Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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National
Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning
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4HIS $IGEST IS BASED ON A REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE .ATIONAL #ENTER FOR 2ESEARCH
ON #ULTURAL $IVERSITY AND 3ECOND ,ANGUAGE ,EARNING 5NIVERSITY OF #ALIFORNIA
3ANTA #RUZ h-YTHS AND -ISCONCEPTIONS !BOUT 3ECOND ,ANGUAGE ,EARNING
7HAT %VERY 4EACHER .EEDS TO 5NLEARNv BY "ARRY -C,AUGHLIN
-YTH #HILDREN ,EARN 3ECOND ,ANGUAGES 1UICKLY !ND
%ASILY
4YPICALLY PEOPLE WHO ASSERT THE SUPERIORITY OF CHILD LEARNERS CLAIM
THAT CHILDRENS BRAINS ARE MORE mEXIBLE EG ,ENNEBERG #URRENT
RESEARCH CHALLENGES THIS BIOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE ARGUING THAT DIFFERENT RATES
OF , ACQUISITION MAY REmECT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS THAT FAVOR
CHILD LEARNERS .EWPORT 2ESEARCH COMPARING CHILDREN TO ADULTS
HAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THAT ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS PERFORM BETTER
THAN YOUNG CHILDREN UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS EG 3NOW (OEFNAGEL
(OEHLE /NE EXCEPTION IS PRONUNCIATION ALTHOUGH EVEN HERE SOME
STUDIES SHOW BETTER RESULTS FOR OLDER LEARNERS
.ONETHELESS PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGES
FASTER THAN ADULTS )S THIS SUPERIORITY ILLUSORY ,ET US CONSIDER THE CRITERIA
OF LANGUAGE PROlCIENCY FOR A CHILD AND AN ADULT ! CHILD DOES NOT HAVE
TO LEARN AS MUCH AS AN ADULT TO ACHIEVE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE !
CHILDS CONSTRUCTIONS ARE SHORTER AND SIMPLER AND VOCABULARY IS SMALLER
(ENCE ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS THAT THE CHILD LEARNS MORE QUICKLY THAN THE
ADULT RESEARCH RESULTS TYPICALLY INDICATE THAT ADULT AND ADOLESCENT LEARNERS
PERFORM BETTER
4EACHERS SHOULD NOT EXPECT MIRACULOUS RESULTS FROM CHILDREN LEARNING
%NGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE %3, IN THE CLASSROOM !T THE VERY LEAST THEY
SHOULD ANTICIPATE THAT LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE IS AS DIFlCULT FOR A CHILD
AS IT IS FOR AN ADULT )T MAY BE EVEN MORE DIFlCULT SINCE YOUNG CHILDREN
DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE MEMORY TECHNIQUES AND OTHER STRATEGIES THAT
MORE EXPERIENCED LEARNERS USE IN ACQUIRING VOCABULARY AND IN LEARNING
GRAMMATICAL RULES
.OR SHOULD IT BE ASSUMED THAT CHILDREN HAVE FEWER INHIBITIONS THAN
ADULTS WHEN THEY MAKE MISTAKES IN AN , #HILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE
SHY AND EMBARRASSED AROUND PEERS THAN ARE ADULTS #HILDREN FROM SOME
CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS ARE EXTREMELY ANXIOUS WHEN SINGLED OUT TO PERFORM
IN A LANGUAGE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING 4EACHERS SHOULD NOT AS
SUME THAT BECAUSE CHILDREN SUPPOSEDLY LEARN SECOND LANGUAGES QUICKLY
SUCH DISCOMFORT WILL READILY PASS
-YTH 4HE 9OUNGER 4HE #HILD 4HE -ORE 3KILLED )N
!CQUIRING !N ,
3OME RESEARCHERS ARGUE THAT THE EARLIER CHILDREN BEGIN TO LEARN A SECOND
LANGUAGE THE BETTER EG +RASHEN ,ONG 3CARCELLA (OWEVER
RESEARCH DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION IN SCHOOL SETTINGS &OR EXAMPLE
