The Process of English Language Learning - Case Study Example

A Case Study of a Language Learner Introduction Language is very important in the life of every individual as it gives one a sense of belonging. It is cultural but at some point it may prove to be a slight problem. This is likely to occur when there is intercultural interaction hence, leading to miscommunication. English being one of the languages mainly used at an international level is quite an important factor. Individuals from different are encouraged to learn the language so as to improve communication during an intercultural encounter. However, learning English has proven to be quite difficult for some individuals and this is a problem that has been reflected on before. Therefore, this paper is going to highlight on the process of learning English and some of the main difficulties faced by most individuals. Interview between Mohammed and Student Looking specifically at the interview conducted between Mohammed an adult who has found a home in Australia, the concept of English language is easily identified. Mohammed has been residing in Australia for a period of two years and although he can communicate in English, his dialect is not clear. Listening to his speech one can easily tell that he is not comfortable speaking the language and he is still struggling with it. This may be attributed to the fact that in his home country Palestine, he was used to speaking the Arabic language. This factor has made his speech have an accent and slow down his speech. Mohammed’s approach to dialect is quite different when compared to that of an individual who is fluent in English. His original language is Arabic has affected his pronunciation of words. He tends to emphasise on specific syllables such as adding ‘h’ to the letter t an example of this would be while he is pronouncing the word ‘talking’ so that it sounds like ‘thokin.’ His grammar is also affected deeply by his original language. This is also connected to the fact that he might try to translate words exactly as they appear in Arabic to English. This is quite common among many individual learning the English language. Quoting directly from Mohammed’s interviews he says “it was new things for me” this might appear to be quite ambiguous but to Mohamed it makes sense. His speech appears to be quite slow as well an indication that he is not yet comfortable with speaking the language yet. This is quite understandable among individuals who are in the process of learning English. Not only is his speech slow but he tends to repeat the words so as to improve his understanding. All these are factors that are quite common in individuals who are in the midst of learning a different language other than the one they are used to. Concept of First and Second Language The concept of the first language is usually present in everybody’s life as it stays with them for quite a long time. This factor becomes quite noticeable in the event that an individual may opt to learn a different language (Morgan, 2010, 16). However, the concept of the first and second language is usually quite controversial especially on individuals who grew up in different places. For the case of Mohammed, he grew up in Palestine despite the fact that he was born in Lebanon, thus, the concept of first and second language is not controversial. Hence, Arabic is his first language and this has greatly affected his English. He is quite determined to learn the language as he shows interest in it and this might be attributed to the fact that his father was an English teacher. Other that arouse interest him it did not help his speech since at home, they still spoke Arabic. Thus, his pronunciation of English words is affected by his Arabic dialect preventing him from pronouncing words correctly. Maturity of an Individual According to Brown (2007, pp.6), the maturity of an individual is quite important when it comes to language as it will determine their learning speed and capability as well. This concept is mainly applied when an individual is willing to learn a second language. Age comes into focus in that if a child is willing to learn a second language or is at a position where he is forced to adapt to a new language (Anon. , 2007). The child will be able to learn the language much faster since the effect of the first language is till light on him thus, learning a second language will be quite easy for him. Despite the fact that he might have been accustomed to the first language learning a different language at an early age is likely to have a bigger impact than when the child is older (Quinn & McNamara, 1988, pp.4). Children are at an advantage as they might learn their second language at school or at playgrounds. Their chances of interaction with other children who speak different languages are high, thus; the learning of a second language is likely to be quite a challenge. Given an adult who is willing to learn a second language, the process might be quite difficult for him since he has been accustomed to the first language for quite a long time (Genesse, 1987, pp.19). Starting to learn a new language as an adult may be rather challenging or difficult though not impossible (Larsen- Freeman & Long, 1991). Mohammed is in such a position where he is struggling to learn his second language as an adult. He claims that the process is rather difficult for him and he is faced with various challenges. The fact that he has grown up as an adult accustomed to one language makes the situation rather strenuous for him although he is enjoying the learning process. It is however evident that the effect of his first language on his learning process is big and this is making him take more time to learn the language. Whereas for children it is part of the learning process in life, they are at a learning stage and the new language comes naturally to them (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, pp.18). The two learning concept of children and adults is mainly related to the theory; the way children learn their first language is the same way the adults learn their second language. This is a good theory as the first steps in learning a new language may relate in many areas however there are several arguments related to this theory. Looking at children and adults, their cognitive abilities are quite different thus separating the learning standards of both groups (Ellis, 1994, pp.20). This does not support the theory although there are other factors that reflect on the theory. Learning Attitude The attitude that one exhibits during the learning process is an important aspect. This will determine how fast an individual learns a second language and the progress they will make with it. Learning in all fields requires one to be determined in achieving positive results. This is an important aspect but it entirely depends on the new learner, if they are not determined to achieve good results then it might be hopeless for them (Lassen & Smalley, 1972). In the case of Mohammed he had been inspired at an early age through his father’s teachings. Although, he did not quite pay attention to the teachings during that time they made get interested in learning the language. The fact that he relocated to Australia made him more interested in the language and since it was compulsory fro him to learn the language he developed a positive attitude. During the interview Mohammed is heard saying that learning English has been fun. This clearly indicates that he is enjoying the process of learning English and it has proven to be quite advantageous. Language