Second Language Acquisition - Literature review Example

SECOND LAGUAGE ACQUISITION: LEARNER’S REFLECTION Name Institution Course Date Introduction Learners and teachers are greatly affected by their beliefs in learning and teaching second language, which are strongly related to their morals, to their views of the humanity as well as to their perceptive of their position within it. Beliefs play a significant function in several facets of learning and coaching, and in life. They are concerned in assisting people make sense of the humankind, affecting the manner in which new-fangled information is comprehended, and whether it is received or discarded. Beliefs affect reminiscences with their assessment and opinion, in addition to framing our conception of proceedings. Social constructionists have discovered that instructor’s and learner’s beliefs are far more significant than information in influencing how persons systematize and define responsibilities and problems, and are superior forecasters of how instructors and students perform in classroom (Horwitz, 1985). They have a propensity of being ethnically bound, and they are shaped early in life and are highly opposed to alteration. They are strongly linked to what we think, what we are familiar with, but offer an effectual sift which examines, redefines, disfigures, or perhaps restructures consequent thoughts as well as processing of information. It is not very clear where these beliefs come from – are they an outcome of learners’ upbringing, a manifestation of their life incidents, or do they emanate from mingling processes in schools? (Kennedy 1997). However, learners and teachers do have resilient beliefs concerning the responsibilities that schooling can play; concerning justifications for different educational performances from one individual to another, about what is right or wrong in classroom and so on. Kennedy emphasizes that these viewpoints are used to assess the novel thoughts concerning training that educators and students encounter in their classrooms. Teacher education programs are often not successful in assisting pre-service teachers to develop modern approaches to pedagogy since these programs do not consider their beliefs. Deng (2004) asserts that pre-service trainers’ beliefs require to be transformed for pre-service educators to coach in contemporary techniques. Nevertheless, it is not an easy task to transform beliefs. It has been suggested that a socio-constructivist view of learning where teacher educators arbitrate between hypothesis and practice through reflection will help learners restructure or rebuild new beliefs, (Williams 1999). Thus, identifying learners/pre-service trainers’ viewpoint and compelling these future teachers to be conscious of their own viewpoint is vital for teacher education programs. This report is concerned with identifying learners’ viewpoint concerning coaching and learning, in addition to understanding whether these beliefs changed in the course of learning and how they can influence their roles as future teachers. This report is a reflection of how my viewpoints in relation to second language learning and teaching have changed. It also highlights reasons why these beliefs might have changed. My beliefs about second language learning and teaching in the course of semester Several researches have been done concerning second language acquisition with an effort to establish the issues that may affect the process of learning a language. These factors have been given different names like expectations, attitudes, experiences, learning strategies and many more. Researchers have also sought extensively from various perspectives what could be the reason behind diverse methodologies of students to a particular undertaking. The best answer to this question could be found in student’s opinion or beliefs: “beliefs about the nature of language, about the language-learning task, about likely outcomes, about learners’ personal language learning strengths and limitations” (Sakui &Gaies, 1999, p. 474). Viewpoints are value-related and have a propensity of being held more persistently. Teachers normally encounter these students’ viewpoints in the classroom. For instance, learner’s opposition to a particular method could be caused by the learner’s perception of his tasks as well as those of the teacher. There are different ways of classifying beliefs. In one kind of categorization, Tanaka and Ellis (2003) recognized two wide-ranging scopes of student viewpoints: (a) beliefs concerning person as a language learner (such as self-efficacy, propensity, motivation and confidence) and (b) beliefs concerning tactics to language learning. The second could be further categorized into beliefs concerning analytic and experiential learning. Earlier research has argued that student viewpoints differ according to several aspects like cultural (or racial) surroundings, age, period of learning, and learning environment as well as target language (Tanaka & Ellis, 2003). I belief and agree that it is mainly through imitation that languages are learned. When one imitates what others or teachers are saying, one tends to understand the meaning of the language. You learn from them how to pronounce words and form sentences using the second language. For instance, if English is your second language, as a learner, you can understand the language by using it while communicating to your teachers or colleagues, irrespective of whether you are fluent or not. As you continue using it, you become conversant with the language ad your grammatical errors are minimal. I also disagree with the notion that the main significant forecaster of achievement in second language attainment is motivation. All it takes to learn a second language is not motivation but imitation and continued use of the language. I strongly feel that students have a better chance of excelling in the second language if it is introduced in school curriculum early. We all know that practice makes perfect and the reason children are able to acquire the first language and use it well in school is because that language was introduced to them right when they were infants. So the longer the time spent in learning a second language the better the results in terms of performance and eloquence. I strongly feel that nearly all of the errors made by second language students mainly result from intrusion of their first language. It has been suggested that knowledge of other languages may make a learner to have wrong guesses concerning how the second language works, and this may lead to second language learners making mistakes that first language learners would not make. As it has been suggested by DeKeyser (1991, 2001), language learning begins with declarative knowledge (knowledge that) and it is through practice that this knowledge is turned to procedural knowledge (knowledge how). Segalowitz, & Freed, (2004) suggest that learners have to first concentrate on any aspect of the language that they are trying to comprehend and produce. They have to use all the cognitive resources to process information and understand the main words in a message. As this is done, the information that was at first