George Washington University

These are sources for information on SLA that students found online for the Summer 2007 session:

Navigation: Click on the title to go to the citation and annotation.

Courtney J.

1. Second Language Acquisition and Children with Visual and Hearing Impairments

Muñoz, M.L. (2000).Second Language Acquisition and Children with Visual and Hearing Impairments. SEE/HEAR 5(2).Retreived May, 23, 2007 from http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/spring00/secondlanguage.htm. This is an article in the See/Hear Newslettter which documents the author's theory re: first and second language acquisition in children w/visual and hearing impairments. The author attempts to answer the question: How does the development of language occur? The author also addresses the issue of whether or not second language acquisition can develop normally in children with impairments. Finally, the author offers some suggestions for encouraging second language learning in this children.

2. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) Research: Its Significance for Learning and Teaching Issues

Myles, F. (2000) Second Language Acquisition (SLA) Research: Its Significance for Learning and Teaching Issues. Retreived May 23, 2007. http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/goodpractice.aspx?resourceid=421.

This is another short article which attempts to address the issue of whether second language acquisition is highly systematic and highly variable. The author addresses universal grammar, cognitive models, and interactionist/sociocultural models. The focus of this paper is second language acquisition at the secondary level. The author links her research to a brief analysis of teaching implications based on her research. She also includes a glossary of terms for those readers not familiar with terms cited in her research.

3. Teacher Education for the Support of Second Language Acquisition

Teacher Education for the Support of Second Language Acquisition. Accessed May 23, 2007. http://www.tessla.org/project/. The site's homepage states, "The subject matter of "TESSLA" is teacher education in pre-school and primary education in the domain of language development. The project benefits from the expertise of researchers who have been working in this field independently throughout Europe . It brings them together in order to propose curricula for initial teacher education and in-service training based on holistic and multidisciplinary approaches. The main objective is to develop materials for teachers to understand why and how they should support bi/multilingual children http://www.tessla.org/terminology/#bilingual. Experts from different fields (pre-school education, primary education, special needs education, sociolinguistics and language theory) have come together in this project partnership http://www.tessla.org/partners/ ."

I choose this site because it's focus is primary education, with which I am not familiar, given my focus on securing certification at the secondary level. I also chose it because it presents us with a different worldview given it's European perspective and focus on promoting and supporting bi/multilingual children. The site promotes an holistic, problem-based learning model.

4. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)

1. Northwest Regional Education Library, 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2007 from

2. Jean W. LeLoup and Robert Ponterio. Center for Applied Linguistics, 2003. Second Language Acquisition and Technology: A Review of the Research. Retrieved May 28, 2007 from

3. Subject Center of Language, Linguistics and Area Studies. Retrieved May 28, 2007 from

4. University of Minnesota, Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition. Retrieved May 28, 2007 from

http://www.carla.umn.edu/strategies/

This website is from the University of Minnesota's Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA). The site includes research of learning strategies that the university has conducted. Also, it includes many resources for teachers including strategies-based instruction, which is a learner/student-centered approach to teaching that integrates strategy training with strategy practice in the foreign language classroom. There are links in the left hand column that could be useful to foreign language teachers including, tools for assessment, learning strategies and how to incorporate technology in the second language classroom.

5. Ministry of Education, New Zealand. Instructed Second Language Acquisition. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2007 from

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout=document&documentid=10599&data=l&goto=00

This website is from New Zealand's Ministry of Education. The page examines research and theory of effective pedagogy for SLA in the classroom. The research identifies general principles that can provide a guideline for designers of language curricula and for classroom teachers. The second page of the site has a useful table describing the classroom implications for the three approaches that one of the articles describe: task based, oral-situational and notional-functional approaches. There is also an interesting link in the left hand column of the home page that shows various ways that parents can get involved in their child's education.

Rebecca B (See itunes site for movie, or click here to download Quicktime movie of Powerpoint)

Celis, William III,(2007). Struggling to open doors and minds. Educating Newcomers. VUE Number 15, Spring 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2007 from http://www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/index.html

Finnegan, Edward, (2007). State of American. Do you speak American? May 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/speak.

