Myths and Misconceptions About Second Language Learning
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
$"-%*(&45%&$&.#&3 .ZUITBOE.JTDPODFQUJPOT "CPVU4FDPOE-BOHVBHF-FBSOJOH %0/4/08 ".*5:'06/%"5*0/ 07&34&"4$003%*/"5*0/0''*$& 4HIS$IGESTISBASEDONAREPORTPUBLISHEDBYTHE.ATIONAL#ENTERFOR2ESEARCH ASTUDYOF"RITISHCHILDRENLEARNING&RENCHINASCHOOLCONTEXTCONCLUDED ON#ULTURAL$IVERSITYAND3ECOND,ANGUAGE,EARNING 5NIVERSITYOF#ALIFORNIA THAT AFTERYEARSOFEXPOSURE OLDERCHILDRENWEREBETTER,LEARNERS3TERN 3ANTA#RUZh-YTHSAND-ISCONCEPTIONS!BOUT3ECOND,ANGUAGE,EARNING "URSTALL (ARLEY 3IMILARRESULTSHAVEBEENFOUNDINOTHER%UROPEAN 7HAT%VERY4EACHER.EEDSTO5NLEARN vBY"ARRY-C,AUGHLIN STUDIESEG &LORANDER*ANSEN !STHESCHOOL AGEDPOPULATIONCHANGES TEACHERSALLOVERTHECOUNTRYARE 4HESElNDINGSMAYREmECTTHEMODEOFLANGUAGEINSTRUCTIONUSEDIN CHALLENGEDWITHINSTRUCTINGMORECHILDRENWITHLIMITED%NGLISHSKILLS4HUS %UROPE WHEREEMPHASISHASTRADITIONALLYBEENPLACEDONFORMALGRAMMATI ALLTEACHERSNEEDTOKNOWSOMETHINGABOUTHOWCHILDRENLEARNASECOND CALANALYSIS/LDERCHILDRENAREMORESKILLEDINDEALINGWITHTHISAPPROACH LANGUAGE, )NTUITIVEASSUMPTIONSAREOFTENMISTAKEN ANDCHILDRENCAN ANDHENCEMIGHTDOBETTER(OWEVER THISARGUMENTDOESNOTEXPLAINlND BEHARMEDIFTEACHERSHAVEUNREALISTICEXPECTATIONSOFTHEPROCESSOF, INGSFROMSTUDIESOF&RENCHIMMERSIONPROGRAMSIN#ANADA WHERELITTLE LEARNINGANDITSRELATIONSHIPTOTHEACQUISITIONOFOTHERACADEMICSKILLS EMPHASISISPLACEDONTHEFORMALASPECTSOFGRAMMAR/NTESTSOF&RENCH ANDKNOWLEDGE LANGUAGEPROlCIENCY #ANADIAN%NGLISH SPEAKINGCHILDRENINLATEIMMER !SANYADULTWHOHASTRIEDTOLEARNANOTHERLANGUAGECANVERIFY SECOND SIONPROGRAMSWHERETHE,ISINTRODUCEDIN'RADEOR HAVEPERFORMED LANGUAGELEARNINGCANBEAFRUSTRATINGEXPERIENCE4HISISNOLESSTHECASE ASWELLORBETTERTHANCHILDRENWHOBEGANIMMERSIONINKINDERGARTENOR FORCHILDREN ALTHOUGHTHEREISAWIDESPREADBELIEFTHATCHILDRENAREFACILE 'RADE'ENESEE SECONDLANGUAGELEARNERS4HISDIGESTDISCUSSESCOMMONLYHELDMYTHSAND 0RONUNCIATIONISONEAREAWHERETHEYOUNGER IS BETTERASSUMPTIONMAY MISCONCEPTIONSABOUTCHILDRENANDSECONDLANGUAGELEARNINGANDTHEIM HAVEVALIDITY2ESEARCHEG /YAMA HASFOUNDTHATTHEEARLIERA PLICATIONSFORCLASSROOMTEACHERS LEARNERBEGINSASECONDLANGUAGE THEMORENATIVE LIKETHEACCENTHEOR SHEDEVELOPS -YTH#HILDREN,EARN3ECOND,ANGUAGES1UICKLY!ND 4HERESEARCHCITEDABOVEDOESNOTSUGGEST HOWEVER THATEARLYEXPOSURE %ASILY TO AN , IS DETRIMENTAL !N EARLY START FOR hFOREIGNv LANGUAGE LEARNERS 4YPICALLY PEOPLE WHO ASSERT THE SUPERIORITY OF CHILD LEARNERS CLAIM FOREXAMPLE MAKESALONGSEQUENCEOFINSTRUCTIONLEADINGTOPOTENTIAL