Second language acquisition

Second Language Acquisition
Education 286


Today: Introduction
• What is the nature of the interdisciplinary field of research
(linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology) that
comprise second language acquisition?
• What areas of education policy and practice find value in
knowledge about second language acquisition?
• What is the difference between second language
acquisition and foreign language learning?
• How has research addressed the relationship between
language and cognition?


Federal and state policy framework.
• How do federal laws and policies address the needs of
English language learners (ELLs)?
• How do the laws and policies reflect the distinction
between language acquisition and cognitive development
for English language learners?
• What is the accountability framework with respect to the
academic development of ELLs?
• What implications do the Common Core State Standards
have on standards, instruction, and expectations for ELLs
with respect to their acquisition of English?


Linguistic Theory
• How has linguistic theory treated differences

between languages?
• What implications does the theoretical stance
have on our understanding of second
language learners?
• Does the first language matter in the
acquisition of the second language?


Language Acquisition Theory
• Task-specificity debate.
• Nature-nurture interaction.
• What gets set by L1 acquisition?
• Role of social context.


Second Language Acquisition
• Similarities and differences with native language
acquisition.
• Contrastive analysis / role of L1
• What expectations should we have about the rate of
second language acquisition?
• What factors might condition the rate of acquisition?
• Is there a critical period for second language
acquisition?


Instruction
• Is explicit direct instruction of language forms
and functions effective?
• Is language different in any way from other

domains of cognition such as reading and
math?
• How is the English language development
(ELD) curriculum shaped by theories of
linguistics and language acquisition?


Standards, Assessment and Accountability
• What is the relationship between the state
standards in English language proficiency and
the ELD curriculum?
• What are the prospects for the influence of
the Common Core Standards in re-shaping
state English language proficiency standards?
• How valid are standardized measures of
second language acquisition?


Teacher qualities for supporting second
language acquisition.
• What do teachers need to know about
language in order to be effective in teaching
English language learners?
• What kinds of expectations might be built into
state certification requirements for such
teachers?