Environment Learning requires an environment that instills positive attitude to the individuals as it stimulates a good learning spirit. This is a theory that is true and has been proven in several occasions on other learning environments as well (Kachru, 1992). Since adapting to a second language is a learning process, then the environment should be carefully maintained. If an individual is learning the language of the country that they are currently residing in, then the environment is likely to be positive as well. This is the same case for Mohammed since during his interview, he mentions that he has been living in Australia for the past twp years. Thus, the surrounding environment is a positive one for him. He works at a grocery store; this keeps him at an advantage as he is in constant contact with people. This automatically means communication is an important part of his daily activity and this interaction is likely to improve his knowledge of the English language. This is an important part of the learning process for Mohammed as he has been able to note some of the differences in the way he pronounces words and the way the locals pronounce words. He expresses this when he says that most of the people speak differently in that they do not pronounce all the syllables like in the word “five” most Australians tend to pronounce it in manner that sounds like “fy.” This makes the language seem quite difficult for individuals such as Mohammed. This however is a concept of accent and location but not of the English language. Different countries utter English words differently and this might confuse individuals who are interested in learning the language. With time Mohammed might be able to adopt the Australian accent due tot eh environment but learning the language is the main aspect. Acquired Language In the case of second language another theory usually applied is that the language that an individual acquires is the only one that can be used to produce a spontaneous speech. Here, the concept of accent and utterances is highly reflected by this theory. This theory has been proven top be quite true because when an individual is being taught the grammar part of language they have to learn about the utterance process as well. When an individual is being taught on grammar, they do not learn how to utter the words at the same time but later on (Odlin, 1982, pp. 5). However, during the learning process, the individual is likely to engage with people speaking the second language fluently. This is how the individual is likely to learn about the language more. Therefore, how they hear other people uttering the words is the same way they will learn how to speak the language. Hence, knowledge on the second language is mainly based on the acquisition concept. The same case applies for Mohammed who according to the interview prefers interacting with people rather than attend the classes. He claims the classes were helpful but he prefers interacting with people as he is likely to learn more with the utterances and the tenses as well. This can also be attributed to the fact that interaction is a strong foothold for language development. Interaction mainly revolves around the perspective of communication. When people interact they will be forced to talk to one another as a communication process (Romain, 1989). For an individual who is learning the second language this is very helpful as he gets to understand the language more in terms of grammar use and pronunciation of words as well (Swan & Smith, 1987). The same concept is reflected in children as they need to be in constant interaction while learning the first language. They tend to mimic what somebody is telling them and this is a learning process for them. Concept of Linguistic Transfer This theory is actually a fact that has been observed with time when it comes to the process of learning a second language. Linguistic transfer mainly refers to the effect that the first language has on the second language (Grosjean, 1982). This is a quite common concept and it mainly applies to individuals who have been using the first language for a long time. In the case of Mohammed, he has been using the Arabic language for the better part of his life and he did not feel the need to learn a second language until recently. Therefore, pronunciations are heavily clouded with the Arabic accent. This is evident in the fact that he tends to utter words such as ‘lot’ as ‘loth.’ His grammar is affected as well and this may be attributed to his Arabic language, which he has gotten accustomed to. Future Language Development for the Learner According to Williams (1988, pp.14), language development is a process but given the correct conditions one can easily be able to learn without a lot of difficulty. The main way to approach the situation is by looking at the problems being faced by the learner. If the problems are addressed, then the leaner can continue with the learning process at ease. According to Mohammed, his main problem lies in the utterances of the words in English. As much as he had attended classes to help on his second language, Mohammed feels that the people in his surrounding environment pronounce words in a manner that is quite hard to understand. Mohammed however is trying to make the situation more adaptable for him as he is interacting more with the local people. He claims this has been rather helpful for him as constant communication is improving his pronunciation. The future of the learner is quite positive as he is a determined learner. He is enjoying the learning process and he claims that it is very interesting despite the fact that it is taking him quite a long time to master the second language. His background gives him the motivation he needs. Although, his family is accustomed to the Arabic language, his father was quite influential and tried to make the learner understand the language. He says the main way to understand the concept of the language quickly is by interacting with the people from outside. If he stays with his family only it is not helping as they speak mainly Arabic. Hence, he is improving his situation by interacting with people from country whoa re fluent with the language. Determination and a positive attitude are likely to be very helpful for a learner. The fact that there are audio tapes or even recorded lessons is very important as the learner can use them at any time. Conclusion In general, the learning of a second language is not an easy process for most individuals. This may seem like time consuming but the results achieved tend to be rather helpful. The main factors that a learner needs to observe are to have the determination of learning and this can be achieved through bearing a positive attitude throughout the process and engaging in interactive activities. Therefore, the learning of the second language is usually explained through different theories but one’s will to learn is what is most important Bibliographies List Brown, D.H., 2007 (fifth edition), Principles of language learning and teaching, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey. Ellis, R. , 1994. The study of second language acquisition. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Genesee, F. ,1987. 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[Online] Updated July 27, 2007) Available at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152034.htm [Accessed 1 November 2010] Swan, M. & Smith, B.,1987. Learner English. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Williams, R., 1988. Keywords. Fontana Press, London. Read More