Recognizing Second Language Learning

What is the internal filter and how does it affect language acquisition?

• It interferes with language acquisition.

• It helps filter out limiting vocabulary.

• It is designed to prevent us from making mistakes.

• The level of anxiety influences the internal filter.

Answer explanation

All are correct answers except for the limiting vocabulary answer. Our natural internal filter is designed to protect us from making mistakes; however, we learn language by making mistakes. Anxiety inhibits a person's ability to access the brain.

What are the three variables that impact the affective filter in language learning?

• Motivation

• Self-confidence

• Anxiety

• Time

Answer explanation

If students are motivated, self-confident, and have low anxiety about language learning, then they will be successful. The opposite is true, especially in the area of anxiety. High anxiety produces stress, which builds a wall so comprehensible input cannot penetrate to the part of the brain for language learning.

Explain Optimal Input and Comprehensible Input?

Answer explanation

Comprehensible input is one aspect of optimal input. In addition to CI, optimal input should be compelling, rich, and abundant. Optimal input captivates a person so much they forget they are learning a language. Comprehensible input is understandable but not necessarily engaging.

GSSR, __________, leads students to authentic reading in the future.

Answer explanation

One of the aspects of optimal input is abundance of input. Reading on their own does this, but they need to reading books that they are interested in or levels that they can understand. Students do not naturally choose books just right for themselves, so they need to be taught, or guided, to make wise decisions and motivated to actually do it.

Activities that involve more than one of these forms of input, oral, written, visual, and kinesthetic, are ______________.

• multimodal activities
• metalingual activities

• monomodal activities
• unimodal activities

Answer explanation

Multimodal means to use more than one form of input. Using a variety of senses helps students to absorb and remember.

What is the difference between what a student can do without help and what the student can do with help?

• Level of dependence and reliance
• Zone of Proximal Development

• Degree of self-sufficiency
• Level of independence and self-reliance

Answer explanation

Having an idea of our students' zones of proximal development can help us to lift our students to the next stage of language acquisition. If our expectations are too easy, then students get bored and stop learning. If it is too difficult, they give up.

From this scenario, in what stage of language acquisition is the student:

Prab has good comprehension. He uses simple sentences with some punctuation and grammatical errors. He often misunderstands jokes.

• Preproduction

• Early Production

• Speech Emergence

• Intermediate Fluency

Answer explanation

Since Prab has verbal skills, he cannot be at preproduction; however, he is not fluent either. His speech is emerging.

From this scenario, in what stage of language acquisition is the student:

Shrija can answer simple questions in one to two word answers and understands familiar phrases. She can understand present tense more easily than other tenses. Her comprehension is limited. Shrija can use sentence frames to build new sentences.

• Preproduction

• Early Production

• Speech Emergence

• Beginning Fluency

Answer explanation

Shrija is in the Early Production stage and needs to work with peers to stretch her understanding and production. We should avoid error correction but should instead recast correct syntax and vocabulary back to her. She benefits from comprehensible, rich, compelling, and abundant input.

What is the main way that ELL standards differ from BC Performance Standards?

• ELL standards emphasize background knowledge

• ELL standards use different terminology

• ELL standards prioritize outcomes

• ELL standards are based on language proficiency descriptors

Answer explanation

Although the BC Provincial standards use different statements (not yet within expectations, meets expectations, fully meets expectations, and exceeds expectations) than the ELL standards (beginning, developing, expanding, consolidating, and bridging) , the main distinction is that the descriptors are language based, not content based.

Differentiate the degree and type of error correction between the 5 main stages of language acquisition?

Answer explanation

Preproduction - avoid excessive error correction. Model correct usage.

Early production - avoid excessive error correction. Model correct usage.

Speech emergent - minimal error correction only if it interferes with meaning.

Intermediate Fluency - more feedback, especially on syntax and pronunciation

Advanced Fluency - error correction on academic work and oral language