Learning a second/third language at home and at school
What is bilingualism?
Having or using two languages especially
as spoken with the fluency characteristic of a native speaker. Possessing a
minimal competence in only one of the four language skills in a language other
than the mother tongue. The ability to speak a second language while following
the concepts and structures of it rather than paraphrasing your mother tongue.
Code-mixing VS Code-switching All cases where lexical
items and grammatical features from two languages appear in one sentence. The
first two years is the phase of mixing the languages. Switching from one
language to the other according to appropriate changes in speech situation. On
the age of three, they start to separate the two languages and to address
people in different languages depending on their relevant language background.
Early Bilingualism
• The 'simultaneous acquisition' is the process of the earliest chance of learning two languages or more. It starts at birth.
• Bilingual children generally appear to develop more slowly in linguistic terms. They may say their first words a little later and learn fewer words and grammatical structures.
Early Bilingualism
• Bilingual children are more aware to language systems as bilingualism helps in Meta-linguistic awareness, the ability to reflect on and manipulate the structural features of language. They are also more conscious of language structures and patterns and learn to reflect on these earlier.
The critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) • Psycholinguists suggest that brain flexibility was only helpful to language learning until puberty. In terms of language acquisition, it is suggested that children who start acquiring younger than 11-12 years of age have a plenty of input and interaction in the second language environment.
Younger VS older learners • Children are sensitive to the
sounds and the rhythm of new languages. They enjoy copying new sounds and
patterns of intonation. Younger learners are less anxious and less inhibited
and they can spend more time devoted to the language compared with those who
start later.
Younger VS older learners • On the other hand, older
learners use more efficient strategies, have more mature conceptual world to
rely on, have a clearer sense of discourse and have a clearer sense of why they
are learning a new language. Older learners are more analytical and give
attention to detail.
Learning a Second Language in the Playground and at
School • Familiar routines and games offer great opportunities for hearing the
same language again and again and learning to take part in simple
conversations. • In case of school language, it takes much longer to catch up
with the academic language skills necessary to participate in school discourse.
What About the Native Language? • developing child's
mother tongue and his second language literacy skills in parallel is essential.
WHY?
How Do Children Learn a Second Language? • there are two
ways in which children may learn a second language: simultaneously or
sequentially:
Simultaneous Second Language Learning • include children
under the age of 3 who are exposed to two languages at the same time. • Before
6 months of age children learn both languages at similar rates and do not
prefer one language over the other as they build separate but equally strong
language systems in their brains for each language they hear. These separate
systems allow children to learn more than one language without becoming
confused. • At 6 months, children begin to notice differences between languages
and may begin to prefer the language they hear more.
Sequential Second Language Learners • Include children
who have become familiar with one language, but are then introduced or required
to learn a second language. • It can occur at any age.
The Four Stages of Sequential Second Language Learning
1- Home Language Use.
2-Silent Period.
3-Telegraphic & Formulaic Speech.
4-Productive Language.
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