THATCHILDRENSBRAINSAREMOREmEXIBLEEG ,ENNEBERG #URRENT COMMUNICATIVEPROlCIENCYPOSSIBLEANDENABLESCHILDRENTOVIEWSECOND RESEARCHCHALLENGESTHISBIOLOGICALIMPERATIVE ARGUINGTHATDIFFERENTRATES LANGUAGE LEARNING AND RELATED CULTURAL INSIGHTS AS NORMAL AND INTEGRAL OF,ACQUISITIONMAYREmECTPSYCHOLOGICALANDSOCIALFACTORSTHATFAVOR .ONETHELESS %3,INSTRUCTIONINTHE5NITED3TATESISDIFFERENTFROMFOREIGN CHILD LEARNERS .EWPORT 2ESEARCH COMPARING CHILDREN TO ADULTS LANGUAGEINSTRUCTION,ANGUAGEMINORITYCHILDRENIN53SCHOOLSNEEDTO HASCONSISTENTLYDEMONSTRATEDTHATADOLESCENTSANDADULTSPERFORMBETTER MASTER%NGLISHASQUICKLYASPOSSIBLEWHILELEARNINGSUBJECT MATTERCONTENT THANYOUNGCHILDRENUNDERCONTROLLEDCONDITIONSEG 3NOW(OEFNAGEL 4HISSUGGESTSTHATEARLYEXPOSURETO%NGLISHISCALLEDFOR(OWEVER BECAUSE (OEHLE /NEEXCEPTIONISPRONUNCIATION ALTHOUGHEVENHERESOME ,ACQUISITIONTAKESTIME CHILDRENCONTINUETONEEDTHESUPPORTOFTHEIR STUDIESSHOWBETTERRESULTSFOROLDERLEARNERS lRSTLANGUAGE WHERETHISISPOSSIBLE TOAVOIDFALLINGBEHINDINCONTENT .ONETHELESS PEOPLECONTINUETOBELIEVETHATCHILDRENLEARNLANGUAGES AREALEARNING FASTERTHANADULTS)STHISSUPERIORITYILLUSORY,ETUSCONSIDERTHECRITERIA 4EACHERS SHOULD HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR %3, LEARNERS OFLANGUAGEPROlCIENCYFORACHILDANDANADULT!CHILDDOESNOTHAVE 2ESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT OLDER STUDENTS WILL SHOW QUICKER GAINS THOUGH TOLEARNASMUCHASANADULTTOACHIEVECOMMUNICATIVECOMPETENCE! YOUNGER CHILDREN MAY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE IN PRONUNCIATION #ERTAINLY CHILDSCONSTRUCTIONSARESHORTERANDSIMPLER ANDVOCABULARYISSMALLER BEGINNINGLANGUAGEINSTRUCTIONIN'RADEGIVESCHILDRENMOREEXPOSURE (ENCE ALTHOUGHITAPPEARSTHATTHECHILDLEARNSMOREQUICKLYTHANTHE TOTHELANGUAGETHANBEGINNINGIN'RADE BUTEXPOSUREINITSELFDOESNOT ADULT RESEARCHRESULTSTYPICALLYINDICATETHATADULTANDADOLESCENTLEARNERS PREDICTLANGUAGEACQUISITION PERFORMBETTER -YTH4HE-ORE4IME3TUDENTS3PEND)N!3ECOND 4EACHERSSHOULDNOTEXPECTMIRACULOUSRESULTSFROMCHILDRENLEARNING %NGLISHASASECONDLANGUAGE%3, INTHECLASSROOM!TTHEVERYLEAST THEY ,ANGUAGE#ONTEXT 4HE1UICKER4HEY,EARN4HE SHOULDANTICIPATETHATLEARNINGASECONDLANGUAGEISASDIFlCULTFORACHILD ,ANGUAGE ASITISFORANADULT)TMAYBEEVENMOREDIFlCULT SINCEYOUNGCHILDREN -ANY EDUCATORS BELIEVE CHILDREN FROM NON %NGLISH SPEAKING BACK DONOTHAVEACCESSTOTHEMEMORYTECHNIQUESANDOTHERSTRATEGIESTHAT GROUNDSWILLLEARN%NGLISHBESTTHROUGHSTRUCTUREDIMMERSION WHERETHEY MORE EXPERIENCED LEARNERS