Chapter I

The background and chief features of kids ‘s acquisition manner

1.1 The feature of learning immature scholars

The construct of acquisition is influenced by the psychological survey of the acquisition procedure and is widely interpreted in the popular usage. The psychological construct extends rather far and includes all parts of kids ‘s development, from linguistic communication acquisition to societal functions and alterations in their personality. Language instruction can be widely interpreted as all activities intended to ease and do linguistic communication acquisition. At the beginning of larning the new linguistic communication, the scholar ‘s cognition has none or barely any associations with the linguistic communication, it is as an baby larning its first linguistic communication. The deficiency of contact with the linguistic communication and the deficiency of a safe mention system can give the scholar an rational and emotional daze which can deter from farther acquisition. Therefore, the undertaking for the instructor is to get the better of kids ‘s freak out which characterises the beginnings of acquisition, construct up and tie in a system of positive attitudes and feelings with the linguistic communication: that is, being able to answer spontaneously and to believe in the 2nd linguistic communication. In instruction of the 2nd linguistic communication, certain societal scheme is besides needed, so that kids should experience a demand of imitation and get the 2nd linguistic communication in the same manner as their first 1. ( H.H. Stern Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching:397-400 )

Children ‘s universe is based on games and holding merriment and the same should use to their acquisition. Children should non be cognizant of acquisition, neither lexicon nor grammar, but the instructor can easy utilize these facts to learn the foreign linguistic communication through games, narratives and vocals. In instructor ‘s work with immature scholars, it is of import to learn them harmonizing to psychological and pedagogical regulations. The sum of stuff which the scholars can retrieve depends on learning techniques and the manner the stuff is drilled. It is of import to retrieve that deficiency of emphasis in larning makes it more efficient and easier to utilize in existent state of affairss. What is more, merely friendly attitude of the instructor towards a scholar, teacher ‘s willingness for acquisition and utilizing all methods of relaxation can protect a kid from being discourages and shy in acquisition and utilizing the foreign linguistic communication. Any good associations with parts of the stuff can do that vocabulary or grammar will be better and longer remembered. It is besides of import that kids ‘s concentration span is rather short and it is important to utilize any processs which can do the scholar able to longer concentration. Student should be besides involved and interested in the lesson ( Brzezinski 1987: 145-150 ) .

Children ‘s acquisition is based on imitation and holding merriment instead than on their consciousness of larning. Imitation is the easiest manner of presenting new vocabulary and its purpose is to take to rectify articulation and modulation of sounds and their memorisation. In learning immature scholars, modulation exercisings are particularly utile because of kids ‘s flexibleness of voice box which disappears with clip. In footings of imitation exercisings, the instructor should pay attending to scholars ‘ reactions determined by their age. Furthermore, the instructor should alter the techniques of learning to avoid scholars acquiring bored ( Woznicki, T./ Zawadzka, E. 1979: 60 ) .

Most activities for kids should dwell of motion and affect their senses. The instructor needs many objects, visuals and images to work with, and to make a possibility to utilize all of the school ‘s milieus. It is besides of import for the instructor to allow the students play with the linguistic communication, talk to themselves every bit much as it is possible, use vocals, rimes and state narratives. As a affair of fact, the instructor should allow pupils speak even bunk to enable them to experiment with the linguistic communication. The basic rule in learning a linguistic communication is a assortment of activities, gait, administration, voice and face looks. Nevertheless, modus operandis in the schoolroom are besides indispensable so that the kids can cognize the regulations, be able to utilize the grade system and complete undertakings. Using familiar state of affairss or activities creates the ambiance of safety, particularly for the diffident scholars. Another of import standards in doing learning a linguistic communication efficient is the schoolroom atmosphere. During the lesson, there is supposed to be room for shared experiences, group work, pair work ; what is more, wagess and awards should be avoided. It is much more utile for the instructor to do notes about each student on a regular basis in instance the instructor would wish to inform the students ‘ parents about their advancement ( W. A. Scott Teaching English to Children:5-7 ) .

