The different aspects of learning additional languages are becoming increasingly obvious (Nicholas & Starks, 2014; Nicholas, Pienemann & Lenzing, 2022). Equally, the breadth of resources available to support that learning is rapidly increasing (Roos & Nicholas 2020; Thorne, Hellermann & Jakonen, 2021). Two of the many challenges faced by teachers of additional languages relate to understanding how children learn such languages. The first challenge is choosing a view of language to inform teacher decision-making. The second is understanding how their chosen perspective might align with insights into children’s processes of acquisition (Nicholas & Lightbown, 2008).
In this subject we will look at a number of aspects of additional languages, some that open up possibilities for how learners and learning can differ and others that allow us to see differences between languages (Roos, 2019). We will use these deliberations to clarify and justify participants’ specific choices in views of language and language acquisition. We will then work to elaborate lessons and lesson-sequences that align with those choices so that teacher decision-making can become coherent and consistent.
Assessment will involve the compilation of a language teaching unit that aligns with nominated principles of language and language acquisition as presented in a class forum involving explanation of the principles and exemplification of how those principles are reflected in the unit.
Nicholas, H. & Lightbown, P. (2008). Defining child second language acquisition, defining roles for L2 instruction. In J. Philp, R. Oliver & A. Mackey (eds.), Second language acquisition and the younger learner: Child’s play? (pp. 27-51). John Benjamins.
Nicholas, H. & Starks, D. (2014). Language education and applied linguistics: Bridging the two fields.Routledge.
Nicholas, H. Pienemann, M. & Lenzing, A. (2022). Teacher decision-making, dynamical systems and processability theory. Instructed Second Language Acquisition, 6(2), 219-247.
Roos, J. (2019). Exploiting the potential of tasks for targeted language learning in the EFL classroom (pp. 285-300). In A. Lenzing, H. Nicholas & J. Roos (eds.), Widening contexts for Processability Theory: Theories and issues. Benjamins.
Roos, J. & Nicholas, H. (2020). Linguistic landscapes and additional language development. In M. Dressman & R. Sadler (eds.), The handbook of informal language learning (pp. 243-255). John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Thorne, S., Hellermann, J. & Jakonen, T. (2021). Rewilding language education: Emergent assemblages and entangled actions. The Modern Language Journal, 105(S1), 106–125.
- Kursleiter:in: Howard Nicholas