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A STUDY OF "RITISH CHILDREN LEARNING &RENCH IN A SCHOOL CONTEXT CONCLUDED
THAT AFTER YEARS OF EXPOSURE OLDER CHILDREN WERE BETTER , LEARNERS 3TERN
"URSTALL (ARLEY 3IMILAR RESULTS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN OTHER %UROPEAN
STUDIES EG &LORANDER *ANSEN
4HESE lNDINGS MAY REmECT THE MODE OF LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION USED IN
%UROPE WHERE EMPHASIS HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN PLACED ON FORMAL GRAMMATI
CAL ANALYSIS /LDER CHILDREN ARE MORE SKILLED IN DEALING WITH THIS APPROACH
AND HENCE MIGHT DO BETTER (OWEVER THIS ARGUMENT DOES NOT EXPLAIN lND
INGS FROM STUDIES OF &RENCH IMMERSION PROGRAMS IN #ANADA WHERE LITTLE
EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE FORMAL ASPECTS OF GRAMMAR /N TESTS OF &RENCH
LANGUAGE PROlCIENCY #ANADIAN %NGLISH
SPEAKING CHILDREN IN LATE IMMER
SION PROGRAMS WHERE THE , IS INTRODUCED IN 'RADE OR HAVE PERFORMED
AS WELL OR BETTER THAN CHILDREN WHO BEGAN IMMERSION IN KINDERGARTEN OR
'RADE 'ENESEE
0RONUNCIATION IS ONE AREA WHERE THE YOUNGER
IS
BETTER ASSUMPTION MAY
HAVE VALIDITY 2ESEARCH EG /YAMA HAS FOUND THAT THE EARLIER A
LEARNER BEGINS A SECOND LANGUAGE THE MORE NATIVE
LIKE THE ACCENT HE OR
SHE DEVELOPS
4HE RESEARCH CITED ABOVE DOES NOT SUGGEST HOWEVER THAT EARLY EXPOSURE
TO AN , IS DETRIMENTAL !N EARLY START FOR hFOREIGNv LANGUAGE LEARNERS
FOR EXAMPLE MAKES A LONG SEQUENCE OF INSTRUCTION LEADING TO POTENTIAL
COMMUNICATIVE PROlCIENCY POSSIBLE AND ENABLES CHILDREN TO VIEW SECOND
LANGUAGE LEARNING AND RELATED CULTURAL INSIGHTS AS NORMAL AND INTEGRAL
.ONETHELESS %3, INSTRUCTION IN THE 5NITED 3TATES IS DIFFERENT FROM FOREIGN
LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION ,ANGUAGE MINORITY CHILDREN IN 53 SCHOOLS NEED TO
MASTER %NGLISH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WHILE LEARNING SUBJECT
MATTER CONTENT
4HIS SUGGESTS THAT EARLY EXPOSURE TO %NGLISH IS CALLED FOR (OWEVER BECAUSE
, ACQUISITION TAKES TIME CHILDREN CONTINUE TO NEED THE SUPPORT OF THEIR
lRST LANGUAGE WHERE THIS IS POSSIBLE TO AVOID FALLING BEHIND IN CONTENT
AREA LEARNING
4EACHERS SHOULD HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR %3, LEARNERS
2ESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT OLDER STUDENTS WILL SHOW QUICKER GAINS THOUGH
YOUNGER CHILDREN MAY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE IN PRONUNCIATION #ERTAINLY
BEGINNING LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN 'RADE GIVES CHILDREN MORE EXPOSURE
TO THE LANGUAGE THAN BEGINNING IN 'RADE BUT EXPOSURE IN ITSELF DOES NOT
PREDICT LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
-YTH 4HE -ORE 4IME 3TUDENTS 3PEND )N ! 3ECOND
,ANGUAGE #ONTEXT 4HE 1UICKER 4HEY ,EARN 4HE
,ANGUAGE
-ANY EDUCATORS BELIEVE CHILDREN FROM NON
%NGLISH
SPEAKING BACK
GROUNDS WILL LEARN %NGLISH BEST THROUGH STRUCTURED IMMERSION WHERE THEY
HAVE %3, CLASSES AND CONTENT
BASED INSTRUCTION IN %NGLISH 4HESE PROGRAMS
PROVIDE MORE TIME ON TASK IN %NGLISH THAN BILINGUAL CLASSES
2ESEARCH HOWEVER INDICATES THAT THIS INCREASED EXPOSURE TO %NGLISH
DOES NOT NECESSARILY SPEED THE ACQUISITION OF %NGLISH /VER THE LENGTH OF
THE PROGRAM CHILDREN IN BILINGUAL CLASSES WITH EXPOSURE TO THE HOME LAN