1.2 Theory of linguistic communication acquisition in the early age

From around 1975, “language acquisition” is contrasted with linguistic communication acquisition. The American applied linguist Krashen uses the word “acquisition” to depict acquisition of the 2nd linguistic communication which is correspondent to the manner in which a kid learns “naturally” his or her first linguistic communication and does non concentrate on the lingual signifier. The disadvantage of Krashen ‘s nomenclature is that it is contrasted with psychological footings. Krashen differentiates between “acquisition” and “learning” , as larning for him is more or less witting. It is a really valuable differentiation but it implies a restraint on the usage of the term “learning” , and often intentionally limits it to the school-like acquisition ( H.H. Stern Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching: 18-20 ) .

In the visible radiation of an early start of linguistic communication acquisition, Anderson claims that the manner a individual acquires mother lingua still remains a conundrum. Between birth and the 5th twelvemonth of life, kids develop their ability to talk. Children in the first phase observe grownups ‘ behaviors and any noises they produce. After some clip, they start understand the significance of such noises without seeing grownups ‘ motions. The following measure is imitation of sounds and ( partly ) a creative activity of their ain 1s. Consequently, kids find out that they can command grownups ‘ behavior by doing certain sounds. Lonnerberg references that merely 10 % of kids ‘s utterings is like grownups ‘ 1s and that 90 % of such utterings is their ain linguistic communication production. Equally far as it is concerned, kids ‘s linguistic communication acquisition is a difference between an innate, single word and the langue created and used by the society ( Brzezinski 1987: 22-23 ) .

1.2.1 A critical age for foreign linguistic communication acquisition

Sing the age of the earliest acquisition and larning point as birth, the best minute to get down learning a kid the 2nd foreign linguistic communication is the age of 4-5. This is because of kids ‘s flexible voice box which allows for about ideal imitation of sounds and the most efficient encephalon which all together create a great chance for linguistic communication acquisition. Nevertheless, merely until the age of 12-13, kids keep their flexibleness and natural preparedness for linguistic communication acquisition. Lenneberg shows through extended instance surveies the phases of physiological adulthood processes taking topographic point in the encephalon ‘s hemispheres ( particularly the left 1 ) , which is dominant. What is more, if it happens that the left hemisphere is damaged before the age of 12-13, it is possible that the right hemisphere takes over the domination and address jobs can be reduced. In add-on, after this age such a procedure is about impossible ( Brzezinski 1987: 28-29 ) .

1.2.2 Children ‘s 2nd linguistic communication acquisition

The phenomenon of female parent lingua acquisition is interesting for linguists, psychologists, neuropsychologists and even neurophysiologists. Furthermore, it is connected with natural bilingualism which occurs when a kid learns, in a natural manner, the 2nd linguistic communication. The procedure of the 2nd linguistic communication acquisition in natural conditions is rather similar to the first linguistic communication acquisition or even indistinguishable. The lone difference between those two is the fact that the 2nd linguistic communication is assimilated subsequently and is based on experience and cognition of the first one and, as a consequence, the whole procedure happens faster and more efficaciously ( Brzezinski 1987: 18 ) .

Chomsky ( 1964 ) claimed “ … it is a common observation that a immature kid of immigrant parents may larn a 2nd linguistic communication in the street, with astonishing celerity, and that this address may be wholly fluid and right to the last allophone, while the nuances that become 2nd nature to the kid may evade his parents despite motive and continued practice” ( Brzezinski 1987: 8 ) .

The first international meeting connected with kids ‘s acquisition and its usage in learning foreign linguistic communications took topographic point in Hamburg in 1961. Participant tested to happen out if it is right to present foreign linguistic communications in the primary schools, if it is true that kids learn better than adolescents and grownups and which techniques are supposed to be used in learning them. After four old ages, the 2nd meeting took topographic point and the first replies were given. During many decennaries, tonss of contrary sentiments developed. Equally early as 1967, Corder points out: “It still remains to be shown that the procedure of larning 2nd linguistic communication is of basically different nature from the procedure of primary acquisition” . On the other manus, in 1972, Moulton stresses that in learning a foreign linguistic communication to immature kids it is possible to follow some methods and intuition processs, used by a kid during mother tongue acquisition, and weave them into acquisition of the foreign linguistic communication ( Brzezinski 1987: 8 ) .

