Difficulties in Learning English As a Second Or Foreign Language
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Participant Introduction .................................. 36 Early Education and First Languages ......................... 37 Adult Life and Learning .................................. 43 Sacrifice and Challenge .................................. 44 Adult ESL ........................................... 46 iv Motivation ........................................... 49 Social Interaction ...................................... 54 Comfort Zone ......................................... 56 Stops and Starts ....................................... 58 Chapter Summary ...................................... 62 5. DISCUSSION ........................................... 64 Hindrances .......................................... 65 Anxiety .......................................... 66 Motivation ........................................ 67 First Language ..................................... 70 Language Learning Disability .............................. 72 Adult Learning Themes .................................. 76 Self Expression ....................................... 78 Conclusion .......................................... 80 Implications .......................................... 81 Suggestions for Further Research ............................ 82 Project Summary ...................................... 82 REFERENCES ............................................... 84 v Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The ability to communicate effectively in English is essential for immigrants to the United States as they learn to function and communicate in an unfamiliar culture and language. However, it may be very difficult for some immigrants to learn and use English, and they may show very little progress over time. While it is unlikely that every learner of English as a second language (ESL) enjoys the luxury of learning in ideal and perfect learning situations, immigrant ESL learners are still reasonably able to attain high levels of English proficiency and should at least be able to make modest progress. Statement of the Problem Not everyone who comes to this country learns English rapidly or makes effective progress in English ability, and that lack of progress can have a negative effect on the quality of life of the immigrant and can be a barrier to success for the learner. The resulting social marginalization might be particularly frustrating for a woman learner, and she may feel increasingly marginalized from the culture she seeks to join. That frustration can compound the effects and causes of the perceived failure to progress. In turn, that sense of failure can lead to shame and embarrassment and further inhibit the learner’s practical and natural acquisition of the new language, and thus, negatively affect her immigration and socialization experience. 2 However, a learner who experiences difficulty and slow progress may not be aware of the causes or problems behind the lack of progress or how to resolve them. Instructors and directors of ESL programs might be unaware of the reasons for or resolutions to the difficulties a learner experiences. It is crucial that ESL instructors and program directors help adult learners, who do not make expected progress, to determine the most likely reasons for their predicament and make recommendations, and if necessary, implement accommodations to help them overcome barriers to learning. Background of the Problem Since effective language learning involves a variety of skills, practices and abilities, problems could be based in any of a number of areas, or there may be a combination of reasons for the lack of necessary and expected progress (Shank, 2001; Schwarz, 2003). It is important for ESL instructors and program directors to attain as complete a picture as possible of the learner’s language learning profile in order to help determine the possible and likely causes for the learner’s lack of expected progress, not only to address the reasons, but also for the sake of the learner's self-image, confidence, and motivation to continue the language learning process (Shank; Comstock & Kamara, 2003). Examples from the literature provided a basis for review of various skills and affective factors in the study of ESL and likely causes were identified for the learning differences and problems experienced by certain types of learners. Much of the literature on barriers to learning language involve language learning disability (LLD), both in students who learn English and in students who learn other foreign languages, 3 but very little information is available from the learners themselves about the difficulties they experience or their language learning experience in general. Since there are so many factors involved in learning and language study, it would seem beneficial to attain a more complete picture of the background, disposition, practice, and experience of a learner who has had notable difficulty in learning ESL and in showing noticeable progress. This author described, examined, and evaluated various aspects of one learner’s ESL learning experience. Purpose of the Project The purpose of the project was to explore and describe the experience of one adult female immigrant to the U.S. and her difficulties in learning English as a second language. Information gathered from the available research provided a foundation for understanding and helped to suggest a variety of possible reasons for the difficulties she experienced. Interviews with her provided testimony and insight in the qualitative inquiry. Observations from the viewpoint of this researcher, an experienced EFL teacher, adult educator, and trusted person, provided background and suggestions for consideration and focus. Insights gathered from interviews with the learner should help to inform ESL instructors of adult learners about the real experience and reaction of one type of learner and one