Chapter 1
Introduction
A.Background
What
exactly is the relationship between age and language learning ? There are
numerous myths and misconceptions about the relative abilities or inabilities
of language learners of different ages. Do children learn language faster? Is
it impossible for adults to achieve fluency ? In a word - no. These and other
common beliefs are simply not true. Children do not necessarily learn faster
than adults and, in fact, adults may learn more efficiently. Furthermore, there
is no loss of language ability or language learning ability over time. Age is
not a detriment to language learning, and by all accounts, learning a second
(or third etc) language actually keeps the older language learners mind active.
People of all ages can benefit from learning languages.
The
greatest obstacle to older adult language learning is the doubt--in the minds
of both learner and teacher--that older adults can learn a new language. Most
people assume that "the younger the better" applies in language
learning. However, many studies have shown that this is not true. Studies
comparing the rate of second language acquisition in children and adults have
shown that although children may have an advantage in achieving native-like
fluency in the long run, adults actually learn languages more quickly than
children in the early stages (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979). These
studies indicate that attaining a working ability to communicate in a new
language may actually be easier and more rapid for the adult than for the
child.
B.Problem
of formulation
1.What is the age and good language
learners?
C.Purpose
the Paper
The purpose of the working papers is
increase in knowledge about ageand goo language learners. And to endue
assignment of study english language learning strategy.
Chapter 2
Theory and Discussion
A.Age
and good language learners
The
Older Language Learner
Can
older adults successfully learn foreign languages? Recent research is providing
increasingly positive answers to this question. The research shows that:
--there
is no decline in the ability to learn as people get older;
--except
for minor considerations such as hearing and vision loss, the age of the adult
learner is not a major factor in language acquisition;
--the
context in which adults learn is the major influence on their ability to
acquire the new language.
Contrary
to popular stereotypes, older adults can be good foreign language learners. The
difficulties older adults often experience in the language classroom can be
overcome through adjustments in the learning environment, attention to
affective factors, and use of effective teaching methode.
OLDER
LEARNER STEREOTYPES
The
stereotype of the older adult as a poor language learner can be traced to two
roots a theory of the brain and how it matures, and classroom practices that
discriminate against the older learner.
The
"critical period" hypothesis that was put forth in the 1960's was
based on then-current theories of brain development, and argued that the brain
lost "cerebral plasticity" after puberty, making second language
acquisition more difficult as an adult than as a child (Lenneberg, 1967).
More
recent research in neurology has demonstrated that, while language learning is
different in childhood and adulthood because of developmental differences in
the brain, "in important respects adults have superior language learning
capabilities" (Walsh and Diller, 1978). The advantage for adults is that
the neural cells responsible for higher-order linguistic processes such as
understanding semantic relations and grammatical sensitivity develop with age.
Especially in the areas of vocabulary and language structure, adults are
actually better language learners than children. Older learners have more
highly developed cognitive systems, are able to make higher order associations
and generalizations, and can integrate new language input with their already
substantial learning experience. They also rely on long-term memory rather than
the short-term memory function used by children and younger learners for rote
learning.
AGE
RELATED FACTORS IN LANGUAGE LEARNING
Health
is an important factor in all learning, and many chronic diseases can affect
the ability of the elderly to learn. Hearing loss affects many people as they
age and can affect a person's ability to understand speech, especially in the
presence of background noise. Visual acuity also decreases with age. (Hearing
and vision problems are not restricted exclusively to the older learner,
however.) It is important that the classroom environment compensate for visual
or auditory impairments by combining audio input with visual presentation of
new material, good lighting, and elimination of outside noise (Joiner, 1981).
CLASSROOM
PRACTICES
Certain
language teaching methods may be inappropriate for older adults. For example,
some methods rely primarily on good auditory discrimination for learning. Since
hearing often declines with age, this type of technique puts the older learner
at a disadvantage.
Exercises
such as oral drills and memorization, which rely on short-term memory, also
discriminate against the adult learner. The adult learns best not by rote, but
by integrating new concepts and material into already existing cognitive
structures.
Speed
is also a factor that works against the older student, so fast-paced drills and
competitive exercises and activities may not be successful with the older
learner.
HELPING
OLDER ADULTS SUCCEED
Three
ways in which teachers can make modifications in their programs to encourage
the older adult language learner include eliminating affective barriers, making
the material relevant and motivating, and encouraging the use of adult learning
strategies.
Affective
factors such as motivation and self-confidence are very important in language
learning. Many older learners fear failure more than their younger
counterparts, maybe because they accept the stereotype of the older person as a
poor language learner or because of previous unsuccessful attempts to learn a
foreign language. When such learners are faced with a stressful, fast-paced
learning situation, fear of failure only increases. The older person may also
exhibit greater hesitancy in learning. Thus, teachers must be able to reduce
anxiety and build self-confidence in the learner.
Class
activities which include large amounts of oral repetition, extensive
pronunciation correction, or an expectation of error-free speech will also
inhibit the older learner's active participation. On the other hand, providing
opportunities for learners to work together, focusing on understanding rather
than producing language, and reducing the focus on error correction can build
learners' self-confidence and promote language learning. Teachers should
emphasize the positive--focus on the good progress learners are making and
provide opportunities for them to be successful. This success can then be
reinforced with more of the same.
Older
adults studying a foreign language are usually learning it for a specific
purpose: to be more effective professionally, to be able to survive in an
anticipated foreign situation, or for other instrumental reasons. They are not
willing to tolerate boring or irrelevant content, or lessons that stress the
learning of grammar rules out of context. Adult learners need materials
designed to present structures and vocabulary that will be of immediate use to
them, in a context which reflects the situations and functions they will
encounter when using the new language. Materials and activities that do not
incorporate real life experiences will succeed with few older learners.
Older
adults have already developed learning strategies that have served them well in
other contexts. They can use these strategies to their advantage in language
learning, too. Teachers should be flexible enough to allow different approaches
to the learning task inside the classroom. For example, some teachers ask
students not to write during the first language lessons. This can be very
frustrating to those who know that they learn best through a visual channel.
Older
adults with little formal education may also need to be introduced to
strategies for organizing information. Many strategies used by learners have
been identified; these can be incorporated into language training programs to
provide a full range of possibilities for the adult learner (Oxford-Carpenter,
1985).
Chapter 3
Closing
3.1.CONCLUSION
An
approach which stresses the development of the receptive skills (particularly
listening) before the productive skills may have much to offer the older
learner (Postovsky, 1974; Winitz, 1981; J. Gary and N. Gary, 1981). According
to this research, effective adult language training programs are those that use
materials that provide an interesting and comprehensible message, delay speaking
practice and emphasize the development of listening comprehension, tolerate
speech errors in the classroom, and include aspects of culture and non-verbal
language use in the instructional program. This creates a classroom atmosphere
which supports the learner and builds confidence.
References
Griffihs,Carol
(2008) lesson from good language learners.cambridge
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar