Barry McLaughlin, author of this article, is from National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning, University of California, Santa Cruz. In addition, the article－Myths and Misconceptions About Second Language Learning: What Every Teacher Needs to Unlearn, was published on December, 1992. In this paper, I summarize the article and offer comments about selected aspects in different myths and misconceptions.
The author opens up the article with general idea that it is important for classroom teachers to know how to identify the myths and misconceptions in kids learning second language. Then, McLaughlin brings up the first myth－ Children learn second languages quickly and easily. In this myth, the author breaks the
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Thus, it will distract their mind to learn better second language. To conclude this myth, the author indicates that research indeed prove that only pronunciation part learning in young age will have better result, older students will show quicker gains. …show more content…
The author mentions that some researches are indicated that “increased exposure to English does not necessarily speed the acquisition of English”. In addition, the author points out to the teachers that “teacher should be aware that giving language minority children support in the home language is beneficial”. Thus, the time they spend in language isn’t the main factor to determine whether they learn this language better or not. In the fourth myth－children have acquitted an second language once they can speak it. The author claims that “for school-aged children, proficiency in face-to-face communication does not imply proficiency in the more complex academic language needed to engage in many classroom activities”. It means that if a child is good at speaking language, it doesn’t mean that their reading and writing skills are as good as their oral ability. In the fifth myth－All children learn an second language in the same way. Different background and different social class will influence learning styles. The author claims
The essay starts off by talking about a common belief shared by many parents now about how students miss out on “a great deal by not being taught their family’s language”(Rodriguez 525). But the author states that this isn’t always true especially considering the children who are socially disadvantaged in any way, they more than likely consider their native tongue or the language used at home to be just that a private language that should only be used around or with the family, he also highlights how odd it was that his childhood classmates
Most people who grow up with a foreign language spoken in there house grow up with an advantage in society. This advantage can only occur once the individual learning that foreign language also learns the dominant language spoken in that country. Once both of these languages are learned and mastered, the individual has now placed them se...
It is important to maintain children’s home language as it may help them learn and understand a second language. Barratt-Pugh (2000) discusses the benefits of bilingualism and maintaining it through early childhood settings, also mentions the concerns families have for their children maintaining two languages through schooling. Research within the article states that children who speak more than one language will have a higher level of understanding literacy content, form, genre, as well as understand the differences and translating within both languages. This demonstrates a contrast of strengths and experiences with literacy (linguist...
The purpose of this study is to figure out which ways experienced teachers work best with culturally and linguistically diverse students. This study illustrates which strategies experienced teachers have found to work best. The diversity in school in the United States has increased each year. This means that there are an increasing amount of students who are learning English, English language learners (ELLs). This article comes from the perspective that each child should be taught to their specific needs. All students deserve a fair chance to learn. Fair means that every student is treated differently, not equally. Every student learns differently. In order to give every student a fair chance at learning, you must teach them according to their needs. An experienced teacher, Tiffany, describes her experiences working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. This study watches her methods and discusses what works based on data analysis of the success of her students.
...n language and the development of literacy. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 13(2), 175-186. doi: 10.1080/13670050903474085
Having been proven throughout history, younger learners are more adept to language acquisition. Although some may think “…their minds aren’t capable of learning and retaining a foreign language, it’s enough of a struggle for a child to learn one language, a native language…” (Should foreign...). It may not be easy to learn, but in actuality it will help their brains develop gradually, not only helping them in their foreign language studies, but also improving other areas as well. Cheryl Walker states this clearly, saying foreign language, “…increases listening ability, creativity, and critical ...
Teaching students a language that is foreign can really be challenging for students as well as for the teachers. The dynamic rule for implementing instructing in a diverse class to English-learners is to use resourceful life skills such as diligence, hard work and patience. There are also methods that are involved in teaching English as a second language that can be creative for the teacher, yet beneficial to the student. First building a strong foundation that is essential to English learners will promote the language acquisition process. To do this teacher’s should always start with preparation. Advance preparation is essential in order to provide necessary adaptations in content area instruction and to make content information accessible for second language lear...
