Second Language Acquisition in School Age Children

Paper Summary:

The paper examines how children acquire a second language through social interaction and environment through supporting Lev Vygotsky's theory in second language acquisition. The paper focuses on school age children seven years of age and older.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
SLA & the Influence of the Sociocultural Environment
SLA and Collier's Conceptual Model
Empirical Evidence Presented
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The social and cultural processes in the students' every day life are central to the language acquisition of the student. This includes cultural processes in the students' life in terms of the past, present and future and includes all contexts of "home, school, community, and the broader society." In terms of language development or linguistic processes which are a second component of the model Collier states that these consists of "the subconscious aspects of language development as well as metalinguistic, conscious formal teaching of language in school, and acquisition of the written system of language." Collier states that this is inclusive of both oral and written language acquisition. Academic development is a third component of this model and is inclusive of "all school work in language arts, mathematics, the sciences, and social studies for each grade level." Academic work through the progression of each grade brings expansion to the vocabulary, sociolinguistic, and discourse dimensions to the language higher cognition."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berk, L., & Winsler, A. (1995). Scaffolding children's learning: Vygotsky and early childhood education. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. (ERIC Document No. ED384443)
• Brock, Cynthia H. (nd) No Habla Ingles: Exploring a Bilingual Child's Literacy Learning Opportunities in a Predominantly English-Speaking Classroom. Bilingual Research Journal Spring 1998.
• Clark, Beverly (nd) First and Second Language Acquisition in Early Childhood. Online available at: http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/katzsym/clark-b.pdf.
• Collier, Virginia P. (1995) Acquiring a Second Language for School. Directions in Language & Education. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. Vol. 1 No. 4. Fall 1995.
• Lantolf, James P. (2007) Sociocultural Source of Thinking and Its Relevance for Second Language Acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 10 (1) 2007 Cambridge University Press.

More papers on Second Language Acquisition in School Age Children:

• Research Paper # 26723 : "Second Language Acquisition in Early Childhood"
• Essay # 32686 : "Theories of Second Language Acquisition"
• Essay # 83744 : "Second Language Acquisition (SLA) "

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