Second Language Acquisition
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Abstract
Second language acquisition (SLA) entails the learning of a second language after a first language. Research on exactly how learners acquire a new language spans many different areas. This paper takes a keen look at the teaching of second language acquisition, together with the various methods used. The factors that influence SLA such as, age, cognitive style, aptitude, attitudes and, motivation (Snappe, 2016), will be examined. Scientists allude that these factors contribute significantly to SLA to learners in varying degrees, depending on who the learners are, their age, and how they behave towards the language. The success of SLA largely depends on students’ capabilities and the ability of the teacher to deliver in a proper, comprehensive, and cohesive manner with a clear set of goals to be achieved.
Language acquisition
The acquisition of language is the process in which an individual acquires the capacity to perceive and understand a particular style and the ability to produce words and sentences to communicate. These involve laid down structures and rules which need to be followed. The ability to use languages effectively requires one to acquire a set of skills which include, semantics, morphology, and phonology. For a teacher to teach SLA effectively, they must be fluent and eloquent in the language in question (Lorng, 2017) t. They should demonstrate a good mastery of both written and spoken versions of the word. A good teacher-learner relationship needs to be in place to enhance the success of SLA (Weinne, 2015).
SLA takes place in five distinct stages, which include Preproduction, Early Production, Speech emergence, Intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency (Slabakovi, 2019). Each of these stages is unique, and the rate at which a student moves from one ostage to another is determined by their age gender, effects of the first language, family background, etcetera. The teacher should be alive to these factors and focus on meeting the individual needs of each learner at a time.
There are quite several techniques and methods that a teacher can employ to teach SLA effectively while ensuring that the learners are not isolated or lagging. These methods include;
First is encouraging participation through games, wherein a teacher ought to be creative and engaging to win the confidence of their students and therefore enhance learning. Learning while participating in sports and other fun activities will always have a positive impact on students
Second is teaching through engaging in activities whereby a teacher may devise some simple question and answer sessions to brainstorm the students and, in the process, motivate them to learn more.
Third is creating a safe and conducive environment for students. The teacher should encourage learners to participate in class without the fear of being wrong or making mistakes. This simple act goes a long way to boost the learners’ morale
Four is the use of technology. The teacher should go beyond the usual textbooks and embrace the use of modern technology such as smartphones to aid language teaching.
Lastly, is selecting relevant materials: The teacher should only focus on material that is relevant to the study to avoid monotony. The uses of modern communicative materials also enhance learning among students and enable the teacher to deliver concepts in a fashionable way.
Flexibility
Different students have different abilities to grab concepts in class. A teacher ought to know their students aptly to adjust their methods when need be. The teacher should demonstrate their ability and willingness to work with all learners irrespective of their capabilities. The more flexible a teacher’s approach, the higher the chances are of success in teaching SLA. This flexibility ensures that no learner gets behind their watch (Snappe, 2016).
Being in control
This concept does not point out to applying unnecessary force. Teachers should avoid knee-jerk reactions that are not dictated by either reason or rationality. A successful employment of the above methods will go a long way in imparting the requisite knowledge, accuracy, and fluency in the language.
Effective teaching is not an innate trait, and therefore requires time to master this skill. It is, therefore, imperative for a teacher to set goals that they wish to achieve in teaching second language acquisition. The world has become a global village, and levels of interaction among people of different nations and languages are at an all-time high. A teacher should always focus on producing highly competent learners who can adapt and live in diverse environments.
Communication is the critical essence of a language, and therefore a teacher should strive to produce effective communicators of the said language. Proficiency, in other words, is a vital skill, and it allows one to engage with the world more profoundly.
To create a skilled workforce, people with cognitive ability, teachers should periodically review their set goals and adjust them according to the needs of their students. They should also normalize testing the skills of their students through the administration of oral and written exams and make sound decisions based on the performance thereof.
Because of this, it is evident that SLA teaching is a complex process, and there is no single way about it. It is upon the teacher to cultivate a way that suits their students. Different teachers will have different approaches to teaching SLA, and different methodologies will yield different results.
References
Snappe, N., & Kupische T. (2016). Second language acquisition: Second language systems.
In Slabakovi, R., In Corbet, J., In Domíngueez, L., In Dundley, A., & In Wellington, A. (2019).
Explorations in second language acquisition and processing.
Weinne, Z., Motta, M. B., & McNeill, A. (2015). Working memory in second language acquisition and processing. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Lorng, M. H., & Lorng, M. H. (2017). Problems in second language acquisition.