4.

Connie Sim - October 13, 2011

CONNIE SIM SIEW YUNG (PGP110021) Vocabulary Acquisition in Young ESL Learners Duursma, E., Romero-Contreras, S., Szuber, A., Proctor, P., Snow, C., August, D., et al. (2007). The role of home literacy and language environment on bilinguals English and Spanish vocabulary development [Electronic version]. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28, 171-190 This quantitative research was conducted on 96 fifth-grade Latino English language learners in the United States to identify the role of home literacy and language environment on their vocabulary development. The results demonstrated the importance of understanding these two factors that contributed positively to the vocabulary development for both Spanish and English language. Goldberg, H., Paradis, J., & Crago,M. (2008). Lexical acquisition over time in minority first language children learning English as a second language [Electronic version]. Applied Psycholinguistics, 29, 41-65 The longitudinal study was about various factors that influence childrens lexical acquisition in learning English as a second language (ESL) carried out on 19 children in Edmonton, Canada. Interviews and spontaneous speech data were collected and later, graphs were drawn. It was found that the usage of the semantically flexible verb do was used differently according to the childrens first language. Horst, M., White, J., & Bell, P. (2010). First and second language knowledge in the language classroom [Electronic version]. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(3), 331-349 The study was on how language instruction can be designed to help learners build on first language (L1) knowledge in acquiring a new language. It was conducted on a class of 48 students in their fourth and fifth year who attended a French-medium primary school in Montreal which offered a 10-month intensive ESL programme. Lessons were videotaped, data were collected and the teachers were interviewed. It was discovered that making links to English through their first language could enrich the learning contexts and indirectly, their vocabulary bank. Inbar-Lourie, O. (2010). English only? The linguistic choices of teachers of young EFL learners [Electronic version]. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(3), 351-367. This was a research conducted on the linguistic choices of six teachers teaching EFL to young learners in Arab to explore their linguistic choices. Data were collected by classroom

observations, the teachers self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. They recognised the benefits of L1 as a tool in teaching these young learners in instances on the teaching of L2 vocabulary. Jia, G., Aarson, D. (2003). A longitudinal study of Chinese children and adolescents learning English in the United States[Electronic version]. Applied Psycholinguistics, 24, 131-160 This longitudinal study was done for 3 years on ten native Chinese-speaking children and adolescents who immigrated to the United States between ages 5 and 16. One of the factors studies was their proficiency in their L2, English as well as their L1, Chinese which were measured quantitatively and qualitatively. One of the results portrayed some preliminary evidence that L1 proficiency impacts L2 lexical acquisition. Laufer, B., & Girsai, N. (2008). Form-focused instruction in second language vocabulary learning: A case for contrastive analysis and translation [Electronic version]. Applied Linguistics, 29(4), 694-716 This descriptive research examined the effect of explicit contrastive analysis and translation activities on the incidental acquisition of single words and collocations on seventy-five Hebrew native speakers who was learning English as a foreign language in the framework of the Israeli curriculum. It was evident that in vocabulary acquisition, L2 learners may benefit from contrastive form-focused instruction in selected L2 areas by raising their awareness of interlingual difficulties, stretching their linguistics resources, and engaging in involving tasks. Nation, P. (2005). Teaching Vocabulary [Electronic version]. Asian EFL Journal, 7(3), 4 This article presented in-depth explanation on various ways and strategies that teachers could employ to teach vocabulary as well as methods to link learners L1 and L2 together. It was mentioned that deliberate vocabulary teaching is identified as one of the least efficient ways of developing learners vocabulary knowledge but nonetheless it is an important part of a wellbalanced vocabulary programme. Quiroz, B.G., Snow, C.E., & Zhao, J. (2010). Vocabulary skills of Spanish-English bilinguals: impact of mother-child language interactions and home language and literacy support [Electronic version]. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(4), 379-399 In a survey done through home visits of 250 children in Massachusetts and Maryland as well as a comparison sample of 150 children in Puerto Rico who spoke Spanish as at least one of the languages at home, the impact of home language and literacy support on English vocabulary skills was identified. Data were collected, analysed and charts were drawn, leading to the findings that the interactions and support at home is essential to positively affect childrens vocabulary acquisition in English.