When a baby is born, he/she comes into this world eager to learn. Always taking in information and absorbing it like a new computer. Every experience he/she encounters could possibly stick in that baby’s mind. However, some of the things that a child hears or perceives can either benefit or corrupt their learning. Teaching a child a second language has the same concept as putting in new software in a computer. Many advantages come with a safe and powerful computer and the same would come with knowing a second language. If a child was not taught a second language in their early years, that child might be at a disadvantage in their future, and as that child grows up not knowing a second language could potentially hold him/her back with grades and obtaining a job. Knowing a second language can benefit from those things and can also help with keeping strong ties with their family, culture, community, and even music.
Qualities of a successful language learner’s Age: Age variation in English learning and learning differences between children and adults are significant factors that must be taken into account in choosing the right approaches, design and procedures. In the survey it has been found that those respondents who had some exposure to English language in their childhood managed to acquire good communication skills. Infants are born as universal receivers of all language sounds, but this ability slowly disappears, as they grow old. So early childhood experiences aid the learners in acquiring good English successfully in later life.
There are many English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. Therefore there should be progressive improvement in the programs for ELL’s students. Unfortunately there is a lot of stigma around certain languages, and on people whose first language is not English. This has created major setbacks in not only the education of student’s whose first language is not English, but also have created downfalls for the parents of these students as well. In 2010, the U.S census reported that 20% of the current population speaks another language other than English in the United States, and has since risen since then (Nieto, Bode, 2010).
In order to understand Bilingual education it must first be defined, as the compilation of multicultural views through which diversity is enriched and bilingualism becomes an ability to communicate with two or more languages with similar degree of proficiency language (Gallo, Pinuelas and Youngs 2008). Other perspectives state that the process of bilingual education is a process which educates students to be effective in a second language while maintaining and nurturing their first (Necochea and Cline 2000). In this process of educating students in a bilingual education many students do not completely acquire both languages. We would also have to consider the meaning of language acquisition, the process where children acquire their first language. Some children may attain one or more first languages depending on their environment children grow up in for example if a child grows up in an environment of only English they will only acquire that language, but a child that is exposed to both Vietnamese and English and are heard equally will acquire both languages. Other considerable research found that “young children do not learn another language effortlessly” that they do not learn faster with more exposure to the new language, that their oral fluency outstrips their academic competence, and that they require many years of grade level academic ability in the new language”(Berman, 1997.p17). It is important to understand the effectiveness of bilingual education in schools setting to better sever students in acquiring both languages and to smoothly transition to all English instruction.
Language has pioneered many interracial relationships and historical milestones. Language is a necessity for basic communication and cultural diversity. Being multilingual is a skill proven influential to a successful future. Due to rapid globalization, countries all over the world are stressing the importance of learning a second, or even third, language. With the exception of time and lack of resources, adults have very few widely applicable disadvantages to learning multiple languages. However, language learning as a child presents more complications. Some of those include not having enough funding at the elementary school level to introduce a program for secondary language, academic overload for the youth, stress for both the parent and student parties, and the mixing of languages. Not all of these complications are true in any or all situations, however, and the absence of them provides multitudes of opportunity for future career and academic success. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the parents or the education legislation to decide whether they encourage the learning of a secondary language at the young age necessary for retention. “The general consensus is that it takes between five to seven years for an individual to achieve advanced fluency,” therefore the younger a child begins to learn, the more likely they are to benefit to the maximum potential (Robertson). Keeping the language learning in high school or beginning the process earlier is a greatly controversial discussion that is important to address because of the topic’s already lengthy suspension.
Research also confirms that children learn best in their mother tongue as a prelude to and complement of bilingual and multilingual education. Whether children successfully retain their mother tongue while acquiring additional languages, depends on several interacting factors.
linguistics and has only begun within the last ten years. The study of the acquisition of a third language by bilingual speakers is even younger. The growing body of research on this issue shows relevant differences between second and third language acquisition and reveals specific characteristics of the process of third language acquisition. The use of English as a lingua franca has contributed to the spread of trilingualism i.e. Third Language Acquisition in many parts of the world.
As time goes by and as the global community develops, the world grows more and more international, making second or third language acquisition become necessary to the majority. With the growing importance of multiple language ability, more and more parents think of bilingual or multilingual education, which means acquisitions of two or more languages, for their kids. In fact, we do have many reasons showing why multilingual education is important and beneficial, such as aspects of interpersonal relationship, employment, brain health, and so on.