second language instruction and learning...

Second Language Instruction and Learning Disabilities

KATHRYN GIBBONSJULY 21, 2011EPSE 526 UBC

I use the term "second language" through out this presentation, when in actuality it could be a student's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. language. Other researchers, particularly in the US, use the term "foreign language."

The crux of the matter is:

o "Unlike in other classes where the language is the process through which students acquire the new knowledge, in the SL classroom it is both the process and the product of the learning" (Arnett, 2003)2003)

o "Students must strive to find ways to circumvent a disability in order to master content: in the case of foreign language learning, however, the language is the content" (Ofiesh 2007 as quoted in: Leons, Herbert & Gobbo)

Why this topic matters:

� All grade 5 to 8 students in B.C. study a second language (mostly in Core French classes

� 25% of students in Vancouver (VSB) are English Language Learners (ELL)

� Enrollment in second language classes is on the rise

Bias: This topic matters to me because I am a French Immersion educator and I work exclusively with students learning in their second, third, etc. language. This is an area of research , however, that I feel has broader implications for teachers.

Why learn a second language?

� University entrance/ High School graduation� Travel and mobility� Cultural understanding� Employment (Federal government, international, � Employment (Federal government, international,

etc.)

In Canada the language requirement is not necessarily a required course to graduate High School, however many post secondary institutions require it for entrance. Once in university, however students are not required to take a second language. In the US many colleges have a language requirement for graduation. So, the issue of second language acquisition often arises at this level. This implications of these language policies can have a negative effect on the education of persons with a learning disability. UBC requires a Grade 11 language in all faculties for undergraduate admission UVic requires a Grade 11 language for admission to humanities only SFU requires a Grade 11 language in all faculties for undergraduate admission There is NO second language requirement to receive a Dogwood/ BC High School Diploma In Ontario students were required to pass Grade 9 core French in order to graduate (as of 2003).

Leading researchers

� Richard L. Sparks, & Leonore Ganschow have researched students struggling with foreign langauge component in the college setting since the 1980sKaty Arnett, Canadian context, inclusion in French � Katy Arnett, Canadian context, inclusion in French classes

� Elke Schneider, multi-sensory learning (MSL)

Although I teach in FI and am most interested in this context there is limited research in this specific language learning environment. As one Ministry of Education publication from Manitoba said "there is a paucity of research in the area of at-risk students and the suitability of French immersion."French Immersion in Manitoba: A handbook for school leaders, 2007. So, in investigating this topic I broadened my search to cover foreign language learning, not just in the French or immersion domains. My academic rock stars! Interestingly there appears to be two related fields of research, one in Canada focussing on French Immersion and one in the United States focussing on Foreign Languages at the high school and college level. These two groups of researchers do not appear to cross-reference at all!

Instructional Methods

� Grammar translation; emphasis on reading and writing

� Communicative; incorporate 4 modes of communication reading, writing, listening, & speaking

� Audiolingual method; exclusive use of the target � Audiolingual method; exclusive use of the target language in the classroom

� Total Physical Response; demonstrate understanding through movement

� Multisensory Structured Language (MSL); the Orton-Gillingham approach adapted to teaching a second language

There is debate as to which method is the most successful with L2 learners and even more when it comes to L2 learners with a LD. research in this domain often focusses on the instructional method for this reason. Communicative: places emphasis on oral communication skills requiring strong auditory processing and verbal expression skills ** model used in most Core French Classes** Audiolingual: based on the theory that students would learn the language structure inductively by internalizing the structures practiced in the classroom **model that French Immersion is based on**

Components of Language Acquisition

Most to least important: � Phonology (sound)� Morphology (word roots, tenses & inflections)� Syntax (rules of sentence structure)� Syntax (rules of sentence structure)� Semantics (meaning)� Other (eg. letter markings, grammatical rules )

listed in order of importance, according to research results on students studying a second language and the skills that are the best predictor of performance.

