TEFL Ankang

First language acquisition is a fascinating phenomenon. At an immature age children learn the sounds and structure of a complex language. children have usually grasped the basic structure of their native language by around five years. In the first year of life children’s babbling reflects the sound and intonation patterns of their native language (Hill, 2006, p. 24). Before they begin to produce words they start to comprehend. In their 2nd year children develop telegraphic speech, such as, in english, “get milk” and “eat apple” (Hill, 2006, p. 25). By eighteen months they can pronounce most phonemes of their native tongue. Between two and three years children produce three-word sentences. Between three and four years children develop a large vocabulary and some of the more complex sentences structures, such as plurals and regular verbs (Hill, 2006, p. 26). By age five children may have a vocabulary between 2500 and 5000 words (Hill, 2006, p. P. 27). The development of native language is dependent on a number of factors, including nature and nurture. This is talking about the individual child’s brain development, as well as how the children’s development is nurtured. Cultural norms effect how the child’s language development is nurtured. children in bilingual communities also learn at a different rate. The above gives a general idea of the extraordinary development of oral language in youngsters. Exposure to a second language in early years is most advantageous for great brain development in areas related to language. Early exposure is particularly helpful if the second language is very different from the first (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010, p. 343). If the second language is learnt later in life what tactics should be used to optimise second language acquisition? Because the methods used to develop a first language are so successful, the same learning environment should be applied to learning a second language. Cambourne (1998) suggests the two teaching strategies used to teach oral language is immersion and demonstration. These two strategies are only successful if the learners are engaged, so Cambourne presents five methods for engaging students, namely expectation, responsibility, use, appropriation and response. The teaching strategy immersion involves students being in close proximity to proficient users. Demonstrations are either artefacts or actions which people can learn from (Cambourne, 1998, p. 47). These are successful when the demonstrator is a significant person to the learner. Students make their own interpretations and only take parts of demonstrations. This means that demonstrations should be holistic in nature. When students are provided with a range of demonstrations they continually build upon their repertoire of language knowledge. Demonstration and immersion, as teaching strategies, are dependent on students being engaged. There are four factors that influence students’ engagement. Students are engaged when they believe that they have the potential to be successful in the learning activity, when the learning has a purpose relevant to their lives, when the risk is not too high, and when they have a bond with the demonstrator (Cambourne, 1998, p. 53). teachers need to set up conditions that lead to these four factors being met. teachers need to display confidence in their students’ ability to be successful (Camoburne, 1998, p. 57). They need to value the learning, viewing and presenting it as useful and worthwhile (Camoburne, 1998, p. 58). For these expectations to be valid teachers need to develop relationships with the students (Cambourne, 1998, p. 60). Students also need to become responsible for their learning by being allowed to make decisions. teachers should include all language functions in demonstrations because this gives students responsibility to make decisions about what they will learn from (Cambourne, 1998, p. 63). As well as expectations and responsibility given to the students, they also need to be given opportunity to use the language, in order to play around with their hypothesis (Cambourne, 1998, p. 70). This practising phase is a time for students to use the language and receive feedback (Cambourne, 1998, p. 71). Students need to be given freedom to try out their ideas. Students will only feel free to have a go if they free safe. teachers need to applaud students’ effort even if they’re not perfect. Students should be free to approximate (Cambourne, 1998, p. 69). Students’ feeling of safety to approximate will depend on teachers’ responses. teachers should respond by accepting student’s attempts, celebrating students’ efforts, evaluating and finally demonstrating the correct method (Cambourne, 1998, p. 76). References: Cambourne, B. (1998). The whole story: Natural learning and acquisition of literacy in the classroom. Auckland, NZ: Ashton Scholastic. Hill, S. (2006). Developing early literacy assessment and teaching. Prahran, Vic: Eleanor Curtain. McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education. New Jersey: Person Education.