difficult gradually becomes easier to process and the learners are able to access it faster and even automatically. However, research has shown that the first language play a role in understanding the second language and thus it can only be done through practice and experience, such as informal communication with friends and fellow students. Through such exposures, the learners gradually build up their knowledge of language. I belief that teachers ought to “present grammatical rules one at time and give the learners some time to practice some examples of each one before proceeding on to another. This can be supported by the Stephen Krashen’s (1982) Monitor model, which is described through five hypotheses. This model suggests that second language is acquired in bits, starting from the easiest to the hardest. Learners must first be exposed to simple samples of language. The learned system then acts as an editor or monitor making slight alterations and polishing what the acquired system has formed. Second language is acquired through predictable sequences of acquiring a bit of information and doing practice on it before acquiring another bit. I strongly belief that learners’ errors ought to be rectified once as soon as are made so as to avoid the creation of bad habits. When one is corrected immediately after a grammatical or pronunciation error, the learner is able to register the correct words in his/her mind in a way that the mistake is highly unlikely to be repeated. I do not agree with the idea that teachers are supposed to “use materials that expose students only to language structures they have already been taught” (from questionnaire). I think that it is by being exposed to thousands of examples of language linked with specific meanings that learners come to comprehend how to make use of cues with which a language indicates particular functions. According to me, it is not right to say that when learners interact freely with others in forums like group discussion and assignments, they tend to ‘copy each other’s errors’. People like Gass (1997) have argued that conversational interaction is an indispensable condition for second language acquisition. These forums provide an opportunity for learners to interact with other speakers and while working together, they reach a mutual understanding. I belief that learners do not always learn what they are taught, but rather personal variations that are inborn in the student can foretell achievement or failure in language learning. For instance, learners with an outgoing personality and interact without inhibition in the second language and seek opportunities to practice language skills are usually more successful in learning. Introverts on the other hand may find it difficult even to comprehend what is taught in class (Wenden, 1998). How my beliefs have changed and why in the course of semester To be able to reflect on how my beliefs have changed, I undertook a practical study of my semester second language program, investigating changes in my viewpoints concerning language learning and measured these changes by means of filling questionnaires, one at the commencement of the semester and one at the ending of the semester. The results demonstrated considerable changes in my beliefs in regard to analytic language learning, experiential language learning as well as self-efficacy or confidence all along the study period. By the time the semester was coming to an end, some of my beliefs concerning second language acquisition had changed. Various factors, such as the materials used in teaching, the classroom setup, among others influenced these changes. By comparing the questionnaires that I filled, one at the beginning and one at the end of semester, I found out that 40% of my beliefs changed while 60% remained the same. I strongly feel that the changes were influenced by the learning preparation received in the program together with the teaching practice that we did in classroom. Earlier on I believed that language is learnt through imitation. However, I now feel that language is learned through practice by engaging in conversations using the new language. Imitating what other people are saying may be of little help since you cannot make new sentences outside what they are saying. As Breen (eds.) (2001), suggests, experiences of language, communication, culture as well as personal beliefs are significant for second language acquisition. He further asserts that learning is a process of forming new knowledge and understandings through the transformation of experience. Johnson (2004) suggests that second language acquisition requires an educational orientation like experiential learning, which aspires at integrating theoretical and practical elements of learning for a whole personal approach, showing the importance of experience for learning. An American teacher educator Diane Holt-Reynolds (1995) from Michigan State University did a long-term observation and concluded that learning occurs inside learner’s head due to their active efforts to ‘make meaning’ but not by ‘getting meaning’ through direct transmission. Furthermore, how a second language is acquired by an adult is not the same way as he/she acquired the first language in childhood. Imitation is best for children who are leaning their first language. This change was mainly attributed by the methodologies that were used in learning the second language. Courses taught in the program also had an impact on my beliefs. In relation to imitation, Haritos (2004) argues that learning can only take place when it is done in the right context. According to Borg (2003, p. 99), context entails “the social, psychological and environmental realities of the school and classroom, that is parents, the school society, curriculum mandates, school policies, availability of resources and government documentation”. Fullan (2000) adds that it is only when there is a bond between all these contextual forces that learning takes place. My belief that “teachers should not just use materials that expose students only to language structures they have already been taught and that students learn what they are taught” has been intensified. I now strongly disagree with this statement. This is supported by the emphasis of Breen (2001b) that the teachers do not have total power over what students learn from second language courses. Researchers like Breen (2001b) have emphasized on the holistic approach to language learning. His research has shown that students are not “just cognitive beings, which implies that they don’t approach the task of language learning merely from the cognitive window” (Breen, 2001b, p. 124). He further state that, on the contrary, learners tend to be multidimensional beings; they are composed of a bulk of diverse variables which assist them to become skilled at what they are learning in the most excellent way possible. Thus, grammar instruction is not enough and it ought to be complemented with authentic communication. This strong belief have been influenced by the other means that I have used to learn the language such as having interactive discussions, watching TV, listening to radio as well as the various approaches that the teacher used to teach the course. Furthermore, Lightbown and Spada (1996, p 166) state that “although the development route of certain inter-language structures may often be independent from the order in which these structures are taught, it is still beneficial for learners to be exposed to modified speech which omits complex forms”. At the beginning of the semester, I believed that motivation is not an imperative predictor of achievement in second language acquirement. However, I now feel that motivation plays a great role in determining your success in second language learning. Ferreira (2006) asserts that there are maturational constraints on language acquisition. He further claims that beliefs concerning second language learning are directly influenced by student’s motivation, attitudes, as we’ll as learning strategies. Consequently, it has been evidenced that attaining high levels of second language proficiency involves motivation, aptitude, as well as suitable social conditions for learning. Being motivated to speak in the second language and seeking for opportunities to speak with native speakers of the language is very vital in understanding the language and building confidence, as it has been suggested by Bernat, & Gvozdenko, (2005). Furthermore, one is able to correct his mistakes easily once confidence is built. Ferreira (2006) argues that language aptitude and motivation play a great role in forming individual learner differences in second language acquisition. My belief that learners’ grammatical errors ought to be rectified immediately after they are made so as to avoid formation of bad habits has not changed. However, my teacher had a different opinion at the beginning of course. The teacher emphasized that errors ought not to be rectified straightforwardly and at once as the learners make mistakes. Furthermore Abraham and Vann (1987) state that students’ philosophy (the beliefs concerning how language operates and thus how it is learnt) guides learners approach to language learning. Thus, I was in contention with this notion since I expected my teacher to correct me as soon as I made mistakes. Abraham and Vann (1987) argue that classroom is a site for getting best possible input and not for investigating and sharing each other’s thoughts. The add that teachers ought to at all times play the role of a paradigm for the learners and rectify their mistakes immediately as they occur in both verbal communication or writing. My belief concerning the time required to learners to be successful in second language learning did not change. I still belief that being introduced to the foreign language earlier can help students to familiarize themselves with the structure of the language. I suggest that the school should introduce preparation programs for students who want to learn a second language. Introducing the courses of second language in school programs is vital for students to be able to familiarize themselves with the cultural background of that language. However, success in second language learning is influenced by factors like cultural back ground of learners, their confidence and so on. Therefore, to build confidence and overcome cultural barriers, one needs more time in the second language program. Maintaining this belief was majorly influenced by my feelings about my own ultimate success. I still strongly feel that nearly all of the errors that second language students make are as a result interference s from the first language. Allen (1996) suggests that each language has its own letter system and grammatical rules, which varies greatly from one language to another. Sometimes, one may be tempted to import grammatical rules from the first language into the second and thereby make mistakes. That is why there is need for learners to be prepared well before starting the course of second language. Moreover, it is mainly the responsibility of the students to be in command of their learning. Thus other than the teacher struggling to teach the contents of the course only, it would be better if he also promotes learner responsibility. Further more studies have shown that natural settings comprising of informal learning through out-of-class making contact with second language learners leads to high level of expertise than educational settings where instructions are offered (Allen, 1996). This is mainly contributed by the first language, for instance, if your first language is English, it would be difficult to learn Japanese as a second language due to variation in language structures and letters. It is unrealistic to try to achieve native-like mastery for the second language and it is also not a must-achieve goal for second language learners in many educational contexts. For adult learners, their goal in most cases is only to attain basic communicative ability in an education system. The other beliefs did not change significantly to a level that they can be noticed. Nevertheless, I have come realized that learners’ beliefs are dynamic and can be influenced by their environment as well as the learning experiences one goes through. I have also noticed that the process of exploring my beliefs about second language acquisition have led to the development of more effective language learning behaviors as well as to self-knowledge and autonomy. Conclusion The aim of this reflective report was to find out my beliefs concerning second language teaching and learning. It also focused on whether those current beliefs were influenced by the courses taught and the experience gained throughout the time spent in the courses. This reflective report has taught me about beliefs that I hold and how they can affect my achievement in second language learning. Beliefs can be termed as the assumptions that learners hold about themselves, and factors that influence the learning task itself along with the nature of language learning and teaching in general. In order to be successful, I strong agree with Dogancay-Aktuna (2005, p. 99) notion that “teachers need to consider to what extent the underlining principles of their chosen methodology will correspond with the set of assumptions that learners bring to the classroom”. Understanding and getting to know the beliefs and expectations that learners bring into the classroom helps in avoiding misunderstandings. The process learning and teaching a language confirms that teachers and learners have beliefs that may influence constructively or destructively their teaching practice and their learning strategies which, in turn, influence both their teaching performance and learning achievements as a whole. Having said so, discussing about teacher and learner beliefs is discussing about pedagogical beliefs, classroom teaching practices, as well as learner understandings of the language learning processes, their viewpoints of their responsibility, in addition to aspects that impact the language learning and the nature of the language teaching and learning processes (Baiyinna, 2011). It is also important for teachers to note that learners have personality and cultural aspects that influence their learning process as whole. 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