Second language acquisition

Second Language Acquisition Education 286 Today: Introduction • What is the nature of the interdisciplinary field of research (linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology) that comprise second language acquisition? • What areas of education policy and practice find value in knowledge about second language acquisition? • What is the difference between second language acquisition and foreign language learning? • How has research addressed the relationship between language and cognition? Federal and state policy framework • How federal laws and policies address the needs of English language learners (ELLs)? • How the laws and policies reflect the distinction between language acquisition and cognitive development for English language learners? • What is the accountability framework with respect to the academic development of ELLs? • What implications the Common Core State Standards have on standards, instruction, and expectations for ELLs with respect to their acquisition of English? Linguistic Theory • How has linguistic theory treated differences between languages? • What implications does the theoretical stance have on our understanding of second language learners? • Does the first language matter in the acquisition of the second language? Language Acquisition Theory • Task-specificity debate • Nature-nurture interaction • What gets set by L1 acquisition? • Role of social context Second Language Acquisition • Similarities and differences with native language acquisition • Contrastive analysis / role of L1 • What expectations should we have about the rate of second language acquisition? • What factors might condition the rate of acquisition? • Is there a critical period for second language acquisition? Instruction • Is explicit direct instruction of language forms and functions effective? • Is language different in any way from other domains of cognition such as reading and math? • How is the English language development (ELD) curriculum shaped by theories of linguistics and language acquisition? Standards, Assessment and Accountability • What is the relationship between the state standards in English language proficiency and the ELD curriculum? • What are the prospects for the influence of the Common Core Standards in re-shaping state English language proficiency standards? • How valid are standardized measures of second language acquisition? Teacher qualities for supporting second language acquisition • What teachers need to know about language in order to be effective in teaching English language learners? • What kinds of expectations might be built into state certification requirements for such teachers?