1.2.3 Factors of efficient linguistic communication acquisition

In 1960s, the affair of learning a foreign linguistic communication during the early age was a subject of many treatments. After the war, in many methodological books it was said that kids can easy absorb, imitate and bring forth the new linguistic communication. Learning of linguistic communications in the early age is connected with the wont of reiterating words and sentences in a foreign linguistic communication and acquisition of linguistic communication stuff with the aid of assorted memory techniques. The technique of frequent repeat of the stuff, as the chief key to larning a linguistic communication, is besides supported by many psychologists such as Watson and Thorndike. In many psychological books, it is easy to happen many wholly different definitions of wont. Harmonizing to “Maly slownik psychologiczny” , wont is well-practised through legion repeats: actions which are done ever in the same manner and automatically. This definition can convey one to a incorrect sentiment that one should ever respond in the same manner. Lado definites wont as eloquence in utilizing units and theoretical accounts of a peculiar linguistic communication in replying while attending is non paid to units but to content. There are many more definitions of wont written by A. Szulc, Lompscher or Rubinsztejn, but all these definitions come down to the decision that the wont is manner of machinist, unconscious repeat and witting production taking to the witting procedure where consciousness is removed so long as the automatic component is eliminated. In this instance, the fact that the procedure of repeat is the most of import comes from the sentiment of psychologists based on the theory that geting the female parent lingua comes from the imitation of grownups. There are besides certain grounds straight act uponing and determining the procedure of acquisition and its efficiency:

· age -­ after the age of 10, linguistic communication acquisition easiness diminishes. Children ‘s heads lose their flexibleness and it is non that easy to get a linguistic communication. Younger scholars have better and more specific memory but have less ability to larn and necessitate more repeats. Children are more willing to copy but have a really short concentration span. Their mechanical memory is better than that of the grownups, and their short memory is more dynamic and more effectual. The older the kid, the more specific the manner of acquisition is. Older kids have their ain scope of memory, their long-run memory is more developed and more logic. They can concentrate more easy and hold wider general cognition. Bing more mature, holding better larning techniques and better motive, the immature and grownups can easy do up this affairs, which kids can make thanks to their imitating accomplishments and more flexible heads.

· attitude – in acquisition, there are many elements which have influence on better acquisition or acquisition, but attitude is one of the most of import because it stimulates encephalon to better work and makes memory work more expeditiously. What is more, the deficiency of motive can do that individual who is non interested in the subject or in larning itself will non retrieve anything.

· old experience connected with the stuff that has to be learned – the more experience the scholar has, the easier and more efficient acquisition is for him or her.

· stuff and content – there are some units of stuff which are more hard to understand or retrieve, for illustration, sentences which have tonss of information. Besides, the size of the stuff, the length of sentences, the sort of stuff ( Passive Voice sentences are harder to retrieve and necessitate longer clip to larn than Active Voice sentences ) significantly act upon the effectivity of the acquisition procedure.

· manner of larning – Worlds use mechanical or logical memory while the logical one is more preferable and a portion of stuff learned in a logical manner is non merely easier to retrace, but besides stays longer in human memory. Certain researches show that speaking in a foreign linguistic communication is non merely a simple reproduction of stuff that was learned. A scholar should pay attending to really basic forms which can be modified and updated with new vocabulary and constructions. Mechanical memorising of sentences can be even a rather unsafe and slippery factor because certain linguistic communication elements occur in a peculiar agreement, in a manner they were learned and drilled by exercisings.

· figure of exercisings and repeats – Psychological research shows that the long term memory is extended in proportion to the learning clip. What is more, overlearning is a really of import component in the memorizing procedure. The higher the degree of overlearning, the slower is the procedure of forgetting. Yet, the degree of overlearning is reached separately after each scholar performs a figure of repeats. At the same clip, mindless repeats can non be treated as overlearning.