GUAGE AND TO %NGLISH ACQUIRE %NGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS EQUIVALENT TO THOSE
ACQUIRED BY CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN IN %NGLISH
ONLY PROGRAMS #UMMINS
2AMIREZ 9UEN 2AMEY 4HIS WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED IF TIME
ON TASK WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN LANGUAGE LEARNING
2ESEARCHERS ALSO CAUTION AGAINST WITHDRAWING HOME LANGUAGE SUPPORT
TOO SOON AND SUGGEST THAT ALTHOUGH ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN A SECOND
LANGUAGE MAY BE ACQUIRED WITHIN OR YEARS IT MAY TAKE TO YEARS TO
ACQUIRE THE LEVEL OF PROlCIENCY NEEDED FOR UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE IN
ITS ACADEMIC USES #OLLIER #UMMINS
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)N A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PAYING ATTENTION AND PERSIST
ING AT TASKS ARE VALUED "ECAUSE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES SOME CHILDREN MAY
lND THE INTERPERSONAL SETTING OF THE SCHOOL CULTURE DIFlCULT )F THE TEACHER
IS UNAWARE OF SUCH CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND INTERACTIONS
WITH THESE CHILDREN MAY BE INmUENCED
%FFECTIVE INSTRUCTION FOR CHILDREN FROM CULTURALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
REQUIRES VARIED INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT CONSIDER THE CHILDRENS DIVERSITY
OF EXPERIENCE -ANY IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS IN CURRENT PRACTICE
HAVE RESULTED FROM TEACHERS ADAPTING INSTRUCTION FOR CHILDREN FROM CULTUR
ALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS 4EACHERS NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT EXPERIENCES IN
THE HOME AND HOME CULTURE AFFECT CHILDRENS VALUES PATTERNS OF LANGUAGE
USE AND INTERPERSONAL STYLE #HILDREN ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO
A TEACHER WHO AFlRMS THE VALUES OF THE HOME CULTURE
4EACHERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT GIVING LANGUAGE MINORITY CHILDREN SUP
PORT IN THE HOME LANGUAGE IS BENElCIAL 4HE USE OF THE HOME LANGUAGE IN
BILINGUAL CLASSROOMS ENABLES CHILDREN TO MAINTAIN GRADE
LEVEL SCHOOL WORK
REINFORCES THE BOND BETWEEN THE HOME AND THE SCHOOL AND ALLOWS THEM TO
PARTICIPATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES &URTHERMORE IF THE CHILDREN
ACQUIRE LITERACY SKILLS IN THE lRST LANGUAGE AS ADULTS THEY MAY BE FUNCTIONALLY
BILINGUAL WITH AN ADVANTAGE IN TECHNICAL OR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS
-YTH #HILDREN (AVE !CQUIRED !N , /NCE 4HEY #AN
3PEAK )T
3OME TEACHERS ASSUME THAT CHILDREN WHO CAN CONVERSE COMFORTABLY IN
%NGLISH ARE IN FULL CONTROL OF THE LANGUAGE 9ET FOR SCHOOL
AGED CHILDREN
PROlCIENCY IN FACE
TO
FACE COMMUNICATION DOES NOT IMPLY PROlCIENCY IN
THE MORE COMPLEX ACADEMIC LANGUAGE NEEDED TO ENGAGE IN MANY CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES #UMMINS CITES EVIDENCE FROM A STUDY OF IMMIGRANT
CHILDREN IN #ANADA WHO REQUIRED MUCH LONGER APPROXIMATELY TO YEARS
TO MASTER THE DISEMBEDDED COGNITIVE LANGUAGE REQUIRED FOR THE REGULAR
%NGLISH CURRICULUM THAN TO MASTER ORAL COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS
%DUCATORS NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS IN EXITING CHILDREN FROM PROGRAMS WHERE
THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THEIR HOME LANGUAGE )F CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT READY
FOR THE ALL
%NGLISH CLASSROOM ARE MAINSTREAMED THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS MAY
BE HINDERED 4EACHERS SHOULD REALIZE THAT MAINSTREAMING CHILDREN ON THE
BASIS OF ORAL LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT IS INAPPROPRIATE
!LL TEACHERS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE LEARNING IN A SECOND
LANGUAGE MAY HAVE LANGUAGE PROBLEMS IN READING AND WRITING THAT ARE NOT
APPARENT IF THEIR ORAL ABILITIES ARE USED TO GAUGE THEIR %NGLISH PROlCIENCY
4HESE PROBLEMS IN ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOL LEVELS MAY STEM FROM LIMITATIONS IN VOCABULARY AND SYNTACTIC KNOWL
EDGE %VEN CHILDREN WHO ARE SKILLED ORALLY CAN HAVE SUCH GAPS
#ONCLUSION
2ESEARCH ON SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING HAS SHOWN THAT MANY MISCON
CEPTIONS EXIST ABOUT HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGES 4EACHERS NEED TO BE
AWARE OF THESE MISCONCEPTIONS AND REALIZE THAT QUICK AND EASY SOLUTIONS
ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR COMPLEX PROBLEMS 3ECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING BY
SCHOOL
AGED CHILDREN TAKES LONGER IS HARDER AND INVOLVES MORE EFFORT THAN
MANY TEACHERS REALIZE
7E SHOULD FOCUS ON THE OPPORTUNITY THAT CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY
PROVIDES $IVERSE CHILDREN ENRICH OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
EDUCATION IN GENERAL )N FACT ALTHOUGH THE RESEARCH OF THE .ATIONAL #ENTER
FOR 2ESEARCH ON #ULTURAL $IVERSITY AND 3ECOND ,ANGUAGE ,EARNING HAS BEEN
DIRECTED AT CHILDREN FROM CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
MUCH OF IT APPLIES EQUALLY WELL TO MAINSTREAM STUDENTS
2EFERENCES
#OLLIER 6 (OW LONG ! SYNTHESIS OF RESEARCH ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVE
MENT IN A SECOND LANGUAGE 4%3/, 1UARTERLY
#UMMINS * 4HE CROSS
LINGUAL DIMENSIONS OF LANGUAGE PROlCIENCY
)MPLICATIONS FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND THE OPTIMAL AGE ISSUE 4%3/,
1UARTERLY
#UMMINS * 4HE ROLE OF PRIMARY LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN PROMOT
ING EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS FOR LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS )N 3CHOOLING AND
LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS ! THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ,OS !NGELES #ALIFORNIA
3TATE 5NIVERSITY %VALUATION $ISSEMINATION AND !SSESSMENT #ENTER
&LORANDER * *ANSEN - 3KOLEFORSG I ENGELSK
#OPEN
HAGEN $ANISH )NSTITUTE OF %DUCATION
'ENESEE & ,EARNING THROUGH TWO LANGUAGES 3TUDIES OF IMMERSION AND
BILINGUAL EDUCATION .EW 9ORK .EWBURY (OUSE
(EATH 3 " 7AYS WITH WORDS ,ANGUAGE LIFE AND WORK IN COMMUNITIES
AND CLASSROOMS .EW 9ORK #AMBRIDGE
+RASHEN 3 ,ONG - 3CARCELLA 2 !GE RATE AND EVENTUAL ATTAIN
MENT IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 4%3/, 1UARTERLY
,ENNEBERG % ( 4HE BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE .EW 9ORK
7ILEY
.EWPORT % -ATURATIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING #OGNI
TIVE 3CIENCE
/YAMA 3 ! SENSITIVE PERIOD FOR THE ACQUISITION OF NONNATIVE PHO
