Exploratory task 2.8

Rank the natural acquisition order of English grammar according to the rank of teaching this grammar in your curriculum. Indicate the typical errors the learners make in the process of acquiring grammar items

Natural Acquisition Order	Rank	Errors
Present progressive –ing plural –s past irregular possessive 's uncontractible copula be articles a/the past regular –ed third person regular –s uncontractible auxiliary be contractible copula be contractible auxiliary be

Input reading 3

Warming-up discussion 3.0

Describe the features that can make language learning more natural for children at schools

Situations	Words	Grammar	Tasks

"Critical period" hypothesis.

Warming-up discussion 3.1

Match the level of “intensity” in native language acquisition with the periods of human life.

Low intensity	Average intensity	High intensity
Infancy	Childhood	Adolescence

"Critical period" is the span of time in children when the process of language acquisition is exceptionally smooth and productive. Between the ages of two and three years language emerges as self programmed ability in children. The individual appears to be most sensitive to language stimuli at this time. After puberty the ability to acquire verbal behaviour quickly declines. Language skills not acquired by that time usually remain deficient for life (cited in Aitchison, J. 1999. The Articulate Mammal. An introduction to Psycholinguistics. L., N.Y. P. 85). Some scientists see the end of this "favourable" period at the age of 6. Others give evidence that it continues up to the age of 12. In any case, "critical period" is thought to be over before the puberty age (Aithison, J. 1999. The Articulate Mammal. An Introduction to Psycholinguistics. L., N.Y. P. 67). After puberty the brain hemispheres specialise as “analytical left brain” and “holistic right brain” This is called "lateralisation of the brain functions". The unique ability to amass and analyse the language as a single process is lost forever after puberty (Lenneberg E. 1972. Biological foundations of language. NY).

There have been a few natural experiments with "feral" children, who have been deprived of contacts with the human language. In 1799 a 12-year-old boy, who was later called Victor, was found wondering in the woods of France. He was completely wild and had had no contacts with humans. Five years were given to civilising Victor and teaching him the language. He only succeeded in using the word "milk", when he saw a glass of milk. Another case is that of Genie. She was discovered in 1970 at the age of 13,5 years kept by her mentally disturbed father in the attic. When found, she certainly had no language. The girl spent a period at the rehabilitation centre. She made a progress in language acquisition, though her language had some abnormal features to the end of her days.

Empirical research has proved that the older the age of children on arrival in the USA, the lower the performance in English will be (acquisition of native-like accent and grammar). Mean score in the native-like accent of English is shown by the graph:

3 to 7 8 to 10 11 to 15 etc

Age on arrival in the USA

Early exposure to the language therefore appears to be important. This is true not only in acquiring pronunciation. Some late starters in language can acquire good vocabulary but remain with the poor syntax to the end of their days. It is necessary to note that formal instruction is not a crucial factor in the "critical period" age. Nor is critical period essential in learning languages in the classroom. It appears that "critical period hypothesis" works only in the natural settings, while in the "instructed" environment some other laws come into play (For more information on the "critical period" see Aitchison, J. 1999.The Articulate Mammal. An Introduction to Psycholinguistics. L.,N.Y. P. 85-90. Ellis. R. 1996. The Study of Second Language Acquisition. CUP. P. 486-489). Harley, T. 1997. The Psychology of Language. Psychology Press. P. 313-319. Skehan, P. 1998. A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning. OUP. P. 222-232).

Exploratory task 3.1

Read popular assumptions about teaching young learners of English at school and the criticism of these assumptions. Write your own critical comments.

Assumptions	Critique	Comments
Young children learn foreign languages better	Observations prove that the older the child the more effectively they learn at school
Language learning in school should start early	If the number of hours for language learning in schools is limited, it seems more rewarding to invest these in older classes
Children are quicker to grasp a foreign language	Adults capacity for understanding and logical thought is greater. They develop learning skills, which younger learners do not have. Adults are more co-operative. They have a motivation to learn.
Children easily learn what they like and can engage in the activity for long	Children will spend yours absorbed in the activities that really carry them away. But it is the ability to persevere with what can be of momentary and passing value. Also, these activities are often individual.
It is easier to motivate children	It is true in a sense. It the activity is interesting, the children can get motivated and enthusiastic. But it also very easy to lose all the interest very soon. Children are intolerant of efforts with no immediate interest, meaning or reward for them.

(Adapted from Ur, P. 1996. A Course in Language Teaching. CUP. P. 286-288)