Exploring Language Learning in Childhood: Critical Periods and Program Types
This article delves into the critical age for language learning, emphasizing that younger learners often have advantages in acquiring new languages. It discusses the concept of sensitive periods, examining how different aspects of language (like grammar and pronunciation) are influenced differently by age and social factors. The piece also evaluates various language learning programs, including FLES and dual immersion, and their effectiveness. By comparing methodologies and outcomes for students across different age groups, it aims to shed light on the best practices for language instruction.
Exploring Language Learning in Childhood: Critical Periods and Program Types
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Presentation Transcript
Critical Age? • Generally, younger = better in terms of language learning. • Uh, oh, you’re 15, you’re too old. • Critical or sensitive period • Widely debated, puberty, 6 or 7???? • Different aspects of language affected differently. Grammar later than pronunciation
Critical period: Evidence for and against • It’s just a function of time on task (Evidence against) • It’s really social interaction (Evidence Against) • Deaf Children, Feral Children (Evidence for) • Ultimate attainment of kiddos… Kids end up better than adults (Evidence For)
Critical Period • Regardless, starting earlier is better • More time on task • Social benefits: • People encourage kids • Mistakes are cute • Correction is empathetic • Contact is generally more immersive • Compare immigrant adults v. their kids
Program types • What’s the difference? • Carla goes to a school where Chinese is taught as a subject like math or reading for 40 minutes 4 days a week. • Juanito, a third grader, goes to a school where half the day content is taught through the medium of Spanish and the other through English. Content-enriched Content focus Language focus FLES Total/Dual Immersion
FLES • Does it do any good? • What is the role of time on task? • How long does it take? • So does FLES do any good? • Articulation • Sequence of study
Program Types – Advantages/Disadvantages • Planning a program • Where do we start? • At the end! • Backwards planning • What do we want to accomplish? • What resources do we have? • What kind of support at the community and administration level?
Strengths and Weaknesses • What is good and bad about these programs? • In languagelandia,students take a foreign language exploration class in 8th grade for one semester focusing on conversation and cultural understanding. • In 9th - 12th they may take a traditional sequence of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year language classes. • Teachers use a four skills approach and employ the target language 30-50% of the time. • In the state of Woohah, students often enroll in dual immersion elementary programs where content is taught 50% of the time in the target language through 6th grade. • In upper grades students take one or two content classes in the target language per year. • In Linguolio, students take a foreign language in elementary school 4 days per week as a separate subject from grade 1 to 6. The class incorporates knowledge from the other subjects students are learning. • In junior high and high school these students participate in the regular language programs offered to all students.
Methods for Elementary School • CBI • What is content based instruction? • What is thematic planning? • FLES example