USE IN ACQUIRING VOCABULARY AND IN LEARNING HAVE%3,CLASSESANDCONTENT BASEDINSTRUCTIONIN%NGLISH4HESEPROGRAMS GRAMMATICALRULES PROVIDEMORETIMEONTASKIN%NGLISHTHANBILINGUALCLASSES .ORSHOULDITBEASSUMEDTHATCHILDRENHAVEFEWERINHIBITIONSTHAN 2ESEARCH HOWEVER INDICATESTHATTHISINCREASEDEXPOSURETO%NGLISH ADULTSWHENTHEYMAKEMISTAKESINAN,#HILDRENAREMORELIKELYTOBE DOESNOTNECESSARILYSPEEDTHEACQUISITIONOF%NGLISH/VERTHELENGTHOF SHYANDEMBARRASSEDAROUNDPEERSTHANAREADULTS#HILDRENFROMSOME THEPROGRAM CHILDRENINBILINGUALCLASSES WITHEXPOSURETOTHEHOMELAN CULTURALBACKGROUNDSAREEXTREMELYANXIOUSWHENSINGLEDOUTTOPERFORM GUAGEANDTO%NGLISH ACQUIRE%NGLISHLANGUAGESKILLSEQUIVALENTTOTHOSE INALANGUAGETHEYAREINTHEPROCESSOFLEARNING4EACHERSSHOULDNOTAS ACQUIREDBYCHILDRENWHOHAVEBEENIN%NGLISH ONLYPROGRAMS#UMMINS SUMETHAT BECAUSECHILDRENSUPPOSEDLYLEARNSECONDLANGUAGESQUICKLY 2AMIREZ 9UEN 2AMEY 4HISWOULDNOTBEEXPECTEDIFTIME SUCHDISCOMFORTWILLREADILYPASS ONTASKWERETHEMOSTIMPORTANTFACTORINLANGUAGELEARNING 2ESEARCHERSALSOCAUTIONAGAINSTWITHDRAWINGHOMELANGUAGESUPPORT -YTH4HE9OUNGER4HE#HILD 4HE-ORE3KILLED)N TOOSOONANDSUGGESTTHATALTHOUGHORALCOMMUNICATIONSKILLSINASECOND !CQUIRING!N, LANGUAGEMAYBEACQUIREDWITHINORYEARS ITMAYTAKETOYEARSTO 3OMERESEARCHERSARGUETHATTHEEARLIERCHILDRENBEGINTOLEARNASECOND ACQUIRETHELEVELOFPROlCIENCYNEEDEDFORUNDERSTANDINGTHELANGUAGEIN LANGUAGE THE BETTER EG +RASHEN ,ONG 3CARCELLA (OWEVER ITSACADEMICUSES#OLLIER #UMMINS RESEARCHDOESNOTSUPPORTTHISCONCLUSIONINSCHOOLSETTINGS&OREXAMPLE $&/5&3 '03 "11-*&% -*/(6*45*$4 t 5) 45 /8 t 8"4)*/(50/ %$ t 4EACHERSSHOULDBEAWARETHATGIVINGLANGUAGEMINORITYCHILDRENSUP )NASCHOOLENVIRONMENT BEHAVIORSSUCHASPAYINGATTENTIONANDPERSIST PORTINTHEHOMELANGUAGEISBENElCIAL4HEUSEOFTHEHOMELANGUAGEIN INGATTASKSAREVALUED"ECAUSEOFCULTURALDIFFERENCES SOMECHILDRENMAY BILINGUALCLASSROOMSENABLESCHILDRENTOMAINTAINGRADE LEVELSCHOOLWORK lNDTHEINTERPERSONALSETTINGOFTHESCHOOLCULTUREDIFlCULT)FTHETEACHER REINFORCESTHEBONDBETWEENTHEHOMEANDTHESCHOOL ANDALLOWSTHEMTO ISUNAWAREOFSUCHCULTURALDIFFERENCES THEIREXPECTATIONSANDINTERACTIONS PARTICIPATEMOREEFFECTIVELYINSCHOOLACTIVITIES&URTHERMORE IFTHECHILDREN WITHTHESECHILDRENMAYBEINmUENCED ACQUIRELITERACYSKILLSINTHElRSTLANGUAGE ASADULTSTHEYMAYBEFUNCTIONALLY %FFECTIVEINSTRUCTIONFORCHILDRENFROMCULTURALLYDIVERSEBACKGROUNDS BILINGUAL WITHANADVANTAGEINTECHNICALORPROFESSIONALCAREERS REQUIRESVARIEDINSTRUCTIONALACTIVITIESTHATCONSIDERTHECHILDRENSDIVERSITY -YTH#HILDREN(AVE!CQUIRED!N,/NCE4HEY#AN