Gold, N. (2006). Successful Bilingual Schools: Six Effective Programs in California. San Diego County Office of Education. Retrieved May 29, 2007 from http://www.bilingualeducation.org/pdfs/SDCOE06.pdf

Wilson, Reid (2000). A Summary of Stephen Krashen's "Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition“. Language Impact. Language Learning #9 & 10. Retrieved May 29, 2007 from http://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm

Walqui, Aida. Contextual Factors in Second Language Acquisition. Center for Applied Linguistics Online Digest. September 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2007 from http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0005contextual.html

John M.

I have chosen 5 different websites related to Second Language Acquisition:

1. http://www.feralchildren.com/en/index.php
2. http://www.carla.umn.edu/
3. http://www.timothyjpmason.com/WebPages/LangTeach/Licence/CM/OldLectures/L8_Interlanguage.htm
4. http://aphasia.org/
5. http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/goodpractice.aspx?resourceid=421

FERAL CHILDREN: http://www.feralchildren.com/en/index.php

This website deals with the children who have grown up with little or no human contact and have somehow survived on their own. These are called “feral children”.  There have been documented studies of thousands of individuals over many years about feral children.   Evidence from these children on this website strongly supports the idea that there is a critical period for language development.  When children are deprived of language input in the early years of life, they lose much of their innate ability to learn a language, and especially its grammatical structures.

The most famous known example was Genie. Genie was a 13 year-old girl who was discovered in 1970.  She had lived in a state of near complete sensory and social deprivation, strapped to a potty-chair in her home in Temple City, Los Angeles, California.  Genie wasn't taught to speak, and was denied normal human interaction. Apparently, Genie was a very communicative person. But, despite trying, she never mastered the rules of grammar, never could use the little pieces — the word endings, for instance. She had a clear semantic ability but could not learn syntax.

            Scientists began to study Genie and noticed that she was particularly good, quick, and confident at those tasks that involved more of the right brain rather than the right brain, and was hesitant at  tasks that require equal coordination between the two sides of the brain.  She failed at tasks that involved more of the left brain, such as language.  One of the last tests that was done on Genie measured what parts of her brain were active as she conducted different kinds of tasks. Scientists were shocked to discover that there was almost no left brain activity.

Genie is still living in a home in Southern CA. Several books have been written about her, and a television documentary program was also made about the story of Genie.

This feral children website also debunks the popular myths and hoaxes. There were also children who were purported to have been raised by baboons, monkeys and kangaroos – all which have been scientifically proven to be false.

CARLA  - http://www.carla.umn.edu/

CARLA stands for the CENTER for The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.  They are associated with the University of Minnesota and do workshops, seminars and conferences on Language Acquisition. They also have a summer institute for foreign language teachers, and have employment opportunities for graduate assistants.

            CARLA conducts action research projects and their mission is to provide and share information about language acquisition across disciplines.   They have language resources for teachers teaching German, Spanish and French and Chinese.

One of the more interesting resources they have is information on Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL’s)   On their website you can search their database on schools in North America that teach LCTLs, either in the US or through study abroad programs.

INTERLANGUAGE and FOSSILIZATION

http://www.timothyjpmason.com/WebPages/LangTeach/Licence/CM/OldLectures/L8_Interlanguage.htm

This webpage discusses INTERLANGUAGE and FOSSILZATION

INTERLANGUAGE is where the language learner is not quite communicating in his or her own native language, but not quite in the target language either.  It is somewhere in between , hence INTERlanguage.  This is can be due to L1 interference.

Language learners will learn in stages.  They might learn a rule and then generalize it.  Eventually the learner will replace defective forms with more accurate forms. Thus at one stage in the acquisition of the negation, the learner may be producing both 'I no like it' and 'I don't like it'. Gradually she replaces the first with the second.

FOSSILZATION happens when language learners continue to make the same grammar mistakes, even after years of instruction.  No amount of error correction or grammar explaination will make a difference.  Native fluency in a second language is difficult to obtain and so many language learners ”get stuck”. 

According to the website, the most important variables contributing to FOSSILIZATION are: 

• - affective factors
• - amount of exposure - input
• - opportunities for expression
• - negative feedback - (note - not correction, but signalling incomprehension)
• - absence or presence of pressure on communicatio

APHASIA  - http://aphasia.org/

An aphasia is an impairment of the ability to comprehend or use words, usually because of some sort of brain injury.  There are two commonly sited types of Aphasias – Broca’s Aphasia and Wernicke’s Aphasia.

