Wednesday, June 19, 2019

How to implement a dual language program in an already established Dissertation

How to implement a dual language program in an already established elementary school - Dissertation subjectFrom this research it is clear that language is one of the most important skills a person can have it is a comprehensive and powerful human ability. It is a means of communication a system through which people express themselves, think, act collaboratively and above all language is also a means to usher events. In short, language is a skill that is as important and as natural as breathing. Pinker has aptly described language as quintessentially human. A person however is not born speaking a language it is pick uped and the learning process starts at the time of birth. In light of the shape done by linguist Noam Chomsky, Mason states language to be a specific skill. Elaborating on Chomskys description of language as an inborn faculty, Mason in his lecture Learning Language said that man was born with a set of rules related to language in his head and he called these set of r ules Universal Grammar. Children show a natural tendency towards language scholarship. Language acquisition occurs through the numerous experiences of everyday life. Acquiring language without any(prenominal) systematic effort is called first language acquisition. Language acquisition takes place during conversation when adults talk, children respond and thus grasp the basics of a language organism spoken. The recitation of interaction between parents and children may differ with cultures but the rate at which the children develop as language users remains the same throughout the world. (Clark, 2000). Children learn the language they are exposed to (Linguistics 201 First language acquisition, undated). Every child learns the first language without the need of any formal littleons (Pinker, 1995). Clark has described language acquisition among children as a part of the overall physical, cordial and cognitive development of a child. In Clarks opinion, children between ages 2 and 6 can speedily acquire a language and mostly by the time they turn 6, they are proficient language users. Although a lot has been said and written slightly the development of language in a child, a great deal remains to be explored. The language of a child is a constantly ontogeny process which undergoes many changes. The children seem to acquire the first language quickly, early and with few mistakes. A childs experience with language and his interaction with others ascertain him the sound-meaning relationship and help him comprehend the purpose it represents. Although, the rate at which children acquire first language skills may differ, there is little difference in the pattern of development between the languages (August and Shanahan, 2011, p. 357). According to Clark children acquire communicative competency naturally and inherently, and then develop an understanding of the grammatical rules of the language. The structure of the language develops with thinking abilities and s ocial interactions of the child. As the language skills develop, children become conscious of the social situations around them and learn to think and behave accordingly. Second Language Acquisition Stephen Krashen a well know linguist identified the difference between learning and acquisition (Luria et al, 2005, p. 8). In his theory of the second language acquisition, Krashen defined acquisition as a subconscious and instinctive process of constructing the structure of a language quite similar to the way a child picks up his first language (Macaro, 2010, p. 5). Learning on the other hand, is a conscious process based on formal instruction and involves conscious learning of a language. Krashen has described learning as less important than acquisition (Schutz, 2007). Second language acquisition is the learning of another language once the first language has been established. The concept of acquiring proficiency in another language is not new for centuries, man has found the idea of b ilingualism/ multilingualism quite fascinating

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