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I am still trying to put all the pieces together, connecting SLA to what we’ve been learning so far in the course. Please comment to correct and enlighten me!;)

-If DLLP stages somehow coincide with the “natural order” that Krashen hypothesizes, could we say that determining the “best fit” language features would correspond to looking at the features learners have already “acquired” and what they are ready to “learn”?

-In this light, would it be true to say that the learning that happens in classrooms no longer “hinders the development of automatic and long-lasting knowledge” of the L2 (Friedrichsen, 2020) since it occurs in students’ ZPD?

-How could Krashen’s “input hypothesis” be applied to the deconstruction stage of the TLC, especially in a class with multilingual learners at different stages of proficiency?

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From the various EAL courses I’ve taken, I know that there are different SLA theories that exist. I also know that there are teaching methodologies based on one or a combination of these theories.  I am definitely not capable of naming and explaining theories but one that has stayed with me is that learners learn best in their Zone of Proximal Development. Another idea is that learners learn best when tasks involve meaningful and authentic uses of language. So a) input should be just above students’ proficiency levels (i+1) and b) teachers have to provide meaningful opportunities for students to negotiate for meaning and produce language.

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READING:
Friedrichsen, A. (2020). Second language acquisition and what it means for teacher instruction, Master’s Thesis, pp. 1-34.

VIEWING:

Acevedo, M. (2013). Stephen Krashen’s 5 hypothesis of second language acquisition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jobpF4c-1NI (16:22)

Johnson, M. (2016). Second language acquisition theories, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMdseB-EB8Y (16:14)

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2015). Prof. talks about complexity theory & its implications for TESOL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqQi5de6bxU (23:14)

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“Monitor” as used in Krashen’s “monitor hypothesis.” The monitor is a student’s faculty of holding information learned which is utilized when the student consciously focuses on form, when editing language or polishing speech. The monitor is thus used when the ML has enough time to think about what he has already learned (Friedrichsen, 2020).

“Iteration” or “iterative” use of language:

Iterative tasks are repeated language tasks, each time changing or improving the produced language. Larsen-Freeman (2015) differentiates this from repetition or recycling tasks since with iteration, students make more meaning with each execution/ practice of lexical-grammatical phases. They are not simply repeating phrases but are transforming and improving the form each time.

Other terms which were somewhere in the back of my brain: universal grammar, affective filter, natural order, fossilization, cognitivist vs. social SLA theories

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When we went back on campus after months of distance learning, I saw a dramatic improvement in my multilingual students’ progress.  It seemed to me that they learned so much more in the last 2 months of the school year on campus, as compared to the 8 months online.  I see in this experience evidence that learning is a social process (sociocultural perspective) and that the affect is critical in one’s willingness to take risks (Humanism), including when learning a language. On campus, EAL students had so much more meaningful and authentic opportunities to “construct knowledge” thru social interactions and negotiation of ideas in the target language.

Evidence of Krashen’s hypotheses in my multilingual students can be seen when they are able to “self-correct” their writing or oral language when prompted about concepts we have been studying (learned language), but do not use these forms in their speech during spoken conversations (acquired language). This follows Krashen’s hypothesis (natural order) that when a student’s emphasis is on communication (and not form), they revert to the natural order of morpheme acquisition.

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Similar to Cheri, I know that there are various second language acquisition theories out there written at different times (and many build on each other). I know that I need to build on a student's strengths by meeting where they are at and by going through the co-teaching cycle with the EAL teacher on my team. I've learned through these courses (so now know) to use language that is asset based and to always leverage the abilities of my students in order to set goals for them and with them. Finally, I know that all learners of language are different and diverse and will come with different backgrounds that will leverage their learning and I need to alter my teaching strategies for each of them.

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Reading:

Al Ghazali, F. (2006). First language acquisition vs. second language learning: What is the difference, The Centre for English Language Studies, The University of Birmingham, pp. 1-18.

Viewing:

Johnson, M. (2016). Second language acquisition theories, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMdseB-EB8Y (16:14)

VanPatten, B. (2014). What everyone should know about second language acquisition, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1LRoKQzb9U&t=414s (19:08)

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Readings
Friedrichsen, A. (2020). Second language acquisition and what it means for teacher instruction, Master’s Thesis, pp. 1-34.

Menezes, V. (2013). Second language acquisition: Reconciling theories, pp. 1-9.

Viewings
VanPatten, B. (2014). What everyone should know about second language acquisition,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1LRoKQzb9U&t=414s (19:08)

McCarty, Bilingualism and language acquisition zoomcast, Bilingualism and Language
Acquisition Zoomcast | Steve McCarty - Academia.edu (14:21)

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I also know that there are different theories about SLA.  It can take a child up to 2 years to learn social language, and anywhere from 3-7 years for a child/adult to become fluent in a second language.  Explicit teaching of content-specific vocabulary is important in helping learners succeed academically.
More instruction is being given in English, and there are many who are learning English in their home countries or abroad.  In Korea, many parents send their children to summer camps in the Philippines, the States, or other English speaking countries to "expose" them to English.  English camps in Korea are also being promoted by certain universities with similar "aspirations."
More training is necessary for teachers to meet SLA needs globally, as the world is becoming more and more multilingual.  Not many teachers are prepared to meet the needs of SLLs, not even in international schools, but the number of schools that are aware of this need are trying to provide pd.

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Friedrichsen, A. (2020). Second language acquisition and what it means for teacher instruction, Master’s Thesis, pp. 1-34.

VanPatten, B. (2014). What everyone should know about second language acquisition, https:www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1LRoKQzb9U&t=414s.

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More professional learning and training for teachers needs to happen in order to adequately meet the needs of English Language Learners.

There are many Second Language Acquisition Theories (which can be quite confusing to a newbie like me!).

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In “Second language acquisition and what it means for teacher instruction”, it is noted that educators must have professional development on helping English Language Learners in both grade level content areas and becoming proficient in the English language (Chamot, 1996; Short et. al., 2012).

Friedrichsen referenced de Jong, Harper, & Coady (2013), noting that teachers are not prepared or trained to understand the foundations behind educating English Language Learners.

An increase in English Language learners in schools demands more highly qualified teachers and ongoing professional support. (Friedrichsen, 2020)

In our minds exists a complex system of “features and operations” that are utilized to satisfy features and to restrict how those operations can occur (VanPatten, 2014).

The natural order hypothesis states that “there is predictability in the structures that are acquired; …not the case with learning”. There is reference to planning an order to how skills are taught based on the complexity of the structure is not necessary. This may contrast with how teachers were taught to address skills and be confusing (Friedrichsen, 2020).

CALLA has five cycles of preparation, presentation, practice, evaluation, and expansion that help develop tier 1 lessons that are beneficial for all and also include requirements for students to help themselves learn content and language (Friedrichsen, 2020).

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If we have an abstract system regarding language in our minds that does not match “rules or paradigms in the classic or traditional sense”, how might we help students understand this?

How long does a silent period typically last? Does it tend to vary by age?

With a push for instructional practices that are student led/teacher framed and for strong universal (tier 1) practices, would it make sense to choose the CALLA model over SIOP? When would SIOP be a more desirable choice? *This may be a dumb question, but all of this is new to me and I am processing. ;)

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“Implicit, abstract representation of language” : abstract system in our brains that governs what is possible and not possible in a language; network of lexile entries that encode grammatical information and meaning (VanPatten, 2014)

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- There is innate syntactic components in children's mind in first and second language.
- Usage based view points assumes that language exposure and general cognitive processes results in language acquisition in children (ex: pattern finding, analogy making, categorization).
- All (typically developing) children learn to speak their L1 natively vs most people (with normal cognitive skills) do not learn their L2 to a native-like standard.
- Children learn their L1 very quickly vs it takes L2 learners years to master their target language.
- L1 learners make few errors in comparison to L2 learners vs L2 learners find it difficult to learn these rules.

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I know that there’s a critical period of time for Second Language Acquisition. Younger learners will acquire a second language the same as or similar to acquiring their first language, but after a critical period of time, it will require cognitive skills to acquire a second language.
Strong mother tongue support acquiring a second language.

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Representative Second Language Acquisition Theories of

Behaviorism

Language Acquisition Device(LAD)

Information Processing

Social Interaction and sociocultural theories

Representative methods of acquiring a Second Language were also discussed.

Audiolingual Approach

The natural Approach

The communicative Approach

Educational Practice for Bridging from L1 to L2

It is too early to try to discover a single theoretical framework that takes into consideration all of what is currently known and theorized about second language acquisition. (Malone, S)

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- Reading:
Malone, S. (2012). Theories and research of second language acquisition, pp. 1-11

- Viewing:
VanPatten, B. (2014). What everyone should know about second language acquisition,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1LRoKQzb9U&t=414s (19:08)

Johnson, M. (2016). Second language acquisition theories,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMdseB-EB8Y (16:14)

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Some students speak more than two languages. Some of them develop English language fairly well. However, some are slow in making progress in acquiring English. In that case, should we focus on English and their mother tongue only as they get an education in an international school? Or should we provide “comprehensible input” consistently? Is that a sign that the student's mother tongue isn't that strong? Are there any Second Language Acquisition theories or methods best effective for students with multilingual learners?

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tabula rasa - is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content, and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. So it is like a blank slate and suggests that language is nurtured.
Affective filter - describes a learner's attitudes that affect the relative success of second language acquisition. Negative feelings such as lack of motivation, lack of self-confidence, and learning anxiety act as filters that hinder and obstruct language learning.
Monitor (hypothesis)- a learner’s learned system acts as a monitor to what they are producing. In other words, while only the acquired system is able to produce spontaneous speech, the learned system is used to check what is being spoken.
Comprehensible input - language input that can be understood by listeners despite them not understanding all the words and structures in it

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We have information about language in our brains that does not align with specific rules in a traditional way.

There will be a natural “silent period” as individuals acquire a new language but are not ready to produce the new language yet (Friedrichsen, 2020).

The various viewpoints within different theories may be confusing to a teacher trying to support English Language Learners.

The various SLA theories vary a great deal but often are used to inform a future theory. There are also similarities among them that one could focus on.

The SIOP model is more teacher-centric and the CALLA model is more student driven.

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-Different SLA theories have impacted education and language teaching/ learning.  Friedrichsen’s (2020) discussion of similarities, overlaps and differences among these theories (cognitivist and social) was really helpful, leading to the conclusion that SLA is a complex process.

-To address this, Larsen-Freeman (2015) came up with the Complexity theory which recognizes a working interlanguage system within an individual, as well as that social interactions drive an individual through the acquisition process. She tries to bridge seemingly contradicting theories (dichotomies) by looking at the relationship between them, such as grammar as product vs. grammar as process, or focusing on the learner vs. on learning. She proposes the use of iterative activities around lexical-grammar patterns (multiple instances of using the TL in meaningful contexts) and recognizes that each learner will get different learnings from a singular lesson (Larsen-Freeman, 2015).

-Friedrichsen (2020) emphasizes the need for teachers to explicitly instruct, model and reinforce learning strategies (metacognitive, cognitive, and social/affective), guiding multilingual students to be self-driven and empowered learners.

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- We have been assuming children pay attention to the language spoken to them (input).
-  Now we are learning it isn't just vocabulary that is mirrored, but also grammatical structure.
- Children heavily influenced by ambient language
- Children learn small chunks of language (ex: 1 word, 2 words) then chunk small constructions together.
- Grammatical errors are a result of these chunking patterns.
- There is variability in the L1 speakers knowledge of their native language (ex: vocabulary influence by background)
- Not all native speaking adults have same language construction knowledge and input (language environment)
- Children don't learn L1 quickly (not adult -like because of few years of exposure to language and even less time to use that language)
- Children make a lot of errors in L1 (especially in grammar and sentence structures), not just L2.
- It takes a lot of time and effort to learn both L1 and L2.

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1) Chaos theory: Learning language is complex and complicated, it can work if conditions are right.
2) Language learning is dynamic and non-linear.
3) Negotiation for meaning: Dig into the language in your head to produce language that is yours (authentic meaning).
4) Noticing the gap: Identify what you can do and where you need to be, be aware of what you need to achieve next.
5) Control of one's own language - presence when learning.
6) Students need authentic contact with language
7) Create original thoughts with language and negotiate meaning with language.

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- Research tends to focus on L1 and L2 language acquisition, what about L3 language?
- Why is there still focus on successful L2 in children compared to adults?
- Language acquisition is affected by both biology and psychology, are there any other factors?
- What is the correlation of strong L1 foundation and L2 and/or L3 acquisition?

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Interlanguage: Homemade language and syntax.
Fossilization: Dinosaurs that remain in the language.
CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning.

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Johnson - There are various second language acquisition theories (SLA). Some of the theories build on one another and others are not in support of each other. The theories outlined by Matthew Johnson are as follows:
- Behaviourism - This theory focuses on positive reinforcement and repetition and substitution drilling. It is not the way we look at learning languages today.
-Innatist - This was new to me and will show up again in the 'S' section. This approach goes against the behaviourist approach. Recognizes that making mistakes is part of the process and involves learners looking for patterns and forming conclusions. I found myself connecting to mentor texts a bit.
-Constructionist - People construct knowledge in their own way. States that people incorporate new knowledge with their pre-existing knowledge in order to modify what they already know. Basically, through experiences, we construct what we know and learn through those experiences.
Humanism - Whole child approach where the whole person is considered and a secure learning environment is important. Moves through five areas in ascending order - physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem needs, and self-actualization.
-Sociocultural - Zone of Proximal Development is important to this perspective. Knowledge is socially constructed and the context of the teaching and learning affects the individual. The learning occurs when the student(s) learn at a level a bit above the mastery level (ZPD). Scaffolding is of great importance to this perspective and communication within class groups and collaboration as opposed to competition is important.
VanPatten
-"Things we know about language acquisition are not trickling down to those who teach language." This point is quite problematic. As teachers, we need to understand the major components of language acquisition. However, he states that even teachers do not know all the grammar rules.
-There is an implicit structure to language in different languages.
-"So, what people have in their heads are not rules per see but an abstract system consisting of features and operations that are used to satisfy features, plus constraints on how those operations can happen. Much of grammatical information is stored in lexical entries." We have many constraints in language that are not always easy to understand and usually need context.
Ghazali
-There are individual differences that influence language acquisition for New Language Learning (NLL) and First Language Acquisition (FLA). FLA occurs in a more naturalistic and unconscious way and NLL occurs more in formal instruction.
-Formal and informal language learning are interwoven.
-Age can be a factor in learning and this is connected to the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH). Adults can have more difficulty with nativelike fluency but Vygotsky says adults are more analytical and children are more holistic. Regardless, using language on a daily basis seems to be key.
-The input is also important to language acquisition (classroom, playground, street, etc...)
-Interactionist theory "emphasizes the interrelation between environment and language development."
Different models assert different focus on the learner, ie. focus on correcting mistakes or letting children develop their fluency and confidence to communicate.
-Teachers' views have a huge impact on the learning that takes place for NLLs.
-Motivation to learn the language is another factor in learning as well as language ego and language anxiety about making mistakes in competition.

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-Language learning is not a linear experience and students learn at different speeds and have different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences that impact the learning. I have seen different schools utilize the evolving role of the EAL teacher(s) in very different ways. Based on the way that the school community views SLA their approach will be very different. This is evidenced by my previous school utilizing a pull-out model that was not asset-based, but instead focused on what the students were missing and how they needed to catch up in order to join the class at large.
-My current school is getting better and better at co-teaching with the EAL teacher and incorporating language into the lessons to benefit all students, not just the students that are getting more direct attention from the EAL teacher when they are in the class teaching.
-I really connected to the VanPatten presentation where he discussed the teaching of language and how some practices do not reach teachers of language. I assume that these practices are as common place as they are at the school I work, but receive evidence and word of the contrary when speaking to other international school teachers.
-My students are more likely to communicate in low-risk situations and usually enjoy collaborating with their peers where they can work together on tasks. This connects to all the mentions of ZPD in the reading / viewing this week and how teachers can scaffold the learning and teach in a setting of inquiry and collaboration.

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I am really wondering how to piece together all of this interesting and new information and apply it to my teaching. When I saw the section about terminology I was a bit surprised but I am now realizing the necessity since there are many new terms to me that I read and learned about.
-I wonder how translanguaging fits into all these theories about second language learning? I know the importance of translanguaging in the class but wonder about how I can hold it to a higher level. Some parents encourage their children to speak English at school whereas others respect their child's language choices.
-Is there A limit to not correcting a student? I often avoid 'correction' explicitly and will often phrase it in more of a question, but at a certain age does it become more necessary to correct language usage more directly (could it also depend of the extent of the misuse)?
-Finally, I am always wondering about my purposeful group-making. I usually have mixed language abilities working together. However, is there an advantage to grouping some students together with similar language abilities to push their learning further with more scaffolding provided?

