Our understanding of language learning goals

1
Our understanding of language learning goals

• Liliana Sanchez
• Department of Spanish and Portuguese
• lsanchez_at_spanport.rutgers.edu

2
Our beliefs about language learning

• How did we become speakers of our mother tongue?
• A. By imitation
• B. Through conscious learning
• C. Through interaction and unconscious
  acquisition

3
Why imitation is not the answer

• Examples from L1
• Randall (2,9) Are dogs can wiggle their tails?
• Michael (2,10) Mummy, Iam hiccing up and I
  cant stop.

4
We dont acquire language through imitation

• Child My teacher holded the rabbits and we.
• patted them.
• Adult Did you say your teacher held the baby
  rabbits?
• Child Yes.
• Adult What did you say she did?
• Child She holded the rabbits and we patted
  them.
• Adult Did you say she held them tightly?
• Child No, she holded them loosely.

5
Conscious learning?

• Pidgin languages evolve into Creole languages
• Spanish
• Tenemos hambre
• Chileno Pidgin
• (2) Nosotros tiyenee ?aamre
• (California) (Bakker 1995)

6
Interaction and unconscious acquisition

• Interaction
• Mother Get undressed
• David (3,11) I am getting undressed.
• I am getting on dressed.
• I am getting off dressed.
• Unconscious acquisition
• (3) John saw himself.
• (4) Himself saw John.

7
The issue of second language acquisition past the
Critical Period

• Critical period in L1 acquisition
• Studies on deaf language learners
• Differences between native signers, early signers
  and late signers.
• (Newport 1990)
• Critical period in L2 acquisition
• pronunciation gtsyntax gtlexicon
• The relevance of social and psychological factors
  in L2 acquisition

8
Born to acquire languages

• Language as a biological endowment
• Language as a faculty
• Its in your brain and it only works if you use
  it with other human beings. Like vision it
  requires stimuli to develop.

9
Relevant focus

• How do we acquire a second language?
• Through meaningful interaction
• How do we use a second language?
• In interaction with other human beings we learn
  not just the structural configuration of the
  language (sounds, endings, word order) but its
  actual performative meaning.

10
Second Language Acquisition is a PROCESS

• Learning processes in humans are characterized by
  stages of development.
• U-shaped development
• Language has different components at a
  particular stage learners may have different
  levels of proficiency in different skills.

11
Identifying stages

• ACTFL Guidelines
• Levels of proficiency in
• Communication skills (Listening, speaking,
  reading and writing)
• Literacy-related skills (Ability to understand
  texts and to infer information from them)
• Cultural referents (Ability to develop new
  perspectives and to understand values and
  principles related to target culture referents).

12
Does culture determine language?

• Shocker IT IS NOT TRUE.
• Language is a biological endowment, it is used to
  express cultural beliefs, but it is a universal
  biological faculty.
• Variation across languages is limited. Vocabulary
  may diverge significantly but variation in
  sounds, grammatical categories and structures is
  much more restricted.

13
Individual differences

• Learning styles (visual, kinetic, aural)
• Affective filter
• Language loyalty and identity
• Authority versus peer interlocutors
• Accommodation

14
Our beliefs about language teaching

• How do we teach languages?
• A. By exposing our students to repetitive
  patterns of speech
• B. By interacting with them in meaningful
  contexts
• C. By analyzing texts.

15
Communication Skills

• How do we acquire them?
• How do they develop?
• Do we transfer them from the L1?
• What is expected at different stages of
  acquisition?

16
Literacy-oriented skills

• How do we acquire them?
• Can they be transferred from the L1?
• How do they develop?
• What is expected at different stages of
  acquisition?

17
Cultural referents and interaction

• Do we transfer our cultural frames of reference
  from C1 to C2? Why?
• Is it likely that my readings of a particular
  text at early stages of acquisition will reflect
  the culture associated to my L1?

18
Is it enough to be a native speaker?

• "Any native speaker can teach her language.
• How does s/he balance interpersonal
  communication skills, literacy skills and
• cultural proficiency?
• How does s/he distinguish levels of
  proficiency and acquisition stages?
• How does s/he assess them?

19
Is it enough to have common sense?

• "Teaching languages is just common sense".
• Common sense usually considers that language is
  acquired by imitation.
• Common sense dictates that reading and writing
  skills are very easily transferred from L1 to L2.
• Common sense does not necessarily view second
  language learning as involving a process of
  unconscious acquisition.

20
Learner-centered curriculum

• As a language-learner would you be inclined to
• A. Listen to repetitive patterns of speech
• B. Memorize texts or dialogues
• C. Analyze texts beyond your level of
  proficiency
• D. Complete contextually unrelated sentences.
• E. None of the above

21
The ideal language learning environment

• Considering that you were born to acquire
  languages, and also considering social and
  psychological factors that may interact with that
  ability in the case of L2 acquisition, what would
  be the ideal classroom environment for you to
  acquire a second/third language?