Thursday, March 28, 2013
Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition
I agree that a second language is acquired, and that this is a good way for a student to learn his second language. This is really what we do in kindergarten. The children are immersed in their new language.
I was impressed with Krashen's hypothesis of the Affective Filter. This is being shown in my class this year. I have a student who came in October with no English but he is motivated and confident. His parents work with him and reward him for good work. Another student has low self esteem, does not really receive help in the home and is not motivated at all. I have never seen this theory in print before but it really makes sense with these two friends of mine.
I need to build some confidence in my little friend who is struggling. He is not going to get the help at home, so it comes down to how can I help him with the homework and things we send home. It is my turn to step up and find some time in my day to help him with this. He does not really work well with peer leaders, so I will find some time to help him out.
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Margaret, I have always believed self-esteem is very important to have when learning. The students who do not have help at home certainly will not have confidence in their skills since their family cannot instill that in them. Of course, I still feel they could offer some confidence if they teach their child how to read in their L1.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, it sounds like he's got a good teacher in you. One school I worked in asked volunteer from the firedepartment or local businesses to take some time out of their week to spend time with students who needed some moral support.
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