Second Language Learning Strategies:
A Reflection of First Language Learning Theories and Second Language Learning Experience
By Ira Rasikawati
Sometimes we might wonder whether there is anything we can learn from the first language (L1) learning process to help us be proficient in another language. Children learning their native language have to undergo several stages of development prior to comprehending and producing the language. It is widely accepted that speech comprehension precedes speech production and both stages are un-interchangeable. On the basis of these processes, there are two practices that are common in the first language learning that could possibly be replicated in the second language (L2) learning. The use of Parentese and the absence of correction in L1 learning may turn into effective L2 learning strategies.
Understanding the target language meanings is the most fundamental task to be achieved in L1 learning. Children must have the opportunity to hear and comprehend words, phrases and sentences in meaningful contexts before they can produce them (Steinberg, Nagata, & Aline, 2001). Rich exposure to the target language is therefore essential for children’s’ language development. L1 learners not only have to hear speech sounds but also make connections between the sounds they hear and the objects, situations, or events in the environment (Steinberg, Nagata, & Aline, 2001). Parents or caregivers usually attempt to provide relevant environmental stimuli to facilitate better comprehension.
L2 learners also undergo a similar period in which they only listen to the language they are exposed to in the early stage of L2 learning. Krashen and Terrell name this stage as the pre-production period (Krashen, S.D. & Terrell, T.D., 1983) or referred to it as the silent period (Ellis, 2008). At this stage L2 learners listen to the language they are exposed to and attempt to discover the language meaning. A practice in the L1 learning that can be implemented in the L2 learning context is making use of the Parentese, the type of speech that the children receive when they are young (Steinberg, Nagata, & Aline, 2001) such as talking aloud, repeating useful words, talking more slowly, using the same phrases for the same situations, and adding facial expressions and gestures to assist understanding (Dunn, 2008).
I personally experienced the use of Parentese eased comprehension in young children and adult L2 learners. Teaching children in L2 contexts has taught me not only to make use of concrete objects when speaking but also to talk aloud by using simplified repetitive language. During lunch time for example, I will have to enunciate the word “lunch” several times and show my lunch box to inform the students that it is time to go to the dining area. Another example, when I studied Japanese language about three years ago, my Japanese friends and instructors usually used short sentences and simple speech structures when speaking to foreigners. In Japanese contexts it is even easier to do Parentese as it is commonly acceptable to say only the predicator of an utterance instead of a complete sentence. One can simply say “taberu” or “tabemasuka” which mean “eat” (v) with a raising intonation to invite someone to have a meal.
When children’ speech production has emerged significantly; they begin to comprehend and express themselves more effectively. At this point it is important to remember that paying too much attention and correction to grammatical correctness is pointless as children eventually notice their own mistakes and make effort to revise them (Steinberg, Nagata, & Aline, 2001). The same practice should also be applied in L2 learning contexts. Corrections usually have greater negative impacts in L2 learning as they may increase the learners’ level of anxiety.
Based on my L2 learning experiences, many of my instructors do corrections when they find mistakes in their students’ utterances. In spoken utterances particularly, I can hardly remember the corrections that my instructors attempted. This correction eventually turned to a burden instead of language accuracy as a result. I usually felt guilty and embarrassed if I made the same mistakes in spite of repetitive corrections the instructors pointed out to me. In my opinion, the corrections slowed down my L2 production.
Research findings show that the effect of Parentese depends on the interaction between the child and the parent (Yoder & Kaiser, 1989; Hoff-Ginsberg, 1990 in Steinberg, Nagata, & Aline, 2001). Teachers and students interactions may be more meaningful if the teachers employ the practice of Parentese in the classroom at the early stage of L2 learning. At the emergence of speech production, L2 learners might be able to communicate more effectively when grammatical correctness is not the main concern. The absence of corrections will reduce the L2 learners’ anxiety and help them develop their speech production. Further research should be conducted to examine the effectiveness of the strategies proposed in L2 learning contexts.
References:
Dunn, Opal. (2008). What is parentese language? British Council. http://www.britishcouncil.org/vietnam-english-learning-together-is-fun-what-is-parentese-language.htm
Ellis, Rod. (2008). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Krashen, S.D. & Terrell, T.D. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. London: Prentice Hall Europe.
Steinberg, D. D., Nagata, H., & Aline, D. P. (2001). Psycholinguistics: Language, Mind, and World. 2nd Edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
(published in UKRIDA Newsletter | No. 70 - Year IX, February-March 2011)
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