Of course, many
factors affect an individual’s ability to learn English. The most important
ones are age of acquisition, amount of education in the student’s primary language,
motivation to learn English, and language learning aptitude.
Age of
acquisition
Children under the
age of about eight learn language differently from older learners. Younger
children use innate language learning abilities and can acquire native-like fluency,
including pronunciation. Older learners rely on general cognitive learning
strategies. They can learn to speak, read, and write perfectly well; however,
after about the age of 13, they will begin to lose the ability to completely
acquire standard English pronunciation (Lightbown & Spada, 1999).
Education
in the primary language
Schooling and
literacy level in the primary language influence a student’s ability to learn
English. Take the case of a high school student from Mexico who had a strong
background in the sciences and spoke very little English. When she arrived in
the United States, she was placed in a tenth grade biology class that covered
material she was familiar with. She earned a B in the course. How? She was not learning concepts, but rather how to express these
concepts in English. A strong primary language background is a key element in
being able to learn English, because the student is not struggling to
accomplish two tasks at the same time—learning English and learning in English;
rather, the student
can focus on the single task of learning English. The underlying concept of
bilingual education rests on developing strong primary language and literacy skills
that the student can then apply to another language. The student whose example
we used here experienced what Krashen (1996) refers to as de facto bilingual education— a solid primary language education in
her home country, followed by education in English. She did not have to learn
concepts all over again; rather, she learned how to express what she already
knew in English.
One of the most
challenging teaching assignments is working with older English learners, say 12
years or older, who have had little or no formal education. These students are
burdened with the two tasks mentioned above—learning English and learning in English. Here are some suggestions to help you and your students
in this type of situation:
• Provide survival
English—basic fundamental phrases that will help the students navigate their environment
in school and in the community.
• Teach students
how to read and write the basic phrases they learn.
• Develop a
print-rich classroom that suits their developmental level. Bumper stickers, advertisements,
cartoons, posters, and recipes are some examples (Schiffini, 1996).
• Use the Language
Experience Approach (see Chapter Five) and other ways to do shared reading and
writing.
• Teach to your
students’ interests.
• Find ways to let
students share their developing English skills, such as reading simple books to
kindergarten or
first-grade students.
Motivation
Motivation to learn
English that is internally driven is more powerful than externally driven otivation.
Internal motivations can include a desire to make or play with friends, to
understand popular music, or to embrace the culture. External motivations may
include a parent’s desire for the student to learn nglish, or the desire to learn just enough
English to get by with the hope of returning to the home ountry (Lightbown and Spada, 1999).
Aptitude
You may find that
some of your students seem to quickly pass through stages of English
development while other students proceed more slowly. Some individuals have an innate
aptitude for language learning that can account for different rates of
development among your students. We have discussed factors that impact your
English learners outside of school. Now let’s look at schoolrelated factors
that influence your students.
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