Case Study Language Acquisition
Marbel Gonzalez
MCC 609
Fall 2012
Dr. Klosek
Case Study on Language Acquisition 1. Goals of the Case Study
Throughout my life I have encountered and worked with adults that come from different native backgrounds. Many of them come to America in search of better opportunities. As a result, they come with their first language mastered and now they must learn a second language. America continues to be the destination of immigrants around the world. Millions will continue coming here even by risking their lives. This paper is very important, as an educator I will consistently meet families and students learning English. It will also help me further understand difficulties L2 learners face allowing me to tackle these problems with more efficiency. I hope to answer specific questions; what are mistakes made by L2 learners? What role does motivation play in language learning? How does a person’s social setting play a role? What are reasons for code switching? 2. Study Participant
I chose to use Mrs. I, my lunch aide that I have been working with for multiple years now. She is in her 50’s and was born and raised in Italy. We always have meaningful conversations and we’ve always been very open with one another. She always tells me I remind her of her son and we’re able to converse about things most coworkers wouldn’t share with one another. Most immigrants that I have known come from Latin backgrounds and hers is Italian, which provides me with a different perspective with L2 learners. She got her early education in Italy and then came to America like many immigrants. She had to adapt to her new life and learn the language. Mrs. I is very proud of her culture and upbringing. She often compares our student’s upbringing with her own. She mentions that a lot of the behavior wouldn’t be tolerated in Italy. In our school there are many students that come from broken homes and she has expressed that marriage is for life! Her strong views come from the way she was
MCC 609
Fall 2012
Dr. Klosek
Case Study on Language Acquisition 1. Goals of the Case Study
Throughout my life I have encountered and worked with adults that come from different native backgrounds. Many of them come to America in search of better opportunities. As a result, they come with their first language mastered and now they must learn a second language. America continues to be the destination of immigrants around the world. Millions will continue coming here even by risking their lives. This paper is very important, as an educator I will consistently meet families and students learning English. It will also help me further understand difficulties L2 learners face allowing me to tackle these problems with more efficiency. I hope to answer specific questions; what are mistakes made by L2 learners? What role does motivation play in language learning? How does a person’s social setting play a role? What are reasons for code switching? 2. Study Participant
I chose to use Mrs. I, my lunch aide that I have been working with for multiple years now. She is in her 50’s and was born and raised in Italy. We always have meaningful conversations and we’ve always been very open with one another. She always tells me I remind her of her son and we’re able to converse about things most coworkers wouldn’t share with one another. Most immigrants that I have known come from Latin backgrounds and hers is Italian, which provides me with a different perspective with L2 learners. She got her early education in Italy and then came to America like many immigrants. She had to adapt to her new life and learn the language. Mrs. I is very proud of her culture and upbringing. She often compares our student’s upbringing with her own. She mentions that a lot of the behavior wouldn’t be tolerated in Italy. In our school there are many students that come from broken homes and she has expressed that marriage is for life! Her strong views come from the way she was
References: Language Development by E. Robert Owens, Jr. (2012) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching Fourth Edition by H. Douglas Brown (2000)