SL Acquisition and SL Teaching

Second Language Acquisition can be described as the different sets, factors, inputs, in which every person has on their own environment, and according to their abilities, can make of this input, comprehensible in order to facilitate the acquisition of the second language.

Second Language Teaching, instead, can be described as the set of ¨rules¨, ways, methodologies, strategies, applied in order to facilitate the acquisition of a second language.

Probably there is no difference between these two approaches, regarding that both seek for one common objective, learning a second language.

In terms of ¨how¨ is the process of SL acquisition and SL teaching, we can see a notorious gap between them, since there are external, social factors affecting the acquisition process, while on the teaching process, these factors might not represent an influence on it.

In terms of ¨what¨ is the best approach, regarding to a successful learning of a second language, the answer might rely onto what context the SL learner is dealing with, and what factors might be affecting or interacting with his/her background knowledge.

Relationship SLA - Second Language Teaching

 WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING?

A relationship between second language acquisition (SLA) and second language Teaching is advantageous, desirable and positive. SLA plays an important role in Teaching English as a second Language. It has contributed in one way or another to Language Teaching. Teachers need to receive language knowledge in order to teach.

In the classroom the teacher applies what he learned in SLA using Pedagogy. Is in the classroom that the teacher shows its abilities, during the class, when he follows a lesson plan prepared by himself, showing its capacities and knowledge.

To acquire a second language is necessary to a second language teaching, one is related to the other. SLA facilitates the development of Second language teaching. It is useful, to advise teachers about how or what to teach, giving them resources to put in practice.

HOW ARE SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING DIFFERENT?

Second language acquisition, is learning a second language after a first language, it is already established. It takes a long time to learn it well and everybody can do it. A second language teaching, takes a lot time of practice and it is necessary to have a University degree.

A teacher promotes second-language acquisition. If a teacher cannot use the language well, he or she should not be teaching it. SLA cannot ensure competence of teachers. There is a significant overlap between SLA and Second language teaching, in a SLA the person who learns is a student and in Second Language teaching one who acquired a second language is a teacher.

HOW MIGHT THEY AFFECT EACH OTHER AND HOW MIGHT THE STUDY OF ONE AFFECT THE STUDY OF THE OTHER?

To acquire a second language in a classroom as a student may affect a person who decides to change places and teaches English as a second language. It is also more concerned with what the teacher does in the classroom than with what the student does.

Teaching English as a second language, teachers sometimes feels frustrated, they assume they know what their students need in order to select what to teach them, but their students or learners do not appreciate what they have planned, they do not show interest, do not pay attention to the class, get bored or fall asleep, thus they do not learn.

 The teacher just teaches and sometimes he forgets when he or she was a student. Changing roles from student to a teacher creates a distance between them. This perspective should encourage the teacher to take advantage of the learning opportunities to make the didactic material relevant to the learners.

Azucena Naranjo Sanchez

LANGUAGE, LEARNING, AND TEACHING


Language, learning, and teaching are moving forward in the education in our society nowadays. That is why it is very important to consider these three aspects before advancing in the process of a second language acquisition.

Language has risen from the necessity to communicate ideas, emotions, feelings, etc. It has emerged arbitrarily, that is that society creates a system of codes or symbols to participate and interact among each other.

Learning a language is an innate in people’s brains; since born, people is involved in this natural process of language acquisition. However, learning a second language is a process that can develop at any stage in individuals’ lives. When learning a second language, the left side of our brain activates and develops abilities for this purpose. This is why acquiring a second language does not become a natural process unless the individual is exposed to a bilingual environment. The successful development of this ability depends on several factors as motivation, age, special needs, background, social environment, and others.  

Teaching a second language is a process where several techniques and methods are applied in the classroom. It will depend on the factors cited above which definitely influence the acquisition of the second language. Teacher must develop an awareness of the importance of second language acquisition on learners so that they are motivated to learn a language rather than blinded to do it. Another factor to consider in L2 acquisition is the environmental situation in the education in our society since there are many limitations for both, learners and educators, to be deeply immersed in this process. However, educators have figured out ways to accomplish the teaching goal, considering as an interaction process rather than a transfer process.

Written by: Elena Niola

Being an educator is an enormous responsibility, we are facilitators of the knowledge  , responsible for encouraging the intellectual development of our students.

 The teacher  position, always puts you in a role where you have to plan  and provide activities ,materials that engage and challenge the students intellectually, these  activities should be designed to  help learners to adquire the language  in an active way.

We are providers of information, planning, evaluating, grading tests, exams and assignments are  our duties , we have to be  always   ready to adjust teaching styles to meet individual needs of student, and   understand the diverse background they  come from, their strengths, weaknesses and areas of interest .

 It is our hands to provide  them   instrumental motivation for the language ,that make us sometimes think we have the power among our students.

 Being on the other side, to be sitting as a student,  receiving the information in a passive role make the process different ,my teachers are the ones who  make me participate in a active process. It gives you a another  perspective ,I can face the difficulties of being from a different background and how I can use my experience to help my students, I can analyze  my teaching style and improve it.

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING

Both, Second Language acquisition and Second Language teaching  are important in the process of learning a language.

On the one hand, Learning a second language  besides the mother tongue, is called Second Language acquisition.  And it is an internal process of our brains, whereas the target language is learned. And its goal is to describe  the learner´s mental representation of the Second Language as it is mention in the Innate perspective.

When  grammar mistakes are reformulated by the intelocutor, Learners can realize those errors, and correct them the next time they use those expressions.

  On the other hand, Second Language Teaching refers the steps , procedures or techniques a teacher has to use to perform teaching of the target language. 

Since the past it has been mentioned, that there haven´t been an especific method to teach a language, and experience tells teacher that we need to adapt and we do. As teacher we have to shape our pegagogy in order to response our learners needs.

Finally , I think either SLA and SLT are conected, because it  is an interactive process whereas sudents and teachers have to collaborate to obtain the best results.

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

According to what I have read, Second Language Acquisition is the process by which people learn a second language in addition to a person's first language. Whereas, the Second Language  Teaching refers to the development of procedures for the teaching of the target language.  Both approaches  are related each other, since they are involved in the process of learning another language for different purposes.

Futhermore, the Second Language Acquisition differs from the Second Language Teaching in the sense that the first, is a subconscious process which leads to fluency; on the other hand, the Second Language of Teaching is a conscious process which shows itself  in terms of teaching rules and structures for the acquisition of the target language.

From my point of view, as the Second Language Acquisiton as the Second Language Teaching  might not affect each other, even if they show some differences betweem them ; on the contrary, I consider that they are closely related because the learner and the teacher play an active role in the process of learning a second language.

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

Teachers face  every day challenges the first one i to choose the correct model and method to teach our students according their coontext,we have to distinguish the needs of everyone of them  differences as a group and  as an individual, age, motivation, identity.

teachers shold be aware about to give our students enough "tools" by means of which they can develop their multicompetence rather than  reach the native speakes abilities, because this way the student develop a mutilingual identity.

moreover we mas be aware about the material in which we are going to use in class: mainly textboks but next to this we need to be careful with supplemental material  they shold be prefereable froma real context.

In the other hand other device to hept the teacher on his classes is technology we oughto to prepar to use new technology in class which is hepfull and widely motivant.

beside of this otro outstanding factor is culture, because it influence the way to see the world, using cultural information at classes students gain intercultural competence.