Schmitt, N. (2008). Instructed second language vocabulary learning [Electronic version] Language Teaching Research, 12(3), 329363 This article provided general information on the current research on second language vocabulary learning. Different areas of the challenges of vocabulary learning, issues in the acquisition and pedagogy as well as intentional and incidental learning of vocabulary had been discussed in depth in the article. In sum, all the different aspects complemented one another in order to achieve effective vocabulary learning. Serratrice, L. (2005). Language mixing and learning strategy [Electronic version]. International Journal of Bilingualism, 9(2), 159-177 This paper investigated the relationship between language mixing and learning strategy of an English-Italian bilingual child who was born in Scotland in comparison to the findings reported by Vihman (1999). Data were collected, recordings were audio as well as videotaped and charts were drawn and analysed. L1 was used extensively in eliciting the childs responses for words and phrases in L2. However, it was found that language mixing is not an unavoidable consequence as other factors may also affect bilingual acquisition. Shintani, N. (2011). A comparative study of the effects of input-based and production-based instruction on vocabulary acquisition by young EFL learners [Electronic version]. Language Teaching Research, 15(2), 137158 In a study conducted at a private English school in Japan on 36 Japanese children aged 6 to 8, comparisons were drawn on the effects of input-based and production-based instruction on young EFL learners vocabulary acquisition. The study employed a quasi-experimental pretestpost-test design. It was found that both input-based tasks and production activities could be successfully implemented in EFL classrooms for young beginners and were as effective where vocabulary learning is concerned. Sieh, Y. (2008). A possible role for the first language in young learners processing and storage of foreign language vocabulary. Annual Review of Education, Communication, and Language Sciences, 5, 136-160. Retrieved 10 October 2011, fromhttp://research.ncl.ac.uk/ARECLS/volume5.html This research was carried out on sixty-four pupils from two fourth grade classes in a suburban elementary school in southern Taiwan to identify the role played by the first language (L1) in young learners processing and storage of English vocabulary in (EFL) context through a series of written and online vocabulary assessments. From the results, it was suggested that there is a possible role for the L1 in young learners processing and storage of the FL vocabulary.

Wolter, B. (2006). Lexical network structures and L2 vocabulary acquisition: The role of L1 lexical/conceptual knowledge [Electronic version]. Applied Linguistics, 27(4), 741-747. The paper presented theories on how learners might draw on the lexical knowledge of L1 in the process of learning words in the L2. It was suggested that this may be both a help and a hindrance when forming L2 connections, particularly in respect to collocations. However, one of the conclusions drawn is that L2 learners may rely as well as connect their L1 knowledge to L2 and only reconstruct when necessary if the existing knowledge proves to be insufficient. Reflection 1 14 October 2011, PBGS 6113: Research in Second Language Acquisition waiting to hand in my first assignment on Annotated Bibliography. What an effort! I had re-do my assignment noticing that none of the 15 articles that I managed to collect was listed under ISI Journals! Never gave up hope! After working round the clock for three days, finally, I managed to get 15 articles from ISI Journals which made me to be on top of the world. I had to read and digest the issues discussed with the research methodology outlined. Those articles really gave me a lot of valuable input on issues being faced by the ESL teachers and students and strategies to address them which could come in handy in getting great ideas in doing my proposal. Upon reflecting on this, Dr JC came into the class with a pleasant smile. Sounds very familiar as I thought, Dr Jessies lecture on SLA Theories reminded me of my interview which I had attended a couple of months ago. Oh! Dr Jessie, I should have come for your lectures before so that I could be able to answer much better during the interview. Your brilliant explanation on SLA theories with exemplary examples really gave me a clearer picture on them. Your prompting questions made me think and reflect on my teaching experience in various schools. What did I set out to teach? What technique did I use? Did I discover anything new about my teaching? were some of the questions clicked in my mind as I was listening to Dr Jessies lecture. Her vivid explanation on the theories made me realise that I am a constructivist most of the time. Lectures on cross-linguistics interferences had helped me to reflect on the articles that I had read in order to do the annotated bibliography. The influence of L1 in acquiring L2 made me to link with the findings of a few articles that I had analysed thus making me to visualise that students whose mother tongue is Chinese could not really rely on L1 in acquiring English (L2) especially grammar as the rules in both the languages are differ. Explanation on the inter-language grammar was interesting to discuss as there is a bridge between L1 and L2 which varies from one learner to another. SLA is really an interesting subject to learn as I could reflect on my teaching experience in a multiracial setting. Lots more to explore and to reflect! After all learning is a lifelong process.

