6 Factors Affecting Language Acquisition by Michael Shaffer

Physical

mshaffer0024 — 2024-11-08 04:13:45 UTC

Teachers are able to act out certain commands while they say them.

Can also use other visual cues, such as images, videos, etc.

Helps students gain confidence in participation via demonstrations.

Linguistic

mshaffer0024 — 2024-11-08 04:14:14 UTC

This refers to the differences in social language versus academic language.

Social language is easier to pick up. It's making new friends, talking at the playground, talking about how their weekend went. It is a more relaxed setting for a student to open up.

Academic language is in the classroom, textbooks, and tests. It's more formal, instructional, and requires more effort to learn.

Cognitive

mshaffer0024 — 2024-11-08 04:14:25 UTC

If a student has already learned a first language, they are better prepared to learn a second language. Their abilities of language acquisition carry over towards the second language. This is essentially the foundation of Jim Cummin's model of the Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP).

Socio-Cultural

mshaffer0024 — 2024-11-08 04:14:47 UTC

This is very dependent on individual cultures. It's looking at family dynamics, what their expectations are, and the social paradigms amongst others of the same culture. What's the family's view on learning the English language? How much do students want to fit in, that they often refuse to speak their own language? These are some of the factors to consider in this area.

Affective

mshaffer0024 — 2024-11-08 04:14:54 UTC

Feelings and emotions play a major factor

How students are feeling about the learning environment affect how receptive they are to what they are being taught

If the teacher can make a student feel relaxed and more confident, they will be more engaged and excited to learn

Political

mshaffer0024 — 2024-11-08 04:15:08 UTC

This is dependent on state funding for multi-language programs, state testing and assessment, and laws supporting English language learners. How much can schools put into programs like this to create an inclusive environment for English language learners?