GAC013 Assessment Event 2: Case Study Investigation

Compare and Contrast of Two

Scientific Advances:

Learning a Second Language

Students Name: Angeline Klarissa

Student ID #: GAC002

Teacher: Christine Kartamiharja

Due Date: 28 November 2016

Word Count: 750

GAC013 AE#2 Angeline Klarissa GAC002

Table of Contents

Abstract 2

1.0 Introduction 2

2.0 Methodology 2

3.0 Findings 3

4.0 Discussion 3

5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations 4

References 4

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GAC013 AE#2 Angeline Klarissa GAC002

Abstract

This report is based on a secondary research conducted to compare two scientific advances regarding

learning a second language. This research shows that linguistic skills are not the most important factor in

second language acquisition. Non-linguistic skills that include learning it through fun and games or through

tactile approach of learning patterns are now considered by teachers ever since its discovery.

1.0 Introduction

When learning second language, many people struggled to learn especially at an adult age (Romeo n.d.).

Therefore, there are different methods that can be used to learn it and each person may have pick it up

differently. One may use method A and other may use method B (Mora Modules n.d.). For this research, the

first scientific advance is that learning a second language is said to have relation with a persons ability to

learn statitstics or patterns. While for the second advance, it is learning a new language can be helped with a

method of playing simple visual games with words and pictures (Science Daily 2013). With this research

that aims to find out which of the compared advances contribute more on scientific knowledge, the first

scientific advance seems to contribute more to scientific knowledge rather than the second advance since

statistic learning is more effective.

2.0 Methodology

To conduct this research the method use was secondary research. All the informations gathered in this report

are from the findings in the internet. Thus the only method done was it, since it only requires secondary

source. Informations and findings of this research is from a number of trusted sources that are relevant to the

topic. For this scientific research, there are six pairs of different studied provided from Science Daily and e!

Science News. Those pair of studies are later to to be compared and contrast. The studies chosen for this

report is about learning a new language. In this case, it is comparing about learning a second language is

predicted by ability to learn patterns and learning new language by fun and games.

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3.0 Findings

According to Science Daily (2013), learning a new language can be done with different methods linguistic

or non-linguistic. Non-lingustic ways include learning it through patterns, which was discovered by

Association for Psychological Science and compiled on a journal written by R. Frost, N. Siegelman, etc in

2013, and by playing simple games with words and pictures as discovered by the Marie-Jose Bisson with

Drs Walter van Heuven and others of University of Nottingham in 2013. When new things are discovered,

there will always be pros and cons. Both of these advances inflicted an issue where some research suggest

that second language acquisition should be done in a linguistic way which is traditional and formal, just like

how it was back then (Second Language Acquisition n.d., p. 52). While other suggest that it picks up more

on statistical learning and learning it in informal ways are more effective. With the first study being

approached by learning patterns while the second study is approached by playing games of words and

pictures, both of these advances are classified as part of Biology since both methods stimulate the brain for

its tactile approach (Oxford 2003).

4.0 Discussion

When two of the scientific advances compared, their contribution to the human progress differ. For the first

scientific advance, having different abilities might affect the learning skills more that specific ability and

talent. Students with better scores of statistic regularities seems to be able to pick up foreign language faster

and easier. While for the second scientific advance, its contribution is that learning a new language is fun and

easier with this new method gthat includes having fun through playing games that has words and pictures.

Games are said to be effective since it affects a students way of thinking in which they can explore lots of

options without having the fear to fail. Regarding to the thesis statement, the answer is that not only one of

the scientific advances but both of these advances make as much contributions to scientific knowledge as

other.

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5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations

This research concludes that when learning a new language, linguistic skills are proven that it is not the most

important factor. Learning a second language can be done with various methods and styles and learning it

with both of these methods are easier. However, learning it with fun and games are recommended to not

always be done in every meeting of teaching-learning progress since students might have a thought where

learning the second language is just a casual approach and not important.

References

Association for Psychological Science (2013) Picking up a second language is predicted by ability to learn
patterns, ScienceDaily [Online]. Available at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130528143800.htm [ Accessed 5 November 2016]

Chapter 2: Second Language Acquisition (n.d.) [Online]. Available at:

http://www.ablongman.com/html/productinfo/peregoy5e/0205593240_ch2.pdf [Accessed 25
November 2016]

Oxford, R. L. (2003) Language Learning Styles And Strategies: An Overview, Learning Styles &
Strategies/Oxford, GALA 2003 [Online}. Available at:
http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf [Accessed 25 November 2016]

Romeo, K. (n.d.) Krashen and Terrells Natural Approach, Stanford.edu [Online]. Available at:
http://web.stanford.edu/~hakuta/www/LAU/ICLangLit/NaturalApproach.htm [Accessed 25 November
2016]

Second and Foreign Language Teaching Methods (n.d.) Mora Modules [Online]. Available at:
http://moramodules.com/ALMMethods.htm [Accessed 25 November 2016]

University of Nottingham (2013) Language instruction improved with fun and games, ScienceDaily
[Online]. Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130416085302.htm [Accessed
5 November 2016]

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