· clip spent on larning – It is of import how long and how frequently repeats and exercisings are done. Frequent and short exercisings are more efficient than rare and long 1s ( Woznicki, T./ Zawadzka, E. 1979: 30-40 ) .

1.3 The feature of kids ‘s memory

Learning manners are assorted ways of larning. They involve instruction methods, feature for an person, which are used by the person to larn best. The alleged footing and efficaciousness for these proposals have been extensively criticized. Learning manners depend on single penchants, and, harmonizing to Nail Fleming, such manners may be divided into four classs.

The fist group is made of ocular scholars, who, as the term suggestsplies, receive most information visually. These scholars have a inclination to make good at public schools because most of what they are taught is presented through ocular instruction tools. They do good with ocular AIDSs like images. For ocular scholars, the easiest manner to larn is watching and naming up visuals in their heads to retrieve what they studied in the yesteryear. They have a inclination toward appreciating humanistic disciplines: trades, painting or play. They tend to be originative and inventive.

The 2nd group are audile learnerswho tend to larn better through listening. They listen to instructions and follow them in such a manner that they can garner big sums of information and trade with it. Auditory scholars are really good at listening to talks and conversations for a longer clip without acquiring bored. They are more concentrated than ocular scholars and may be more discerning and attentive in the category. They prefer to analyze with music in the background. These pupils may besides be originative and inventive. They are good at listening to information and reproducing it in their single ways.

Students with another manner known as kinaesthetic acquisition might be mistaken for excessively active in the schoolroom. They do non like waiting for information. They prefer to happen things out for themselves without any prompts. They are the adventurers who want to do new finds. They are speedy to larn new things and do non mind being left on their ain with a peculiar plaything to happen out how it works. They can be successful in practical undertakings, such as woodworking and design. These kids prefer making instead than believing. Homeschooling might be a better for these scholars because regular schoolroom activities might non be interesting plenty for them.

The Forth group consists of logical scholars who think in a conceptual mode. They explore forms and like to cognize how things work. They frequently ask inquiries and are good at mystifiers, math jobs, scheme games and computing machines. They understand abstract constructs faster than others. These pupils prefer contriving and constructing their ain appliances, for illustration, with playthings ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ehow.com/info_7881656_inventory-learning-styles-child.html # ixzz1MXMcJS9C ) .

1.3.1 Initial memorization

Harmonizing to many researches, kids have tonss of jobs when seeking to retrieve and reiterate parts of stuff or longer sentences. In a state of affairs when a group of kindergarten kids was asked to retrieve and reiterate, they were inactive and even did non take any action to make so. 8-year-old kids are a somewhat better and demo some will to make what they were asked, although merely the 10-year-old kids and older students are able to cover with efficient memorisation, informations processing and are even able to organize new information to retrieve it better. Harmonizing to this research, one can detect that at the get downing kids can utilize merely simple techniques and merely after some clip those techniques develop, become more complicated and fitted to single penchants and manners. This fact is rather distressing because during the really early school-years kids are frequently required to retrieve mane, sometimes even complicated information like wordss, grammar regulations or definitions. On the other manus, kids can easy larn their female parent lingua, they widen their cognition about society or nature rather fast. Children are frequently able to reiterate the duologue of their parents even if they seem non interested in it. In their first old ages, they are non cognizant of how their memory plants. The ‘flash memory ‘ term became really popular harmonizing to the discovered phenomena that some people have perfect perceptual experience and prefer things they saw instead than those which they listened to. It is a really of import fact that kids use brassy memory in a metaphorical manner because they automatically transfer the standard information to their memory. Everything seen by people is remembered for a really short clip in their operation memory. For a long-run memorization, it is utile to include assorted ocular AIDSs in the instruction procedure. Children are able to retrieve non merely pictures but besides many inside informations from such images. However, sometimes a image shown to a kid may be somewhat different, may hold different colorss or forms ( particularly of those elements which amazed the kid ) . Autistic kids have a really efficient brassy memory and after a few seconds they are able to memorize really complicated and elaborate images ; what is more, they do so without much attempt.