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Innatist Cognitive Approaches - Looking for patterns to form conclusions.
Grammatical sensitivity - the ability to deduce grammatical rules from examples.
Integrative motivation - helps people who are interested in the people and culture represented by the target group.
Language Acquisition Device - The role of the environment.
Emergentism - language acquisition is the result of frequent input in the environment.

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Representative Second Language Acquisition Theories

- Behaviorism - is one of the first significant theories about how we acquire language, but it has a big limitation by suggesting language is learned only by imitation.

- Language Acquisition Device(LAD) - is an innate ability to acquire and use language which learners use the language acquisition part of their brain to find patterns, and rules.

- Information Processing - gathers the information together and fine-tunes many small units of knowledge that in total produce complex thinking.

- Social Interaction and sociocultural theories - emphasized the language learning context and their social environment on children’s learning. “Comprehensible input” and “Comprehensible output” in meaningful conversation are necessary for successful second language acquisition. (Malone,S)

Representative Second Language Acquisition Methods.

- Audiolingual Approach:
Developed from the oral culture of the Native Americans in North America in the early 20th century. At this time, behaviorist theory began to impact that the L2 is learned by many repetitions of the L2 grammatical patterns with positive reinforcement provided when reproduced correctly and negative reinforcement when reproduced incorrectly.
- The Natural Approach:
built on five hypotheses
1. natural order for learning the structure of an L2
2. distinction between language acquisition and language learning
3. a function for a monitor(or editor) in the production of the L2
4. necessary comprehensible input
5. affective filter, referring to emotions and feelings of the learner, in how well and how fast an L2 is acquired
-Communicative Approach
real-life situations. As the learners speak the L2, they receive feedback and that process helps them learn the language.
- Educational practice for Bridging from L1 to L2
bridging from the mother tongue to the school's educational language programs. There are successful instructional techniques that have been incorporated into second language acquisition classes
1. Total Physical Response(TPR)
2. Cooperative learning (small groups, pairs)
3. Language Experience Approach
4. Dialogue Journals
5. Academic Language Scaffolding
6. L1 support for second Language acquisition
7. Accessing learners' prior knowledge
8. Culture studies
( Malone, S)

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I am learning that language learning can be a chaotic and dynamic process that can sometime be unpredictable and unexplainable (Menezes, p. 406). Many internal/external factors can effect language learning, such as environment, motivation, learning strategies, political constraints, etc. (Menezes p. 12).

Bilingualism is the goal of education; not to be "perfect" in both languages but to set realistic goals to raise kids to become bilingual (Steve McCarty).  One's bilingual proficiencies can change over time, such as when moving to another country.  (McCarty).

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Human beings are different, and so are SLA processes which are mediated by different human agents and cultural artifacts. As a consequence, language teaching practices and teacher planning can have different effects on students because they react in different ways and inevitable unforeseen events is a part of the learning experience (Menezes, p. 408).

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This is a screenshot from B. Van Patten's video.  I am wondering about his comment, ". . .there are no rules to be learned."  

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I understand that SLA is a complex process, but with young children in K-2, it is often difficult to know if there is a language learning issue or a learning difference.  What can I do to investigate in order to make sure that I am providing the appropriate scaffolds and structures for these MLLs?  Some MLLs  have such a hard time with spelling, writing, and reading in English.  I have worked with children since they were in K and observed that when they moved onto higher grades, they are still struggling to read and write.

I am also wondering what is the best way to cluster or group learners: put all ELLs together in one class or distribute them amongst the classes?  It is not always possible to flip-flop between classes in a grade level to ensure language learning is happening for MLLs when reading or writing blocks are scheduled at the same time.

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Universal Grammar
(Noam Chomsky)
Every human is born with the tools to learn any language (Menezes, p. 406).

Lingualization
Practicing the language helps learners notice a gap between what they want to say and what they can say, helping them to recognize what they do not know or what they know partially (Menezes, p. 406).

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de Graaff et al, (2007). An observation tool for effective L2 pedagogy in content and language
integrated learning (CLIL), International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, pp.
603-624.

Mitsutomi, M. & Kirjavainen, M (2014). First and second language acquisition,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDt2isALig