unique learning experience, but one that can provide insight to the kinds of problems that many ESL learners might experience when they come to the U.S. as immigrants. Also, the findings from this case study may demonstrate whether certain types of learners should receive special or remedial training in any aspects of ESL in order to 4 learn more efficiently. Specifically, certain learners whose first language and the way they learned it have absolutely nothing in common with English, and it may be more problematic than has been generally thought. For example, the Taiwanese/Chinese learner of ESL may benefit from an extremely basic reteaching of English letter/sound correlations and rules. This remains an area for further research. Chapter Summary The author explored and described one U.S. immigrant woman’s English learning experience from her perspective by way of interviews and observation. In this way, the learner was able to express her experience and the effects of her difficulties. The collected data are authentic and valid as it provided the genuine experience of one learner. The contribution and relevance of the findings to the field demonstrate the weight of her true experience and the flavor of her true expression. It is hoped that others like her will benefit from the telling of her story and that ESL teaching methodology will grow from it as well. This author provided recommendations to ESL instructors and program directors to help learners in similar situations, such as remedial training in phonemic coding to help rebuild the learning foundation in order to help the learner make new progress where progress had been painfully slow. If that remedial training is effective, the practice can be encouraged in the field for students with similar problems. In Chapter 2, the Review of Literature, the available current literature is presented and discussed briefly. In Chapter 3, Methods, the goals and procedures of the explorative research design and phenomenological inquiry are detailed. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE The purpose of the project was to explore and describe the experience of one adult female immigrant to the United States and her difficulties in learning English as a second language. Information gathered from the available research provided a foundation for understanding and helped to suggest a variety of reasons for the difficulties she experienced. Interviews with her provided testimony and insight into this phenomenological inquiry. Insights gathered can inform English as second language (ESL) instructors of adult learners about the needs of learners who do not progress at expected rates. Background The ability to communicate effectively in English is essential for immigrants to the U.S. who wish to be integrated into society. However, some immigrants may have a very difficult time learning and using English and may show very little progress over time (Almanza, Singleton, & Terrill, 1996; Schwarz & Terrill, 2000). Except for those who might be able to insulate themselves in tightly knit, self- sustaining ethnic communities, immigrants must learn to function and communicate in an unfamiliar culture and language. While it is unlikely that the majority of ESL learners enjoy the luxury of learning in ideal and perfect learning situations, most adult ESL learners are able to 6 attain high levels of English proficiency (White & Genesee, 1996; Birdsong, 1992; Bongaerts, Planken, & Schils, 1995; Ioup, Boustagui, Tigi, & Moselle, 1994; Juffs & Harrington, 1995; all cited in Bialystock, 1997). However, not everyone who immigrates to the U.S. reaches a high level of proficiency, and many are not able to make what might be considered expected progress. While the causes of the lack of success in the target language can be hard to identify, the effects of such weaknesses can be notable. In the case of immigrants, difficulties in learning the new language can pose risks to success in more fundamental endeavors that affect the happiness and even the livelihoods of individuals and families (Comstock & Kamara, 2003; Shank, 2001). It is crucial that ESL instructors of adult learners, who do not make expected progress, determine the most likely reasons for the learners’ predicament and make recommendations and, if necessary, provide accommodations to help them overcome the barriers to learning (Comstock & Kamara, 2003; Schwarz, 2003). Since effective language learning involves a variety of skills, abilities, practices, and resources, there may be a combination of reasons for the lack of necessary and expected progress (Schwarz & Terrill, 2000). It is important to determine the possible and likely causes for the lack of expected progress in such a learner, not only for the purpose of addressing possible problems, but also for the sake of the learner’s self-image, confidence and motivation to continue the language learning process. Second Language Acquisition Ellis (1997) defined second language (L2) acquisition as “the way in which people learn a language other than their mother tongue, inside or outside of a 7 classroom” (p. 3). The language studied is referred to as the target language, and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is the study of this learning process. English as a second language is learned in a country where English is spoken naturally, while English as a foreign language (EFL) is learned in countries where English is not spoken as an official language. Foreign language (FL) refers to any non-native language learned anywhere it is not spoken naturally. For the purposes of this review, the adjectives, target, foreign, and second language are practically interchangeable but are specific in certain research examples cited. In addition, results from research in one area are transferable to another, and ESL is the ultimate focus. Yüklə 0,81 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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