6. Anita a/p V. Sivanesan ( PGP110010) -November 16, 2011

Anita a/p V.Sivanesan (PGP110010) Course requirement 3 Commentaries of previous class discussion Reflection 1 Theories in Second Language Acquisition Summary Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism are the three theories explained in the second and third lecture by Dr. Jessie. Behaviouristic model focuses on learning through stimulus response method. This theory is popular among ESL teachers teaching low proficiency students in Malaysia. They feel these students are not able to perform on their own, thus they need complete guidance from the teacher. Cognitivist theory is constantly on learning as an active, mental process. The role of the teacher is to arrange and present new information in such a way that learners can relate the new information to their own mental structure and previous knowledge. Constructivism focuses on social interaction and discovery learning through the construction of meaning. While cognitivism emphasises on cognitive (mental) skills, contructivism the other hand, pays attention to both cognitive and social skills. Learning is acquired through collaboration, i.e. interaction among the students. Students work together to figure out the meaning and make sense of the learning. They use language as a means of communication. Hence learning and acquiring a language is more meaningful this way. Reflection Eventhough I learnt all these theories in my first degree, but after 10 years, they were quite vague. When Dr. Jessies first asked us to explain the theories, I was quite nervous because I couldnt remember them clearly. But by viewing the video clips of the theories and various prompting by Dr Jessie, I had a clearer picture of the theories I learnt before. Thank you, Dr. Jessie for activating my background knowledge and helping me understand the theories better. Even when we were asked to discuss the theories in groups, my group members and I were a little confused between the cognitive approach and the constructivist approach. We were afraid to present, in case we wrongly presented. But after discussing and re-reading the notes we were able to help each other understand the theories better. I took brave step and decided to present 1st, hoping that nothing goes wrong. Thank god, Dr. Jessie found no errors in my presentation. Thus the contructivist approach was used by Dr Jessie in teaching the theories, whereby we used collaborative learning in helping each other understand the theories better. Then in the 3rd lecture, Dr. Jessie showed us more video clips of the theories which were truly remarkable. Her power point presentation truly enhanced my understanding of the theories taught. I am now able to differentiate quite clearly between the three theories. In my language classroom, I usually adopt the Constructivist Approach to language learning. After teaching the content / topic, I usually get the pupils to carryout group based task. They

