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Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open". � James Dewar Learning Styles and Learning Resources
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Tutor Interview COL Award on Learning Skills
Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully? Lecturing or Tutoring? Present it Effectively Learning Styles Maximising the Potential of Open Educational Resources (OERS) Learning Styles in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Research Highlights Tutor Tips
Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully? Can adults acquire a second language successfully? To my point of view, the answer is “Yes.” Recent neurological research as opposed, to the claims of Critical Age Hypothesis, says that adults do possess superior language learning capabilities (Walsh and Diller, 1978). This is because adult brains are capable for higher-order linguistic processes and embrace well-developed cognitive systems. Relying on long-term memory, adults can make associations and generalizations easily to integrate the new language input with their ample existing learning experiences. Therefore, two pivotal indications can be elicited here: there is no decline in language learning ability while people are getting older, and most importantly, adults can pick up a language more progressively and easily than younger learners. Research also indicates that besides the cognitive development, other elements like language learning strategies, learners’ affective factors, as well as effective teaching methods by tutors should be taken into consideration to produce successful language learners. Over the years, a great bulk of language learning strategies have come and gone, in and out of fashion, just like the emergence of early grammar-translation approach until the contemporary communicative approach. Each of these came with respective theoretical foundations that advocated miscellaneous theories, methodologies, and approaches, such as direct learning on vocabulary retention, conscious-subconscious language learning, learning style and learning strategies (LS-LS), and so forth. Nevertheless, what I want to highlight here is: all the language learning strategies used among learners have proven to be useful to improve language learning (Lessard-Clouston, 1997; Yang, 1998; Thanasoulas, 2000). Nonetheless, Malaysian learners are not extensively exposed to the proper way on how to use language learning strategies, but only seen as a complementary component in the teaching and learning of second language skills namely reading, writing, speaking and listening. In another words, the use of language learning strategies is either incidental or unconscious (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 1991). This may be due to the deficiency in clarity of the concepts of learning strategies. For instance, language learning strategies can be perceived as a type of behaviour or mental activity; conscious or subconscious; or even both.
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Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open". � James Dewar Learning Styles and Learning Resources
[ Back ] Home >> Features : Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully?
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Tutor Interview COL Award on Learning Skills
Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully? Lecturing or Tutoring? Present it Effectively Learning Styles Maximising the Potential of Open Educational Resources (OERS) Learning Styles in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Research Highlights Tutor Tips
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Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully? So, what is the best strategy of language learning? For me, there is no other way except to have the learner acquire good language learning habits. “Learning begins with the learner”, this is, a remarkable saying which we should always keep in mind, regardless of young or adult language learners. Personally, I like this proverb: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime”. If we take this as the principle in language teaching and learning, it can be implied as: if students are provided with answers, the immediate problem can be solved. Conversely, if they are taught the strategies to work out the answers for themselves, they will be empowered to handle their own learning. Similarly, like the proverbial horse led to water but which must do the drinking itself, even with the best teachers and methods, students are the only ones who can actually do the learning. In short, for me, the four “Ss”, that is self-reliance, self-directedness, self-dependence, and self-discovery, are the key success factors, in whatever language or subject, particularly for adult learners. “The younger, the better” is a common belief among people in most fields, language learning is not exempted. This negative perception that exists both in learners and teachers’ “subconscious” mind, I think, is the greatest hurdle for adults to achieve command of good language. This is also one of the typical affective factors in language acquisition faced by most adult learners. Generally, affective factors appear as one of the apparent differences in language acquisition between children and adults. Adult learners, for example, are more likely to feel the need to learn a language for specific purposes, such as economic survival, academic success, self-esteem, social acceptance, and other instrumental reasons. Such inspiration and stimulus are definitely out of young children’s mindsets since they acquire language slowly with step-by-step approach in school. This phenomenon may be due to the distinctiveness in maturity, life and social experience, as well as extrinsic motivation. Besides, fear of failure, former unsuccessful experiences, livelihood pressures, irresolvable personal, family and business affairs may contribute to various affective problems. Demotivation, lack of self-confidence, and anxiety, for instances, may affect a person's language learning behaviour and outcome. Therefore, adults must be able to armour themselves from the attack of these negative elements by knowing themselves intrinsically and extrinsically, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and using their innate “competence” to eradicate the language barriers that block their “performance” as well as formulate something impossible to be possible!
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http://tc.oum.edu.my/2006/issue15/index.php?op=view&page=6 [22/12/2008 8:16:16 PM]
Tutor Connexxions
Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open". � James Dewar Learning Styles and Learning Resources
[ Back ] Home >> Features : Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully?
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Tutor Interview COL Award on Learning Skills
Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully? Lecturing or Tutoring? Present it Effectively Learning Styles Maximising the Potential of Open Educational Resources (OERS) Learning Styles in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Can Adults Acquire a Second Language Successfully? Despite fostering the four “S” and eliminating the affective barriers, tutors themselves also play a fundamental role in helping the adult language learners, such as to get rid of their affective barriers, apply effective teaching methods, and enlighten the learners about their potential in picking up the target language. Since adult language learners can easily get stress, anxiety, fear, and frustration, tutors need to encourage and motivate learners to build up their self-confidence. Tutors should focus more on learners’ language comprehension rather than production by associating the new language input into pre-existing cognitive structure. Instead of individual task, rote learning, memorization, and fast-paced drills, tutors should create more opportunities for learners to involve themselves actively in group discussions. For example, when teaching new vocabulary and grammar, a tutor can provide materials by incorporating new terminologies and grammatical rules that are applicable for use in real life context. Besides, the activities should be flexible to accommodate adult learners that come from diverse language and social-cultural backgrounds. To sum up, several points have been raised on how to enhance language skills of adult learners in second language acquisition. Factors like cognitive and affective, and methods of instilling language by tutors can be part of success in language learning. I think a tutor should keep abreast of updated research in order to devise more effective methods for language teaching that are insightful and perceptive to cater to the needs and exploit the potential of individual adult learners. Personal Particulars:
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Mah Boon Yih
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