Педагогические науки 5.Современные методы преподавания.
Викладач Шапочка К.А.
Миколаївський
державний університет імені В.О.Сухомлинського, Україна
Benefits of Foreign Language Study For Students With Special Needs (based on US experience).
The research on the benefits of second language
acquisition gives an impressive rationale for world (foreign) language
instruction in terms of the cognitive
benefits, academic achievement, and development of positive attitudes toward
cultural diversity.
There has been a wide variety of
attitudes and perceptions toward them (Beire-Smith, Patton, Ittenbach, LeLoup,
Ganschow, Javorsky, Sparks, Pohlman, Vygotsky).
Why is it important to provide this opportunity for
the children? The study of another language and culture:
- enables students to interact and communicate with
others while gaining a greater understanding of and respect for the cultural
perspectives, practices, and products of different cultures;
-provides an appreciation of state and national
responsibilities in the world community;
- strengthens critical-thinking skills through problem
solving, conceptualizing, and reasoning;
- enhances the ability to see connections between the
various disciplines by incorporating visual and performing arts, health and
physical education, language arts literacy, mathematics, science, social
studies, and workplace readiness into the language classroom;
- develops the skills and habits essential to the
learning process;
- facilitates
the acquisition of subsequent languages;
- provides a
competitive edge in career choices and in professional development;
- provides
students with a sense of personal satisfaction and enjoyment in their ability
to communicate with people from other cultures and countries.
Recent scientific research has provided many insights
into when and how children best acquire languages. These findings
have important implications for educators, policy makers, and parents as they
challenge the traditional time framework for beginning language study in
schools as well as methodology for teaching languages. Patricia Kuhl, at the
University of Washington, reported that by six months, infants’ perceptual
systems are already configured to acquire their native language. With each year
of growth, children are less able to filter out fine distinctions among the
sounds of other languages. After early childhood, the language acquisition
mechanism becomes highly structured creating an interference effect that may
account for the difficulty in learning languages at a later time. This
indicates that a window of developmental opportunity exists for acquiring other
languages. These findings, along with the ease with which children in bilingual
families acquire two languages, support the contention that world language
instruction should begin as early as preschool age. [4].
Dr. Gladys Lipton (1998, p.14), highlights the results
of research on children who study a foreign language in elementary school.
These students:
-
achieve expected gains
and have even higher scores on standardized tests in reading, language arts,
and mathematics than those who have not;
-
show greater cognitive
development in such areas as mental flexibility, creativity, divergent
thinking, and higher-order thinking skills;
-
have an improved
self-concept and sense of achievement in school; and
-
can transfer their
language learning skills in subsequent foreign language study in high school
and college.
Curtain and Pesola [3; 3-4] identify three powerful
arguments for including world languages in the core curriculum of elementary
schools in the United States, but we are sure they can be of great interest for
Ukraine as well. They are excerpted below.
-
One of the most
important factors influencing the development of language proficiency is the
amount of time spent working with the language. When language learning begins
earlier, it can go on longer and provide more practice and experience, leading
ultimately to greater fluency and effectiveness.
-
Every skill and outcome
that is important to society is introduced through the elementary school
curriculum. The lists of curriculum requirements in almost every state attest
to the importance of reading, math, social studies, science, music, art, and
physical education.
-
The age of 10 is a
crucial time in the development of attitudes toward nations and groups
perceived as “other,” according to the research of Piaget, Lambert, and others
(Lambert &Klineberg, 1967). Children are in the process of moving from
egocentricity to reciprocity, and information introduced before age 10 is eagerly
received. . . . The awareness of a global community can be enhanced when
children have the opportunity to experience involvement with another culture
through a foreign language.
1 Andrade, Kretschmer, discuss their personal
experiences with students with disabilities as well as research done by Bruch
[2] on language-disabled children. They conclude that the majority of children
with disabilities can benefit from studying another language and culture and
should take part in elementary and middle school world language programs. They
further recommend that successful second language instruction for learning
disabled students be a meaningful, interactive (rather than structured,
passive) learning experience.
Justification that all students, including those with
below-average abilities, can benefit from learning a world language has been
shown in studies of at-risk learners in French immersion programs. Genessee [5]
found that although these students did not perform as well as above-average
students on reading and writing tests, they did score at the same level as
the higher-ability students on listening comprehension and speaking tests.
Literature:
1. American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages. (1996). Standards for foreign language learning:
Preparing for the 21st century. Yonkers, NY: ACTFL.
2. Bruch, M. (1987). The suitability of
early French immersion programs for the language-disabled child. Canadian
Journal of Education 3, 51-72.
3. Curtain, H., & Pesola, C.
A. (1994). Languages
and children: Making the match (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.
4. Education Commission of the
States. (1996). Bridging
the gap between neuroscience and education. Denver,
5. Genesee, F. H. (1992). Second/foreign
language immersion and at-risk English-speaking children. Foreign Language
Annals, 25(3),199-213.
6. Met, M. (1998b). Making connections.
In J. Phillips (Ed.), Foreign language standards: Linking research, theories
and practices (The ACTFL Foreign language Education Series). Lincolnwood,
IL: National Textbook.
7. New Jersey State Department of
Education. (1996). Core curriculum content standards. Trenton, NJ: Author.
8.
New York State Education Department. (1996). Learning standards for languages
other than English. Albany, NY: Author.