complete the task in groups and present it to the class. Hence the pupils are forced to use the L2 to communicate in order to complete the task. This not only improves their communicative skills but also their language proficiency as a whole. Learning the theories has also helped me figure out the best theory for my thesis in SLA. Since my research is on improving listening skills, thus I chose the Cognitive Approach. Comprehension is achieved if the pupils are able to activate their schemata by having some insight into their background knowledge of the topic under discussion. Thus this will enable them to become more proficient listeners and be able to communicate competently in the outside world. Reflection 2 Classroom research Summary In a nutshell, classroom research is a study of what goes on in a classroom. It is an interaction analysis of teacher and learner, and learner and learner. Classroom research can be based on a variety of topics, such as, teacher questions, teacher error correction, quantity of teacher speech, teacher explanation and teacher wait- time for learner responses. There are many aspects of interaction between teacher and learner, especially the types of errors made by pupils, the ways the errors are corrected by the teacher and the pupils preferences in it. Learner and learner interaction is about cooperative learning, whereby pupils interact in groups while performing a particular task. Interpreting classroom research is not as easy as it seems. From a wholistic view, researchers only analyse and interpret a small portion of their observation and findings. Thus the findings of the research are not completely accurate. Three areas in which classroom interaction studies have major influence on discussion on language pedagogy are teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction and student-text interaction. The first two has been explained earlier. The third is an interaction between the author and reader. Thus reading is seen as an interactive process. There are many reasons, including personal interest for carrying classroom interaction research and a more focussed look can bring insight and ideas for practicing teachers. Reflection Classroom research is an interesting research to be carried out, since as a teacher, Im faced with this situation everyday in my classroom. By studying classroom research, Im able to reflect on my teaching and how much input the pupils really acquire. When looking at the type of errors and the ways those errors are corrected, I remember similar instances of my pupils errors and how I corrected them. One such instance was when a year 5 pupil could not pronounce the letter h in house due to mother tongue intervention. He pronounced it as /auz/. I tried many ways, especially phonetically to help him pronounce the sound of /h/ but to no avail. Then, since he was a malay boy, I asked him to translate the word thirsty in BM.

He told me it was haus. I asked him to repeat it faster and faster. Thus he was able to say house with the correct pronunciation of /hauz/. This is a case of phonological error and correction method included modelling the correct form, explaining the correct form, telling him ( student) what to say and finally what worked was prompting the correct form with the help of his mother tongue. Eventhough there are many views of what constitutes a good teaching, I strongly agree with axiom 1 and 5. Axiom 1 states that learners learn more effectively when given positive feedback (praise, approval) than negative feedback (criticism, disapproval), while Axiom 5 states that the more language interaction involving learner participation that goes on in class, the better the opportunities for language learning. I find my pupils learn better and produce better results when positive feedback is given. Their communicative skills and language proficiency is also enhanced when they participate in collaborative learning though interaction among learners. Lastly, among the enthusiasm for classroom interaction research listed in the book, I personally find the importance of education improvement as the key factor if Im to do this research. There are a lot of things, we as teachers would like to improve in the education system. The programmes are planned one way but carried out in another; and some not carried out at all due to time constraints, such as the teaching of listening and speaking skills. This is because the schools these days are exam orientated and focus more on writing skills and final results. Hence the teaching of listening and speaking is forgotten. This is the reason why our straight A students lack communicative competence in the outside world. Therefore this has pushed me to do a research on improving the listening skills among primary school pupils for my SLA assignment. I hope this study will give insight to what is happening currently in schools and change the mind set of the school administrators to produce students who are able to use the language competently in the outside world rather than just producing good results in exams. During presentation of this topic, I was quite nervous. Im always nervous when it comes to any presentation. I always speak fast when Im nervous. There were many things that I wanted to say during my presentation, such as sharing my experience of correcting my pupils phonological error of the sound /h/ etc. But due to my nervousness, it slipped my mind. I even planned to explain the research that I looked up on error correction slowly and clearly, but when I was put in front of the class, I just rushed to finish up. But nevertheless, this is a good experience and I hope Ill do better in my future presentations. Thank you Dr. Jessie for giving me this opportunity in public speaking and in spite of my nervousness, I think we as a group did quite well. By looking at the marks awarded to us by our friends, we were truly at the top of the world. Thank you very much for your support, my dear classmates. For all participants of PBGS 6343: This is where you post your key learning comments- summarize, reflect, and share insights on classroom events, situations, interactions, discourses, etc., which ignited your interest, you dont agree with, or found innovative; those that you remember most or have helped

you most in this course; unforgettable and/or delightful moments; or those I wish-I-could-have moments. Post at least 5 commentaries throughout the semester; you can post more if you want. Cheers!