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This blog goes further into Annamaria Pinter’s research on the language learning processes in childhood, leading us to question:
What are the external factors that influence language acquisition and to what extent can teachers lean on these to create an effective environment for the language acquisition of EAL learners?
Here I’ll examine the external factors that can support language acquisition, raising questions for how we can cultivate an “optimal environment” for language proficiency development in our own schools.
According to the research gathered by Pinter, additional factors that contribute to language acquisition are summarised below.
The importance of social experiences (Jia and Aaronson, 2003). Within Jia and Aaronson’s research group there was evidence of an age-related preference for language use over time: younger EAL children switched more quickly to using English socially and cultivated close relationships with English-speaking friends in a predominantly English-rich environment. In contrast, the older group preferred to maintain their first language by interacting with friends who share the same first language and thus limiting their access to English-speaking environments.
There is a general decline in learners’ ability to acquire second languages across the whole of the life span. This decline is not sharp but continuous and linear. Marinova-Todd (2003). This suggests that it is not age per se but the availability and access to good second language input and instruction that will produce the best outcomes for children of all ages,
The main focus for language educators, therefore, should shift from providing early instruction to more quality-oriented instruction. Factors that contribute to success are complex, including an early start in an optimal environment, consistent, rich exposure, opportunities to practise, high motivation and some explicit instruction/intervention.
Questions and considerations for whole school systems, policy and leadership:
Are students in all subjects offered “rich exposure” to English language? Are some subjects better at this than others? How could good practice in this area be shared and disseminated to improve the quality of teaching across your school? Does your school offer an “open door week” or other opportunities to share good practice between departments?
How supportive is your school environment of English language acquisition? Are words visible around school? Are keywords defined visibly or areas/items clearly labelled?
Does your language and literacy policy include a focus on “rich exposure” to high quality language? Do setting and grouping arrangements for EAL students provide them with opportunities to be consistently immersed among good models of English?
Questions for EAL teachers/coordinators to consider:
What support is currently in place to encourage friendships between EAL students and their first language English speaking peers in your class? Could learning walks be conducted across subjects to observe the social interaction of EAL students with native English speaking peers across the school day?
To what extent are you balancing the intervention offered to EAL learners between “some explicit instruction” and “consistent, rich exposure” to English? Are students getting sufficient exposure to mainstream learning in addition to withdrawing them for intervention?
What could this mean for mainstream classroom teachers?
Are keywords on display in your classroom?
How do you buddy up new EAL students in your class? Do you provide sufficient opportunity for them to listen to and practise speaking with good models of English?
To what extent do you think the EAL learners in your class are motivated to use and improve their use of English? What could you do to increase motivation and enjoyment for them further in your lessons?
Resource to support this:
Printable academic language word wall. Print, laminate and stick these key academic word bricks into a vocabulary wall for your classroom.
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