Learning a Second Language free essay sample

Acquiring a second language is a goal many adults set for themselves. Students have the ability to take foreign language courses early on in their education, but not many adults who attended school years ago had that option. The level of ease or difficulty in learning a second language is dependent on the stage of brain development and the style of learning. There are different options for learning a second language, and it can be most effective at a young age. Children who are introduced to the second language within their first year of life are much more likely to become fluent speakers of the language. By the age of ten to twelve months, the brain is already beginning to lose its ability to discriminate sounds between its native and nonnative languages (Sousa, 2006). The reality of this fact is that you would need to start teaching the child the second language as they are learning the first. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning a Second Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Learning a language early has a direct effect on the presence of an accent and the ability for the speaker to be proficient. As a child ages, the brain recognizes sounds and can distinguish those that are foreign making it more difficult to introduce the words and meanings into their thinking. Studies have shown that people who started speaking between ages of 8 and 10 have about 80 percent of the proficiency of native speakers; those who started between the ages of 11 and 15 spoke with only half the proficiency, and those who started after age 17 had only 15 percent (Sousa, 2006). This is why it can be much more difficult for an adult to become skilled at a second language. By the time a person is an adult, they have already learned the importance of grammar and the rules of their native language which can interfere with the syntax of the second language. This is an example of negative transfer, where the previously learned information negatively impacts the brain from learning new skills. Adults must focus more and have a deeper concentration on the learning than their child counterparts. The important period in which the young brain responds to certain types of input to create or consolidate neural networks is called a Window of Opportunity (Sousa, 2006). It is a crucial time when the child’s brain needs specific input in order to maintain long lasting structure. During this time, a child learns individual skills such as language. The window of opportunity for language is primarily from birth to age ten or twelve. For example, if a child doesn’t hear words by the age of 12, the person will most likely never learn a language (Sousa, 2006). Skills learned during the window of opportunity are usually developed perfectly and often affect other aspects of learning. How quickly and successfully the brain learns to read is greatly influenced by the spoken language competence the child has developed (Sousa, 2006). Many studies have shown that babies and infants who hear their parents converse regularly are more likely to speak earlier in life and develop stronger learning and language skills. They are also more likely to become more sociable and confident as they get older when there is regular conversation that takes place at home. Language is the key element that separates humans from other animals and allows us to thrive in the world. The human language is unique and keeps all of us connected. There is increasing evidence of right hemisphere involvement in early language learning but less in later learning. Both males and females use the left hemisphere for language learning, but females have a greater density of neurons in language areas than males (perhaps this is why women are considered better communicators! ) (Sousa, 2006) The left hemisphere concentrates on linguistic functions and most non-emotional aspects including writing, spelling, speaking, and verbal memory. Spoken language is so important to human development and its estimated that the human voice can pronounce all the vowel and consonant sounds that allow it to speak any of the estimated 6,500 languages that exist today (Sousa, 2006). These facts prove that learning a second or third language is not impossible as we are equipped to do it. As I discussed earlier, it is easiest for young children to take on a second language at the same time they are exposed to their native language, however, with much practice adults have the ability to become bilingual as well. Researchers have found that older starts have a faster rate of learning at the beginning stages of the learning process, particularly for the morphosyntactic acquisition (Munnoz, 2011). The morphosyntactic acquisition is knowing when to apply certain verbs in a sentence. This means that for adult learners, they are more likely to catch on to correct grammar faster than younger learners. This isn’t too surprising, since older learners are more advanced with their cognitive development. It is more likely for an adult to understand the second language while they are using it, but will not retain it like the younger learners who have spent more time practicing the language. Acquiring another language holds many benefits especially to young children who are easily influenced. Not only does it enrich cognitive development and improve listening skills, but it also makes the student a well rounded individual. In order for a student to master a second language, they must first understand the context in which the language occurs that allows them to gain knowledge and acceptance of other cultures besides their own. Learning a second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual growth and leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and improved listening skills (Redbord Sachetti, 2003). There are many options for introducing a second language to young learners at the elementary school level. One option that I find most interesting and unique to many schools is the Immersion Classroom. There are different types of immersion programs including full immersion, partial immersion, and double immersion. In a full immersion classroom, there is no English (or the native language) used at all in the early grades. In a partial immersion classroom, the programs are characterized by a school day being divided equally between English and the immersion language, and in dual immersion the student population is speakers of both languages where instruction is taught in both languages. In these types of immersion classrooms, the teaching method is using a second language as the target language used for instruction. Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages with varying amounts of each language allowing the content to be delivered at the same time. When teaching a second language, a sequence should be followed that aims to develop communication competence. One of the primary goals of learning another language is to gain competence in communication. This involves acquiring four major competencies, requiring integration of the verbal and nonverbal aspects of language as well as right and left hemisphere processing (Sousa, 2006). The competencies are grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence. Grammatical competence is described as the degree to which a student has mastered word formatting, vocabulary, punctuation, and structure. Sociolinguistic competence is when a student is able to speak using appropriate contexts both formal and information. Discourse competence combines form and thought so that the dialogue is coherent, and strategic competence shows the proper use of body language and other movements that help show meaning. The model of immersion classrooms evolved from the Direct Method of teaching additional languages. This method revolves around conversations between teachers and students opposed to focusing on grammar and translation. It is the sense that if a person is not formally taught their native language, then they should be able to learn a second language without formal teaching as well (Stein, 1999). The benefits of immersion education truly speak for themselves. Learning a second language opens up students to new cultures and teaches them to think globally. In an immersion classroom a child is not learning a second language, but rather learning two languages equally which will strengthen their understanding of their native language. Students are opened to new ways of thinking and in the long run it will help them obtain jobs and acceptance into schools for the future. Not all people agree that immersion classrooms are the way to go and there are some obstacles. Parents become concerned that a student cannot master two languages at one time, or that their child will forget their roots. There is also a possibility that these schools may not have as many extra curricular activities or may lack focus on the core curriculum. Of course, the positives of educating students to learn a second language are quite clear. Only 9% of Americans can speak a foreign language fluently, while 44% of Europeans speak more than one language. It is also important to know that English is no longer the dominant language in the business, medical, and technological worlds (Stein, 1999). Researches also debate learning a second language and the way in which people learn. Some researchers believe that learning a language is special, and an individual must have a specific talent for language learning. While others view language learning ability as similar to the learning of other skills and propose that the abilities that facilitate language learning are the same as those in any other learning task (Sparks, Humbach, Patton, 2011). This means that anyone who is a quick learner in other areas will be able to learn a second language more easily. It is also believed that students who have a strong aptitude for reading in their native language are more likely to succeed in learning a second language while those who struggle with their native language will have the same problems when learning the second. Language is one of the most innate functions of the brain, but depending on when it is first introduced and how often it is stimulated determines how perceptive an individual will become. The brain has the ability to learn many languages, and if students are able to take advantage of this facility early in life they can be fluent speakers with greater advantages. As the world becomes smaller and smaller it is essential for us to teach our students how to think globally and appreciate other cultures. Second language learners are much more likely to grow up with the desire to help other countries and share their worldly view with others. As an individual who can only speak my native language, I hope others recognize the benefits of becoming second language speakers and pass it on to the next generation.