First & Second Language Acquisition

Paper Summary:

This paper addresses the manner in which knowledge on first and second language acquisition and learning, can contribute to a better, effective teaching of second languages, taking the Malaysian native speaker into consideration.. According to the paper, research indicates that almost a quarter of the kindergarten through twelfth grade students in the United States cannot function academically in English, and thus have been termed "English Language Learners" (ELL).

From the Paper:

"A 2001 study conducted by Hawkins investigated the effect of total language immersion as opposed to ESL pullout programs on the achievement of eighth grade immigrant students in a rural American school. The review of related literature supported the idea that total language immersion was more beneficial than ESL pullout programs for immigrant students who were mainstreamed into the American school system (Hawkins, 2001). In the study, two groups of students were given an essay pre-test in August. The experimental group was mainstreamed within the regular classroom population while the non-experimental group was pulled out of the regular classroom and instructed by the ESL teacher using a regular classroom teacher's lesson plans (Hawkins, 2001). Both groups of students were instructed at similar times of the day using the identical lessons and assignments. In December, both groups were tested using an essay post-test and graded the same way as the pre-test. The results of the study concluded that the total immersion was more effective in raising the written essay scores of the experimental group (Hawkins, 2001). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• E-Source Online. (2005). Backgrounder: Bilingual Education in California, 1998-2005. Retrieved Oct. 14, 2006 from E-Source Online Web site: http://ww.edsource.org/pub_bi_edu.cfm
• Gaudart, Hyacinth. (1999). Games as Teaching Tools for Teaching English to [Malaysian] Speakers of Other Languages. Simulation and Gaming 30, 283-91.
• Hawkins, Sonya. (2001). Effect of Total Language Immersion as Opposed to ESL Pullout Programs at a Rural, Western Arkansas Middle School. EDFD 6993 Special Projects.
• Platt, J. & Weber, H. 1980. English in Singapore and Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.
• Platt, John, Heidi Weber, and Mian Lian Ho. (1983). Singapore and Malaysia. Varieties of English around the World Series. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

More papers on First & Second Language Acquisition:

• Term Paper # 150340 : "First and Second Language Acquisition"
• Research Paper # 128200 : "Second Language Acquisition and Metacognition"
• Case Study # 115837 : "Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition"

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