OFEXPERIENCE-ANYIMPORTANTEDUCATIONALINNOVATIONSINCURRENTPRACTICE 3PEAK)T HAVERESULTEDFROMTEACHERSADAPTINGINSTRUCTIONFORCHILDRENFROMCULTUR ALLYDIVERSEBACKGROUNDS4EACHERSNEEDTORECOGNIZETHATEXPERIENCESIN 3OMETEACHERSASSUMETHATCHILDRENWHOCANCONVERSECOMFORTABLYIN THEHOMEANDHOMECULTUREAFFECTCHILDRENSVALUES PATTERNSOFLANGUAGE %NGLISHAREINFULLCONTROLOFTHELANGUAGE9ETFORSCHOOL AGEDCHILDREN USE ANDINTERPERSONALSTYLE#HILDRENARELIKELYTOBEMORERESPONSIVETO PROlCIENCYINFACE TO FACECOMMUNICATIONDOESNOTIMPLYPROlCIENCYIN ATEACHERWHOAFlRMSTHEVALUESOFTHEHOMECULTURE THEMORECOMPLEXACADEMICLANGUAGENEEDEDTOENGAGEINMANYCLASSROOM ACTIVITIES#UMMINS CITESEVIDENCEFROMASTUDYOF IMMIGRANT #ONCLUSION CHILDRENIN#ANADAWHOREQUIREDMUCHLONGERAPPROXIMATELYTOYEARS 2ESEARCHONSECONDLANGUAGELEARNINGHASSHOWNTHATMANYMISCON TO MASTER THE DISEMBEDDED COGNITIVE LANGUAGE REQUIRED FOR THE REGULAR CEPTIONSEXISTABOUTHOWCHILDRENLEARNLANGUAGES4EACHERSNEEDTOBE %NGLISHCURRICULUMTHANTOMASTERORALCOMMUNICATIVESKILLS AWAREOFTHESEMISCONCEPTIONSANDREALIZETHATQUICKANDEASYSOLUTIONS %DUCATORSNEEDTOBECAUTIOUSINEXITINGCHILDRENFROMPROGRAMSWHERE ARENOTAPPROPRIATEFORCOMPLEXPROBLEMS3ECONDLANGUAGELEARNINGBY THEYHAVETHESUPPORTOFTHEIRHOMELANGUAGE)FCHILDRENWHOARENOTREADY SCHOOL AGEDCHILDRENTAKESLONGER ISHARDER ANDINVOLVESMOREEFFORTTHAN FORTHEALL %NGLISHCLASSROOMAREMAINSTREAMED THEIRACADEMICSUCCESSMAY MANYTEACHERSREALIZE BEHINDERED4EACHERSSHOULDREALIZETHATMAINSTREAMINGCHILDRENONTHE 7ESHOULDFOCUSONTHEOPPORTUNITYTHATCULTURALANDLINGUISTICDIVERSITY BASISOFORALLANGUAGEASSESSMENTISINAPPROPRIATE PROVIDES$IVERSECHILDRENENRICHOURSCHOOLSANDOURUNDERSTANDINGOF !LLTEACHERSNEEDTOBEAWARETHATCHILDRENWHOARELEARNINGINASECOND EDUCATIONINGENERAL)NFACT ALTHOUGHTHERESEARCHOFTHE.ATIONAL#ENTER LANGUAGEMAYHAVELANGUAGEPROBLEMSINREADINGANDWRITINGTHATARENOT FOR2ESEARCHON#ULTURAL$IVERSITYAND3ECOND,ANGUAGE,EARNINGHASBEEN APPARENTIFTHEIRORALABILITIESAREUSEDTOGAUGETHEIR%NGLISHPROlCIENCY DIRECTEDATCHILDRENFROMCULTURALLYANDLINGUISTICALLYDIVERSEBACKGROUNDS 4HESEPROBLEMSINACADEMICREADINGANDWRITINGATTHEMIDDLEANDHIGH MUCHOFITAPPLIESEQUALLYWELLTOMAINSTREAMSTUDENTS SCHOOLLEVELSMAYSTEMFROMLIMITATIONSINVOCABULARYANDSYNTACTICKNOWL 2EFERENCES EDGE%VENCHILDRENWHOARESKILLEDORALLYCANHAVESUCHGAPS #OLLIER 6 (OWLONG!SYNTHESISOFRESEARCHONACADEMICACHIEVE -YTH!LL#HILDREN,EARN!N,)N4HE3AME7AY MENTINASECONDLANGUAGE4%3/,1UARTERLY -OSTTEACHERSWOULDPROBABLYNOTADMITTHATTHEYTHINKALLCHILDREN #UMMINS * 4HECROSS LINGUALDIMENSIONSOFLANGUAGEPROlCIENCY