A person suffering from damage to WERNICKE’S Area will be able to produce speech, but have difficultly with language.  So, for example, sentence stress, intonation and rate will be present, but the output will be unintelligible.

On the other hand, a person who has damage to BROCA’S AREA knows what they want to say, but has great difficult in saying it.  Their speech is halted and they lack intonation and sentence structure.

From the website  http://aphasia.org/, you can order videotapes, books, brochures and other materials with questions and answers about aphasia.  The main mission of the organization is to educate the public on the impairment, that it has to do with the loss of ability to communicate, not related to intellect.

Aphasia is located in New York City, and their website has a list of books, newsletters, children’s books and personal accounts. But most importantly, they have online networks of individuals and support groups that you can join and find out more information about the different types of aphasia and how to deal and cope with such difficulties in communication.

SLA – TEACHING APPLICATIONS http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/goodpractice.aspx?resourceid=421

This webpage has to do with second language acquisition (SLA) research and its significance for learning and teaching issues and concludes with a mini-glossary and an extensive bibliography.

The webpage talks about the rate, the route and the outcome of acquisition, and the three categories of Language development: the Universal Grammar Model, the Cognitive Model and the Interactionist/Sociocultural Models, and their implications for teaching.

 The webpage also touches briefly on other alternative humanistic teaching methodologies such as 'suggestopaedia' (which aims to relax the student through e.g. listening to music), or 'the silent way' (making use of coloured rods to express meaning), which believe that L2 learning is facilitated if the learner's inner-self is set free from inhibitions by providing a stress-free learning environment.

 Finally, the webpage talks about the Communicative Language Teaching Approach -  this approach believes that languages are learnt through communication, and that the focus of the classroom should be on encouraging learners to engage in speaking activities which simulate 'real life' communication.  The weakness of this methodology however is the lack of a solid foundation and understanding of grammatical structures.

M.Carter H. See podcast on iTunesU or download this Quicktime Movie

Suzanne D. See iTunesU podcast or download Quicktime movie

Vanessa H.

1. Center for Adult English Language Acquisition

Moss, D., Ross-Feldman, L. (December, 2003)

Second language acquisition in Adults: From research to Practice

Retrieved June1, 2007 from http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/SLA.html

This question/answer ESL resource presents solutions how second language acquisition (SLA) research can inform adult ESL instruction. Addressing areas such as motivation in adult learners to the importance of tasked-based learning and teaching reinforces current research that shows meaningful instruction are all ways in which second language acquisition successfully takes place.

2. Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition

Styles- and Strategies-Based Instruction (SSBI)

Retrieved June 1, 2007 from http://www.carla.umn.edu/strategies/SBIinfo.html

This is a well known website the produces an array of second language acquisition research. This particular article focuses on less teacher instruction and more student directed learning. This term styles- and strategies- based instruction involves a learner-focused language teaching. This approach is devised so that students are given the opportunity to understand not only what they can learn in a language classroom, but also how they can learn the language they are studying. It follows a series of components set up in a lesson plan format. The ultimate goal of this type of instruction is to encourage students to take ownership of their learning. Students should become familiar and comfortable with these strategies in that they are to activate and use them without prompting from the language teacher.

3. Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Haynes, J. (1998-2005)

Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Retrieved June 1, 2007 from http://www.everythingesl.net.inservices/language_stages.php

This is an all-inclusive website geared for the ESL instructor. Developed by a group of teachers and authors, this site provides teachers with a variety of resources for the classroom. This particular article focuses English language learners and the stages in which they acquire the language. She states the same process in taken by all students, however length in time of acquisition varies. These stages she presents are the: pre-production, early production, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency.

4. Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition Center for Adult English Language Acquisition Stages of Second Language Acquisition Center for Applied Linguistics

LeLoup, J.W., Ponterio, R. (December 2003)

Second Language Acquisition and Technology: A Review of the Research

Retrieved June 1, 2007 from http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0311leloup.html

This online resource examined the use of technology in foreign language instruction. In researching computer-assisted language learning (CALL) the article produced some pros and cons in implementing this type of instruction. One problem with this type of instruction and its findings are the limited research in the area at the K–12 level. This is where most language instruction takes place in the United States. An advantage of the language produced while engaged in CALL is qualitatively better, more coherent, cohesive, and expressive than the language learners produce in face-to-face classroom communication. The article concluded my noting, whether useful or not, any instruction that is not meaningful in its task will not produced successful language learners.