NOLOGICAL SYSTEM *OURNAL OF 0SYCHOLINGUISTIC 2ESEARCH
2AMIREZ *$ 9UEN 3$ 2AMEY $2 ,ONGITUDINAL STUDY OF STRUC
TURED %NGLISH IMMERSION STRATEGY EARLY
EXIT AND LATE
EXIT TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL
EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE MINORITY CHILDREN &INAL 2EPORT 6OLUMES
3AN -ATEO #! !GUIRRE )NTERNATIONAL
2OGOFF " !PPRENTICESHIP IN THINKING #OGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIAL
CONTEXT .EW 9ORK /XFORD
3NOW # % (OEFNAGEL
(OEHLE - 4HE CRITICAL PERIOD FOR LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION %VIDENCE FROM SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING #HILD $EVELOPMENT
3TERN ( ( "URSTALL # (ARLEY " &RENCH FROM AGE EIGHT OR ELEVEN
4ORONTO /NTARIO )NSTITUTE FOR 3TUDIES IN %DUCATION
-YTH !LL #HILDREN ,EARN !N , )N 4HE 3AME 7AY
-OST TEACHERS WOULD PROBABLY NOT ADMIT THAT THEY THINK ALL CHILDREN
LEARN AN , IN THE SAME WAY OR AT THE SAME RATE 9ET THIS ASSUMPTION
SEEMS TO UNDERLIE A GREAT DEAL OF PRACTICE #ULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGISTS HAVE
SHOWN THAT MAINSTREAM 53 FAMILIES AND FAMILIES FROM MINORITY CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF TALKING (EATH -AINSTREAM
CHILDREN ARE ACCUSTOMED TO A DEDUCTIVE ANALYTIC STYLE OF TALKING WHEREAS
MANY CULTURALLY DIVERSE CHILDREN ARE ACCUSTOMED TO AN INDUCTIVE STYLE
53 SCHOOLS EMPHASIZE LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS AND STYLES THAT PREDOMINATE IN
MAINSTREAM FAMILIES ,ANGUAGE IS USED TO COMMUNICATE MEANING CONVEY
INFORMATION CONTROL SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND SOLVE PROBLEMS AND CHILDREN ARE
REWARDED FOR CLEAR AND LOGICAL THINKING #HILDREN WHO USE LANGUAGE IN A
DIFFERENT MANNER OFTEN EXPERIENCE FRUSTRATION
3OCIAL CLASS ALSO INmUENCES LEARNING STYLES )N URBAN LITERATE AND TECH
NOLOGICALLY ADVANCED SOCIETIES MIDDLE
CLASS PARENTS TEACH THEIR CHILDREN
THROUGH LANGUAGE 4RADITIONALLY MOST TEACHING IN LESS TECHNOLOGICALLY
ADVANCED NON
URBANIZED CULTURES IS CARRIED OUT NONVERBALLY THROUGH
OBSERVATION SUPERVISED PARTICIPATION AND SELF
INITIATED REPETITION 2OG
OFF 4HERE IS NONE OF THE INFORMATION TESTING THROUGH QUESTIONS
THAT CHARACTERIZES THE TEACHING
LEARNING PROCESS IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN
MIDDLE
CLASS HOMES
)N ADDITION SOME CHILDREN ARE MORE ACCUSTOMED TO LEARNING FROM PEERS
THAN FROM ADULTS #ARED FOR AND TAUGHT BY OLDER SIBLINGS OR COUSINS THEY
LEARN TO BE QUIET IN THE PRESENCE OF ADULTS AND HAVE LITTLE INTERACTION WITH
THEM )N SCHOOL THEY ARE LIKELY TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT THEIR PEERS
ARE DOING THAN TO WHAT THE TEACHER IS SAYING
)NDIVIDUAL CHILDREN ALSO REACT TO SCHOOL AND LEARN DIFFERENTLY WITHIN
GROUPS 3OME CHILDREN ARE OUTGOING AND SOCIABLE AND LEARN THE SECOND LAN
GUAGE QUICKLY 4HEY DO NOT WORRY ABOUT MISTAKES BUT USE LIMITED RESOURCES
TO GENERATE INPUT FROM NATIVE SPEAKERS /THER CHILDREN ARE SHY AND QUIET
4HEY LEARN BY LISTENING AND WATCHING 4HEY SAY LITTLE FOR FEAR OF MAKING
A MISTAKE .ONETHELESS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BOTH TYPES OF LEARNERS CAN BE
SUCCESSFUL SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS
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