Second+Language+Acquisition

====It is important to understand some of the underlying theory to help build a foundation for instructional practice when you teach English Language Learners. Below you will find discussions of some important theoretical concepts, some with links to graphics to help you visualize these concepts.====

When you have completed the quiz, click [[file:QuizAnswersSecondLanguageAcquisition.pdf]] to see how you scored!
====**A) Basic Theories Culture Shock** is common for ELLs. It is a series of feelings the second language learner experiences upon entrance into a new and foreign culture. Students experiencing culture shock may feel loneliness, homesickness, sadness, frustration, and even illness. Most students experience four stages of culture shock:====

**BICS** (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and **CALP** (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) describe the two types of language proficiency that students develop.
====**BICS** describes the social and conversational language that students first learn to communicate orally in their second language. It takes two to three years for students to understand the "context embedded" social language of the classroom, playground, lunchroom, etc.====

* Asking for clarification or repetition of phrases, statements, and questions.
====**CALP** is the "context-reduced" language of the academic classroom. Academic language takes English Language Learners up to seven or more years to become proficient. The reason that academic language is so difficult for the ELL to master is that:====

**CUP** **(Common Underlying Proficiency) and Iceberg Model**
====Researchers [Cummins (1980, 1984) and Baker (1993)] theorize that although first and second language are visibly different on the surface, both languages operate through the same central processing system in the student's brain. Regardless of the language the person is using, the thinking behind language production comes from the same cognitive functioning ability. Speaking, listening, reading and writing in the first language help students develop the same skills in the second language. Concepts learned in one language are therefore transferable to the second language. Researchers believe that educators can help students learn more efficiently if they tap into students' prior academic knowledge, concepts, vocabulary, word cognates and grammatical structures from first language to help build second language.==== ====Cummins has represented this theory through two visual representations, The Iceberg Model and the CUP Model. In the Iceberg Model, the two icebergs are separated at the top, representing the different surface features of both languages. Under the water, the icebergs are actually one large iceberg, symbolizing the central processing system that exists in bilingualism.==== ====Student Support Schema's four quadrants provide a means of describing the linguistic and cognitive demands experienced by English Language Learners. In the upper quadrants "A" and "B" students have cognitively undemanding tasks [BICS]. In "A," the "context embedded" tasks are less demanding than in "B," "context reduced" tasks. In "C" and "D" students have the cognitively demanding tasks [CALP]. But "C" is less demanding than "D." Why? Cummins proposes that in order for teachers to teach content in a comprehensible way, they must create cognitively demanding tasks that are context embedded. In other words, content learning tasks and materials that have "embedded" information, such as visuals, graphics, manipulatives, modified language and modeled learning strategies to facilitate learning.====

**//Stage I: Preproduction//**
====Definition: Students at this stage tend to be non-verbal. Most of what is spoken in English is completely incomprehensible. Students will exhibit some level of frustration, anxiety, and withdrawal, characterized as “culture shock.” Students will focus intensively on listening and viewing what is happening in the classroom. They will copy from the board and repeat what they hear with little or no comprehension at first. Please note: Students may exhibit inattentiveness at times. However, it should be noted that the language overload of second language learning can be exhausting. Suggestions for the classroom are:====

**//Stage II: Early Production//**
====Definition: Students will begin to repeat language commonly used in social conversation and will be able to use routine expressions. They will make statements and ask questions with isolated words or simple phrases. They will decode according to the phonetic rules of first language. Students can identify people, places, and objects and can participate in class activities by relating information to this type of information. Students may continue to exhibit inattentiveness at times, but not to the frequency and intensity noted for students at Stage One. Suggestions for the classroom are:====

S**//tage III: Speech Emergence//**
====Definition: Students will exhibit increased proficiency in decoding and comprehending second language words and text. Students will begin, with or without phonics instruction, to decode according to second language rules and from expanded experiences with oral interactions and text. Students will demonstrate an increased understanding of conversations, dialogues, simple stories containing a few details and factual or simple procedural information from content area texts. Teachers will note that written expression will include an expanding vocabulary and the emergence of a writing style. Students can edit writing with guidance [e.g. checklists, peer editors, teacher assistance] and will be able to self-evaluate writing. Suggestions for the classroom are:====

* Expanded use of predictable books containing more text, with primary-age ELLs.
====* Use of content area picture books, with expanded text [fiction and non-fiction] to support learning of content [e.g. science and social studies, such as Adler, David A. A picture book of Sacagawea; illustrated by Dan Brown. New York: Holiday House, 2000. ISBN 082341485X. A biography of the Shoshone woman who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition. See “Resources” for a short list of other suggested content area picture books.====

**//Stage IV: Intermediate Fluency//**
====Definition: There is a marked increase in listening, speaking, reading, and writing comprehension and accuracy of response. Students will demonstrate an increased use of strategies for word attack and comprehension of content reading materials. In addition, the student can read and understand a wider variety of genres in literature. He/she can summarize, make simple inferences, and can use language to express and defend opinions. First language background knowledge and strategies become a resource for the student. Overall, the student, at this stage, can perform well in the classroom, but teachers will need to provide structure, strategies, and guidance. Suggestions for the classroom are:====

* Model appropriate language for expressing abstract concepts from content learning by providing students with response “stems.”
====o Example One: For students studying Colonial America and the events that led up to the Revolution, teachers want to help students learn to make inferences and reflect on different points of view about historical events and be able to discuss the underlying causes of events, a teacher might ask one or more of the following structured question types, with a provided “stem” for student response:====

# Place a choice of response words appropriate for the ELLs current level of comprehension, such as: show, prove, demonstrate, illustrate, confirm, uphold, etc.
====o Example Two: For students studying light, light waves, reflection, refraction, and telescopes, teachers would want students to be able to compare the differences between how each telescope works and the purposes for which they are used. A teacher might ask one or more of the following structured question types, with a provided “stem” for student response:====

**//Stage V: Advanced Fluency//**
====Definition: At this stage of development, the student performs “almost” like a native speaker. He/she can produce language that is highly accurate, incorporating more complex vocabulary and grammatical structure in his/her communicative discourse. The student’s reading interests broaden and he/she can read independently for information and/or pleasure. His/her writing skills are at a near native English level. The student continues to use his/her native language as a source to enhance comprehension of English. Although most English Language Learners are exited at this level of performance, students may still need a “lifeline” for clarification of new concepts and/or vocabulary. Suggestions for the classroom are:====