5. TESL-EJ: Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language

Birdsong, David (Ed.) (1999)

Second Language Acquisition and the Critical Period Hypothesis 4(2)

Retrieved June 5, 5007 from http://tesl-ej.org/ej14/r14.html

This website is a good source in referencing different books that analyze and research the teaching of second or foreign language. The book written by Birdsong takes a closer look into what he calls the unresolved matter of whether or not there is a critical period for second language learning. This critical period hypothesis (CPH) questions if the nature of second language acquisition changes if the first exposure to the new language comes after a certain age. The book includes a number of papers, which consider the CPH from a variety of points of view that support and argue against this hypothesis, all which arrive at a variety of conclusions. Although lengthy in text, this book is considered a significant publication for those who need to keep up-to-date with second language acquisition.

Tricia P.

The Linguist List. Accessed May 31, 2007. http://linguistlist.org/ This website contains a large section of scholarly research material based on second language acquisition. Under the Publications field, you can select readings from books, reviews, dissertation abstracts, academic papers and more. The website is very user friendly, allowing researching to search specifically for public articles by a number of different methods; author, title, subject matter, etc. Once a text has been chosen, more detailed information about the source of the article is given such as the book, volume and issue information. Another great resource of this website is the opportunity for an open forum of discussion on SLA. There is a section called “Ask A Linguist” where chains of questions are asked and then discussed among 35 panelists as well as other readers of Linguist issues. The site is run by Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University and maintained regularly.

Education Resources Information Center. Accessed May 31, 2007. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal This website was listed on the U.S. Department of Education website under the recommended Editor’s Picks for Reports and Publications. The website is easy to navigate by entering search words into the database for results. The user can then scroll through the results, read the abstracts online, and locate the article either online or through the inter-library loan. The main drawback to this website is that while all the abstracts are free, it appears that most of the online full text articles cost a fee. Researchers would have to rely on previewing the abstract to see if the material in the article is pertinent.

Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA). Accessed May 31, 2007. http://www.carla.umn.edu/ This website has three main useful categories to select from; Research and Programs, Professional Development, and Resources. The research and programs section has articles, instructions and suggestions for assessments, and general information about a variety of topics including English as a Second Language, Culture and Language Learning, and Second Language Assessment. The professional development section provides great opportunities for summer seminars, lunchtime presentations, and conferences for teachers to attend. The website also provides language specific resource links for teachers both nationally and locally in Minnesota.

McLaughlin, B. (1992). Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning: What Every Teacher Needs to Unlearn.

Retrieved May 31, 2007, from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/ncrcdsll/index.htm

This article is one of many practice reports, research reports, and other papers written by a variety of researchers posted on the National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Language Learning website. This center is funded by the US Department of Education and its website discusses the relationship between first and second language acquisition in a variety of themes and topics. This particular article details five myths in the author’s research opinion, describes them, and then gives suggestions to teachers in order to improve teaching in the classroom.

The International Commission on Second Language Acquisition. Accessed May 31, 2007. http://www.hw.ac.uk/langWWW/icsla/ This website is simple and general in terms of its goals and definitions for SLA. The positive aspects of this website include the calendar of events and the research resources. The events for the current year are spread throughout the world. The Second Language Research Forum 2007 at the University of Illinois seems like a great resource for new SLA information and findings. As popularity grows for this website, these types of events may be advertised and become more common throughout additional United States locations also. The research resources section provides links to other useful SLA websites for teachers.

Melissa C.

www.ijflt.com

The International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching is an online-only journal with a free subscription. The journal, started by supporters of the Natural Approach and Teaching Proficiency thru Reading and Storytelling (TPRS), provides teachers with the latest research on language acquisition. The journal also has a teacher-to-teacher section that allows current teachers to express their successes and personal experiences in the classroom. The journal is published twice yearly. The most recent journal, from fall 2006, highlights research on teaching English to speakers of other languages, using reading to enhance language acquisition, and an interview with Alfie Kohn. As a follow-up to the interview, a teacher reviews the book The Homework Myth as it relates to teaching languages.

www.sdkrashen.com

Dr. Krashen researches second language acquisition with a particular emphasis on the importance of reading in the language classroom. Teachers who want to find support for purchasing a classroom library will find the articles “88 Generalizations about Free Voluntary Reading” and “Comic Book Reading, Reading Enjoyment, and Pleasure Reading Among Middle Class and Chapter I Middle School Students” (2006) helpful in making a case for reading as an important tool for increasing acquisition in the second language classroom. Bilingual education teachers will find extensive support from Dr. Krashen’s studies linked from the tab on his website. Dr. Krashen’s website provides free access to his recent publications.

http://www.shakespeare.uk.net/journal/jllearn_home.htm

The Journal of Language and Learning, part of a bigger organization called the JLL Project, is a free, online-only journal. The articles in the March 2006 issue covered a wide range of topics, including listening comprehension, reading, and student motivation. The research subjects for the journal included elementary-aged to college-aged students from all over the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, and Japan. Teachers interested in including more technology in their classroom may find the article “Application of Blogging for Learner Development” (Kavaliauskiene, Anusiene, & Mazeikiene, 2006) from the December 2006 issue particularly interesting.

http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/mlj/

The Modern Language Journal provided extensive online coverage in addition to a paper publication. This journal stands out for the articles that specifically provide research on language teacher education and classroom techniques. The articles from spring 2007 publication include analysis of modified vs. authentic texts, beginning teachers practices in language classrooms, study abroad benefits, and student behavior during instruction. The wide range of topics with real-world, classroom applications would apply to both new and experienced teachers.

http://applij.oxfordjournals.org/

The Applied Linguistics journal attempts to make real-world connections using linguistics research. Although the website only provides an abstract for the articles, the abstract gives enough information to determine if the article will be helpful to the teacher and deserves a trip to the library for a full read of the article. The website provides access to the archives of the journal back to 1980. The best feature of this website is the indication of other articles where the selected article has been cited. When working on a research paper or investigating a new teaching technique, these connections could provide further research and support. Topics in the most recent issue, March 2007, include vocabulary repetition and its effect on learning, impediments to reading, and the impact of a chosen oral task when speaking a second language.

Kristi L.

1. Dr. Cummins Web Site, retrieved 6/4/2007 from:

http://www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/

This is Dr. Cummins website. He provides helpful links defining and describing BICS and CALPs differences. For students or teachers just beginning their studies and practice with Second language acquisition, this link is very helpful in describing the differences between BICS and CALPS. There are links to several publications and presentations by Dr. Cummins, as well as in informative interview with him. Web browsers may also read the first chapter of Cummin’s latest book, Language, Power and Pedagogy, about second language acquisition.

2. Center for Adult English Language Acquisition Web Site, retrieved 6/4/2007 from”

http://www.cal.org/caela/

The website for the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition provides information about applying a problem-based learning strategy for the adult ESL classroom. The website provides guidelines for setting up a classroom to follow problem-based learning, and it carefully outlines the pros and the cons of the teaching strategy. Also provided are useful links to various ESL resources, research, a calendar of events, and information about CAELA. Also useful was the link to the latest issue of the CAELA magazine.

3. Stephen D. Krashen Web Site, retrieved 6/4/2007 from:

http://www.sdkrashen.com/

Stephen D. Krashen’s website is a very useful index to researching second language acquisition on the web. Krashen provides browsers with two books on line as well as several scholarly articles relating to SLA. Useful to the classroom are Krashen’s free reading examples. Links to his books in print are also available, as well as the ability to join the mailing list to receive free updates concerning the information found on this site

4. National Capital Language Resource Center Website, retrieved 6/4/2007 from:

http://www.nclrc.org/

National Capital Language Resource Center is a project between The George Washington University and Georgetown University. The website offers information about the center and upcoming events as well as many useful tools for language teachers. The cultural club, for example, offers many topics and examples for teaching cultural lessons in the classroom. Also very useful on this site is the teacher’s corner. Particularly unique is the question and answer page where an experienced foreign language teacher answers questions and offers advice for fellow professionals. Past questions and answers are posted and searchable. This website offers several different resources for foreign language and ESL teachers.

5. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, retrieved 6/4/2007 from:

http://www.carla.umn.edu/resources/teaching/spanish.html

CARLA, the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, offers a very useful website for foreign language educators. There are links to resources in French, German, and Spanish. Each language tab has classroom materials, publications, and professional organization links. The links are very useful as they offer materials in both English and the target language. The professional organizations included information on various cultural studies. The multimedia resources are very classroom friendly. Maps, online newspapers, and articles are listed again in both English and the target language.