From the antecedently discussed research, one can subtract that merely from the age of 10 kids can consciously memorize some facts for a longer clip. More effectual memory depends on which survey techniques the kid uses. Those survey schemes consist of certain elements like:

• the degree of consciousness and consciousness of the purpose the kid is larning for and willingness the kid hasmemorisation scheme
• attempt used to larn a specific portion of the stuff

Sometimes it is really difficult to turn out which component from the 1s mentioned above is used. It can be even said that kids create memorisation schemes in internalization. Before a kid creates its ain technique of acquisition, a kid can non accomplish better consequences in larning but when those schemes are already created, the kid knows how to analyze to accomplish his or her purpose. Then, the procedure of memorization becomes faster, easier and more efficient. After some clip, kids non merely cognize how to larn faster but besides can understand more and make this more freely. However, at the age of six it is still really complicated for the immature scholar to organize stuff which has to be learnt, and this is why kids start to reiterate. Merely nine-year-old kids are consciously able to group certain images into classs to accomplish better memorization. To sum up, one can easy state that kids develop their memorization accomplishments harmonizing to their age and in this procedure kids remember those things which they pay attending to but it is short memory and at the same clip difficult memory which are used. Sensitivity on maintaining memory on the qui vive and reaction do non depend on where this new information comes from ( society, nature or their ain organic structure ) but in instance of kids it is chiefly automatically received and processed by their encephalon. This procedure happens rapidly and about without any attempt and the instructor can non see those procedures and can non halt or modify them. This procedure can be merely stopped and controlled, but so it works much slower and requires some attempt. What is more, a kid has to be witting of information and has to recognize it. To separate between automatic and controlled memorization, one can separate three degrees of the automatisation processes:

• the first degree is dominated by the automatic usage of information ( besides without paying attending )
• the 2nd degree is partly automatic when attending is non focused on information
• the 3rd degree is merely seldom automatic but full attending is needed in this instance ( E. Gruszczyk- Kolczynska, Ewa Zielinska Wspomaganie dzieci tungsten rozwoju zdolnosci do skupiania uwagi I zapamietywania WSiP Warszawa 2005: 52-68 ) .

1.4 The theory how media influence kids

Media themselves may present tonss of positive things but besides the negative 1s into the human life, form attitudes and outlook of the immature people. Furthermore, particularly kids may be easy influenced by commercials. Media contents are brought to people through the Internet, wireless or telecasting, and such media information consists of specific stimulations which affect encephalon, senses and create or alteration attitudes and ways of looking at the world. The good side of the media is the fact that it is created for people ‘s development, doing life more convenient, presenting societal and personal values and doing that long distances are easier to get the better of. As a consequence, even such facets as instruction or civilization are closer to assorted and detached states. On the other manus, mass media become a sort of of a boundary or a coop in which a individual is isolated from the others, as it may make a state of affairs of misconstruing and bound of one ‘s societal life which is so substituted with internet.

Acerate leaf to state, the mass media caused extremist reorganization of the societal life. In footings of instruction and upbringing of immature coevals, the media are making new types of personalities, a kind of a new civilization. This new coevals of media-people is an inextricable portion of the modern life, and can be beginning of many good, positive and bettering facets every bit good as bad, demoralising, violent and the 1s promoting unacceptable divergences.

1.4.1 Media in instruction

The fact of endeavoring for more effectual ways of instruction is a chief topic of many modern researches. Presents, in order to accomplish the end it is natural to utilize the most entertaining and cosmopolitan tools like the Internet and other mass media. Thankss to these tools, larning can be more pleasant and successful for the scholars and besides easier and less effort-requiring for the instructors. More and more modern instruction techniques make instruction up-to-date and let for go forthing ( old ) traditional methods in instruction and present the modern theoretical account of integrating of instruction with amusement. In this context, instruction becomes a merchandise, ( about a technological device ) , a beginning of educational tools and an inducement for the unconscious acquisition.

