LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Abigail HolleronSamantha Smith

Kristin Hayes

DEFINITION

Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate

First-language acquisition studies infants' achievement of their native language.

Second-language acquisition deals with the achievement (in children and adults) of additional languages.

IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE Language is how we communicate and connect with other people It enriches and enhances mental development It strengthens the understanding of one’s own language and

culture when they compare their language to another culture’s language

It helps students understand another country’s culture, traditions, and history

Language learning can be executed through stories, speech, and technology

Language will advance leadership skills and expand career opportunities by making one more versatile

HOW LANGUAGE APPLIES TO 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION Students use language to learn and communicate with cultures and share their own culture

Students understand how media influence language and culture

Students use appropriate technologies when interpreting, interacting, and producing language

Students understand diverse cultural perspectives and use appropriate skills to communicate in diverse cultures

EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION

Podcasts… Help students work on pronunciation and

fluency skills Can be both scripted or improvised Can be used as a form of evaluation as

students demonstrate what they have learned Provide students with feedback that can be

listened to over and over Two popular podcast programs: Audacity and iTunes.

EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION

You are a member of a German news reporting agency! You will first be assigned a holiday that citizens of Germany celebrate to complete research on in groups. This will not be a holiday celebrated in the United States. Next, you will organize a short newscast in German where each person will report on a different aspect of the holiday. The final step is to record your newscast on Audacity and upload it to the class blog. Viel Glück!

ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY

Previous approach to Language Acquisition

Minimal uses of technology causes:

More opportunities for rote learning which creates passive learners

Meaningful connections to less likely to be made

Outdated learning materials

21st Century Education approach to Language

Acquisition Utilization of technology causes:

Positive learning attitudes

Less anxiety that comes from learning a new language (i.e. message boards)

Learning materials to be used that are constantly being updated and consequently more relevant to learners

WORKS CITED http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_acquisition http://www.academia.edu/243362/Global_Trends_in_Language_Learning_in_the_21st_Century http://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/21stCenturySkillsMap/p21_worldlanguagesmap.pdf