Principles of Second Language Development in Teaching EL Students
Five principles of second language development are presented here, along with suggestions on how to implement these practices.
Principle #1
Students need to feel good about themselves and their relationships with others in second language learning situations. (Rigg & Hudelson, 1986)
To put the principle into practice, educators should:
- Foster friendships among EL students and their peers/teachers;
- Promote cooperative learning activities;
- Arrange for peer study partners;
- Use language skills and cultural knowledge of EL students as resources in the classroom;
- Have students make bilingual dictionaries for different content areas;
- Have students provide information on food, music, dance, games, folk tales, etc.;
- Have students share personal likes and dislikes;
- Provide learning settings in which students feel at ease.
Principle #2
Comprehension naturally precedes production during the process of second language development (Krashen & Terrell, 1983)
To put the principle into practice:
- Provide comprehensible input within meaningful contexts;
- Give plenty of opportunities to read good literature that is age appropriate and suitable to students’ proficiency level;
- Allow students to show comprehension/competency non-verbally;
- If possible, use students’ native language as a means to develop necessary concepts.
Principle #3
Second language competency develops most quickly when the learner focuses on accomplishing tasks rather than focusing on the language itself. (Rigg & Hudelson, 1986; Krashen & Terrell, 1983)
To put the principle into practice:
- Give chances for students to work on group assignments;
- Begin with concrete experiences;
- Focus on purposeful content-related activities.
Principle #4
Students can learn to read and write in a second language while they develop their oral skills. (Rigg & Hudelson, 1986)
To put the principle into practice:
- Use the language experience approach to promote both oral and written communication;
- Provide meaningful writing opportunities;
- Teach note-taking skills;
- Make authentic reading resources available;
- Involve students in journal writing.
Principle #5
Learners acquire a second language through trial and error; mistakes are part of the natural process. (Rigg & Hudelson, 1986; Krashen & Terrell, 1983)
To put the principle into practice:
- Focus on what students communicate rather than on how they communicate;
- Don’t correct students’ mistakes all the time, especially when correction interrupts communication;
- Use students’ errors as indicators of their progress in developing second language skills.
References
Krashen, S. & Terrell, Tracy. 1983. The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom. Hayward, CA: Alemany Press
Rigg, P. & Hudelson, S. 1986. One child doesn’t speak English. Australian Journal of Reading. 9, 3, pp. 116-125.
Last Modified: 11/7/2019 2:54:27 PM