Age and Acquisition

Lenneberg´s critical period hypothesis (1967) suggests that there is a biologically determined period of life when language can be acquired more easily. Beyond this time a language is more difficult to acquire.  According to Lenneberg, bilingual language acquisition can only happen during the critical period (age 2 to puberty). The critical period hypothesis is associated with neurophysiological mechanisms suggesting that in late bilinguals the early and the late acquired languages are represented in spatially separated parts of the brain (Broca’s area). In early bilinguals on the other hand a similar activation in Broca’s area takes place for both languages. This loss of the brain´s plasticity explains why adults may need more time and effort compared to children in second language learning.

Language

                Language has some different definitions such as:

# Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction.

# Ron Scollon (2004) emphasize that, first of all, language is not something that comes in” nicely package units” and that it certainly is a multiple, complex and kaleidoscopic phenomenon.

#the other definitions are:

1.      Language is systematic

2.      Language is a set at arbitrary symbols

3.      Language is essentially human, although possibly not limited to humans.

We use language to express inner thoughts and emotions, to make sense of complex and abstract thought, to learn to communicate with others, to fulfill our wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain our culture.

Learning and teaching

            Learning has some definitions:

1.      Acquisition or getting.

2.      Retention of information or skill.

3.      Retention implies storage system, memory, cognitive organization.

4.      Involves active, conscious focus on and acting upon events outside or inside the organism.

5.      Relatively permanent but subject to forgetting.

6.      Involves some form of practice, perhaps reinforced practice.

7.       Change in behavior.

 

Principles of Learning

1.      Students’ prior knowledge can help or hinder learning.

2.      How students organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know.

3.      Students’ motivation determines, directs, and sustains what they do to learn.

Teaching is guiding and facilitating learning, enabling the learner to learn, and setting the conditions for learning.

Principles of Teaching

·         Effective teaching involves acquiring relevant knowledge about students and using that knowledge to inform our course design and classroom teaching.

·         Effective teaching involves aligning the three major components of instruction: learning objectives, assessments, and instructional activities.

·         Effective teaching involves articulating explicit expectations regarding learning objectives and policies.

·         Effective teaching involves prioritizing the knowledge and skills we choose to focus on.

·         Effective teaching involves recognizing and overcoming our expert blind spots.

·         Effective teaching involves adopting appropriate teaching roles to support our learning goals.

·         Effective teaching involves progressively refining our courses based on reflection and feedback.

Name for group 6:

      Isnaini Farida Khilmi  (2130730038)

      Dyah Nuraini (2130730040)

      Nurmawati Kolong (2130730052)