Media may be easy and freely used non merely in school instruction but besides in private, out-school or even planetary, societal, personal and cultural preparation. They can supply intelligence, information and educational content utilizing all possible multilingual tools. What is more, this sort of instrument has certain facets which are singled out by Henryk Grudzien in his work Media jako skladnik procesu dydaktyczno-wychowawczego:

• direct influence – this means that particularly telecasting plans and movies instantly influence their audience ( human emotions and mind )
• building-up influence – agencies constructing up information, associations and feelings connected with movies or Television plans which cause some alterations in the human mind
• subconscious influence – similar to the one above, but the audience is non witting of alterations in its attitudes because at the get downing the audience refuses the given manner of believing due to its unsuitable content and after some clip its opposition disappears.

Media besides have a enormous influence on the life style of the immature people, and they affect tonss of domains of immature people ‘s lives, for illustration:

• the consequence on the manner that person behaves ( doing determinations, aggressive behavior, societal actions etc. )
• the consequence on the degree of cognition ( degree of information, scope of cognition, degree of communicating accomplishments etc. )
• the influence on attitude ( believes, faith, judgment of other people, etc. )
• the influence on physical fittingness ( damaging of senses, deficiency of gesture, dependence )

The procedures mentioned above depend on many conditions such as age, mind, existent state of affairs in one ‘s life, degree of cognition, conditions, topographic point of having such information or influences, company or gender. For illustration, the most influential may be a movie watched in a film where the degree of focal point is really high, a spot weaker may be telecasting and the weakest the wireless.

1.4.2 The Internet in kids ‘s instruction

Cipher can deny that modern engineering has changed and revolutionized instruction. Teachers have besides rapidly adjusted their instruction methods in a response to new engineering because appliances in the schoolroom can make a more interesting, synergistic and entertaining environment. If schools strive to maintain up with technological tendencies, so the acquisition that takes topographic point at that place becomes more relevant and meaningful for the scholars. The Internet and computing machine cognition and literacy of major package plans is no longer reserved merely for higher educational systems or particular trade schools in the modern society. ( http: //www.ehow.com/about_5410187_uses-modern-technology-classroom-teaching.html # ixzz1Iai4xP5X )

Many kids, when traveling to school, trade with single troubles on the footing of their chances. Presents, from the really early age, kids get used to computing machines, the Internet and other modern engineerings. The entree and the usage of the Internet fulfil many of the purposes of instruction. What is more, it broadens kids ‘s head skylines, gives them a sense duty, builds up their self-esteem and develops their liberty. A large advantage of the Web is its easy entree and deficiency of responsibility to hold a face-to-face contact. The writer of the book Special educational demands and the Internet: issues for the inclusive schoolroom Chris Abbott claims that there are four rules and each one proves that web sites and the Internet have become an influential tool for learning as the students are:

1. Informed – The Internet is a beginning of information and intelligence used in subject work, be aftering visits, web sites images of schoolmates ‘ work, connexion with other students even outside the school, small town or town and besides link with past friends.
2. Involved – In the practical circuit, in fixing stuff, in making and sharing their thoughts ; in group with the incorporate activities where physical presence is non important.
3. Empowered – enabling entree for kids with any physical troubles, assorted tools, electronic mails
4. Recognised – images on web sites of the kids and their work, pieces of the school council meeting, helping successes and edifice self-pride. ( 111-112 )

The Internet has a big portion to play in the future instruction of the immature people. In this book, the writer included many utile tips when utilizing computing machines in learning immature scholars. For illustration, the page a instructor wants to utilize should be put on the screen before kids come into the schoolroom. What is really of import, computing machines should be set in a manner so that the kids can non open unauthorised sites and besides it is of import to remind the kids of behaving in a good manner to forestall the students from running to acquire to the computing machines foremost. It is besides utile to make a list of computing machine room regulations. Wherever possible, there should be no more than three students per one computing machine. If kids can non see the screen, they may rapidly lose involvement in their school work and may non be willing to larn. All these elements can do kids more concentrated and do larning more effectual ( C. Abbott Special educational demands and the Internet: issues for the inclusive schoolroom New York 2002 ) .