 5720 Email: [email protected] Table of Contents List of acronyms .....................................................................................................................2 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................3 2 Methodology ....................................................................................................................4 3 Goals of language learning ..............................................................................................6 3.1 Communicative competence ....................................................................................6 3.2 Interactional and Transactional competence ............................................................7 3.3 Symbolic and Translingual Competencies ..............................................................10 3.4 Seeing competencies holistically ............................................................................12 4 Factors affecting language learning ...............................................................................13 4.1 Psychological factors ..............................................................................................13 4.1.1 Cognition-related variables ..............................................................................13 4.1.2 Conation-related variables...............................................................................14 4.1.3 Affect-related variables ....................................................................................15 4.1.4 Behaviour-related variables .............................................................................16 4.2 Social factors ..........................................................................................................17 4.2.1 Sociolinguistic environment .............................................................................17 4.2.2 Group membership and identity.......................................................................18 4.2.3 Language attitudes and ideologies ..................................................................20 4.2.4 Ethnolinguistic vitality ......................................................................................21 5 Language teaching methods, and evidence of effectiveness .........................................22 5.1 A historical overview ...............................................................................................22 5.2 Communicative Language Teaching ......................................................................24 5.2.1 Task-based language teaching .......................................................................25 5.2.2 Content and Language Integrated Learning ....................................................28 5.3 ‘Post method’ Approaches ......................................................................................31 6 Other important components of second language instruction ........................................33 6.1 The syllabus ...........................................................................................................33 6.2 Assessment............................................................................................................33 6.3 Teacher training .....................................................................................................34 7 Conclusions and Key Points for Consideration ..............................................................35 7.1 Conclusions............................................................................................................35 7.2 Key points for consideration ...................................................................................35 List of references ..............................................................................................................37 1 List of acronyms AfL Assessment for Learning AoL Assessment of Learning CLIL Content and Language Integrated Learning CLT Communicative Language Teaching IDs Individual Differences L1 First Language L2 Second Language SLA Second Language Acquisition TBI Task-based Instruction TBLT Task-based Language Teaching 2 1 Introduction The purpose of this report is to contribute to the development of an evidence base for the teaching of Welsh as a second language in primary and secondary schools in Wales by presenting a critical overview of methods and instructional practices of second language teaching and considering their relevance to the Welsh context. It aims to both help stakeholders develop a better understanding of the key issues in second language teaching and learning and to lay out the critical factors to be considered in the reform of the Welsh language curriculum. While the teaching and learning of Welsh for the purpose of promoting bilingualism in the context of language revitalization is in many ways different from the teaching of languages in other contexts and for other purposes, many of the main challenges are the same. Language learning is a complex and dynamic process that is shaped by a range of social and psychological factors, and curriculum planning and evaluation is also complex, involving multiple stakeholders and multiple levels of planning, development and implementation. At the same time, research strongly suggests that effective instructional practices and appropriate teaching methods can facilitate the process of second language acquisition and enhance and consolidate its outcomes, and that incorporating these methods into a carefully planned curriculum with opportunities for evidence-based evaluation, teacher development, and feedback from stakeholders can result in sustained success. This report will explore what has worked in other contexts, why it has worked, and some implications of this for the Welsh context. Richards (1990) sees second language (L2) teaching in terms of a ‘matrix’ in which learner needs, curricular goals and objectives, instructional practices and environmental factors intersect. What this model suggests is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ set of methods and instructional practices, and that effective curriculum planning and instructional policies must take into account what students need to learn, the factors (psychological, social and environmental) that might affect their learning, and the kinds of classroom interventions that are practical and appropriate for this context. In this vein, this report will be organized around three main questions: 1. What are the goals of language learning? 2. What are the different factors affecting learners’ ability to reach these goals? 3. What methods and instructional practices are used to help learners reach these goals, and to what extent do they work? For each of these questions, we will provide an overview of how they have been answered by applied linguists and researchers into second language acquisition in a variety of contexts and consider how these answers might inform the teaching of Welsh. 3 2 Methodology In our discussions below, we draw on a large number of empirical studies and reviews of the research in the discipline of applied linguistics, and specifically in the fields of second language acquisition, language teaching and language assessment. In order to ensure that this report is supported by the relevant and up-to-date literature in these areas, we developed a systematic approach to identifying and searching for key terms and concepts in recent publications in the relevant fields. The search involved searching peer-reviewed and Scopus-indexed journals and peer-reviewed book chapters published after 2010 using the relevant keywords listed in Table 1. The resulting sources were then evaluated on the basis of their relevance to the purpose of this report. The criteria for relevance were as follows: 1. The articles were research or review articles directly focusing on the effectiveness of language teaching methods and/or instructional practices. 2. They were published or referred to research conducted after 1980. 3. They appeared in highly-ranked peer reviewed journals. 4. They dealt with methods and instructional practices relevant to the Welsh context. As a result, 186 articles and book chapters were chosen as the basis for this report. In addition, a range of other sources were consulted to provide background information including key monographs in language teaching and acquisition and policy papers and reports from the Welsh Government. We have also drawn on our combined experiences
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