Language Acquisition Theory

SKILLS TRANSFER!!!�… Which also means that skills that are difficult for a student in their first language will also be difficult in their second language. … This also means that second language instruction can provide a foundational experience, particularly for students who have gaps in their prior education. PAGE 64 making Connections ** Show**

Assessment

� Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT), Carroll and Sapon, 1951

� Foreign Language Screening Instrument (FLSI-� Foreign Language Screening Instrument (FLSI-C), Ganschow and Sparks, 1991

� Teaching Adaptations in the Language Classroom ( TALC )Observational Scheme, Arnett, 2003

Learning disabilities and language acquisition

� What is the nature of the interaction between the student's learning disability and the subject matter?

� Prevailing philosophy in the 1960s was that difficulties learning a L2 was caused by anxietydifficulties learning a L2 was caused by anxiety

� Ranges in severity � Affects any or all areas of language: reading,

writing, listening, and/or speaking

What Works

� Student-centered adaptations� Universal Instructional Design� Focused curriculum -pace� Additional support - tutoring� Additional support - tutoring� Adjust teaching for success- motivating� Multisensory teaching� Phonetic training� Repetitive, structured, sequential� Metacognitive skills

UID "usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design" "provides equal access to learning, not simply equal access to information"

Programs

� Le Manuel Phonique/ Jolly Phonics� AIM Language Learning� Visual Grammar

Le Manuel Phonique- alphabet order-- vowel sound chartstructured order for learning lettesrs and sounds.gesture and story to accompany each sound and blended sound AIM- Gestural approach, use signs along with speech to demonstrate and reinforce understanding of vocabulary Play: "Le Petit Chat (Les Questions)"

Research Questions

� Is it beneficial to use the first language in the teaching of the second language?

� What components of a languge make it easier or harder to study a L2 for students with a LD? To what extent is this dependent on L1?what extent is this dependent on L1?

� Do particular strategies work better with some languges over others?

� Is there a particular age or stage of development that is best to start learning a second language?

Resources

� American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

� Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT)

� Association Canadian des professeurs d'immersion(ACPI)

� LD Online� The Instant Access Treasure Chest: The foreign

language teacher's guide to learning disabilities

Journal MLA CASLT linked to LDonline Check ACPI There is little connection between the research and practice of learning disabilities and second language acquisition.

References

Anderson, B., Carr, W., Lewis, C., Salvatori, M., & Turnbull, M. ( 2008). Effective literacy practices in FSL: Making connections. Toronto: Pearson.

Arnett, K. (2003). Teacher adaptations in core French: A case study of one Grade 9 class. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 60, 173-198.

Bajard, T. & Frosst, M. (2004). L’immersion en francais au Canada: Guide pratique d’ensignement.Montreal: Cheneliere.

Duvall, E.D. (2006). Including students with disabilities in a foreign language class. Council for exceptional children,38, 42-48. children,38, 42-48.

Faulds, M., Charlebois, A., Cogswell, F., Golinsky, A., Sotiriadis, C. (2010). Strategies for success: Tools for the second-language classroom. Toronto: Nelson.

Ganschow, L. and Schneider, E. (2006). Assisting students with foreign language learning difficulties in school. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/Assisting_Students_with_Foreign_Language_Learning_Difficulties_in_School

Ganschow, L. & Sparks, R.L. (2000). Reflections on foreign language study for students with language learning problems: Research, issues and challenges. Dyslexia, 6, 87-100.

Klinger, J.K., Artiles, A.J., & Mendez Barletta L. (2006). English language learners who struggle with reading: Language acquisition or LD? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39, 108-128.

References continued

Leons, E., Herbert, C., Gobbo, K. (2009). Students with learning disabilities and AD/HD in the foreign language classroom: Supporting students and instructors. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 42-54.

Myer, B.J., & Ganschow L. (1988). Profiles of frustration: Second language learners with specific learning disabilities. In: Shaping the future of Language education: FLES, Articulation, and Proficiency.

Schwarz, R.L. (1997). Learning disabilities and foreign language learning. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6065http://www.ldonline.org/article/6065

Sparks, R., Ganschow, L., Pohlman, J., Skinner, S., Artzer, M. (1992). The effects of multisensory structured language instruction on native language and foreign language aptitude skills of at-risk high school foreign language learners. Annals of Dyslexia, 42, 25-53.

Van Handle, Donna C. (2004). Universal instructional design and world languages. Equity & Excellence in Education, 37, 161-166.

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