Research-Based Facts about Young English Language

Research-Based Facts about Young
English Language Learners
Dr. Mary Abbott and Liesl
Edwards
Parent Meeting Presentation
Friday September 12, 2008
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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.
2.
3.
4.
Home Language Use
Nonverbal
Telegraphic/Formulaic Speech
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

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