Research-Based Facts about Young English Language

LearnersDr. Mary Abbott and Liesl

Edwards

Parent Meeting Presentation

Friday September 12, 2008

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Dr. Mary Abbott, mabbott@ku.edu

This presentation is based on the article:

Challenging Common Myths about Young English Language Learners

By Dr. Linda Espinosa University of Missouri

Foundation for Child Development - Policy Brief Advancing PK-3 #8 January 2008

All young children are capable of learning two languages

• Becoming bilingual has benefits that are life-lasting.– Thinking skills– Academic performance– Social skills– Cultural knowledge– Economic benefits

Primary Language Support

• The 0-3 years are critical for language development to learn sounds, structure, and functions of language

• Young ELL children require continued home primary language support

• Parents should continue to speak to their children at home in the primary language.

Type of instruction

• Dual language programs improve academic achievement for ELL children.

• Teachers need to adopt good methods to support home language .

• ERF has an ELL policy.

On to Kindergarten

• Hispanic Spanish-speaking children go to Kindergarten with many social strengths that result from positive parenting practices.

Parents value education

• Hispanic parents value high-quality early education

Second Language Learners

• Learning a new language does not happen immediately. It happens in stages. The speed at which the new language is learned depends on:– Prior knowledge of language and its uses

• Discovering what new language is

– Age• Cognitive abilities and challenges

– Riskier task • Personality factors

Four Stages of Learning a Language

1. Home Language Use

2. Nonverbal

3. Telegraphic/Formulaic Speech

4. Productive Language Use

Home Language Use

• Child continues to attempt to communicate in their home language– Older children tend to recognize ineffective

attempts quickly– Younger children may continue home

language use for several months

Nonverbal

• Children recognize they can not communicate in home language and stop talking– May continue attempts at communication

nonverbally– facial expressions, gestures

• This stage may also be called the observational or listening stage

Telegraphic/Formulaic Speech

• Children begin using new language in limited ways– Telegraphic speech- using one or two words

in place of a sentence– Formulaic speech- using observed phrases in

similar situations

Productive Language Use

• Children learn enough vocabulary to begin building their own sentences– Children may still be learning the structure of

the language and experimenting with sentence construction

• Productive Language use is not the same as proficient language use– Social vs Academic English

Cumulative Process

• Children do not move discretely through stages

• Continue to build on previous strategies as skills develop

Individual Differences

• Factors– Home Language skills– Motivation– Exposure- quality and quantity– Age– Personality