Specifically, the Korean children brought home English books of interest for reading. Usually, the children would read to their mother, who would facilitate conversation in English as often as possible. When necessary, the mother used codeswitching to clarify a new English concept (Mitchell & Lee, 2008).
The first lessons were focused on vocabulary development and pronunciation, so that the children had a basis for eventually forming full, English sentences. By the end of the case study, episodes were recorded on a level closer to fluency, as seen in the printed transcriptions in the text (Mitchell & Lee, 2008).
Implications:
By reading the dialogues, it is clear that this type of home literacy was effective for the Korean children. Texts were short and attractive to the children's age levels and included stimulating and conversation-provoking illustrations. Sometimes, the texts were just slightly above the functioning level of the children, allowing for scaffolding to take place through the mother's guidance. The children also supported and encouraged each other's learning, through their own scaffolding and linguistics. They also collaborated in roleplay and used their imaginations to make learning English a fun activity (Mitchell & Lee, 2008).
The children also learned so well because while they were "studying," they were having fun; and according to the text, "[p]lay is seen as central to all aspects of early childhood education, including first language development" (Mitchell & Lee, 2008). The children were actively able to create their own learning and development, simply because they were entertained and eager to have fun. For example "playing school" made an otherwise daunting task both creative and fun, while teaching the children throughout the whole experience (Mitchell & Lee, 2008)
The conclusion posits that "young L2 learners should be seen as 'active, competent and intentional' participants in the language learning process (Mitchell & Lee, 2008). Therefore, if parents are seeking to teach their children a second language at home, they should abide by these guidelines and exercise patience and creativity in designing their "lesson plans."
How Do You Teach a Second Language?
eHow.com lists five, clear steps for teaching a second language to a child in the home:
1. Educate yourself on early childhood language instruction, as teaching a foreign language to children is much different than teaching to adolescents and adults. Use interactive activities instead of memorization drills. Use verbal communication instead of sedentary writing and reading, so that the child can interact with the new language and understand the reason for using it.
2. Have a collection of foreign language materials that are age-appropriate. Textbooks that intend to teach the language are often too difficult for young children, so simple poems and songs coupled with arts and crafts activities will help the child to learn a second language.
3. Be sure to interact in the foreign language, so that the instruction is integrated throughout the day and not just apparent during "lesson time." During routine activities, such as meal time or bath time, start by saying the sentences in mother tongue and then repeating those sentences in the second language. As time progresses, switch to the reverse and finally, only the foreign language.
4. Use cultural materials that inadvertently educate the children. Look for books and movies on children growing up in the respective foreign country, so that your child can relate on an age-appropriate level and explain what you don't understand.
5. Introduce your children to native speakers, especially if you speak with a non-second language accent. It is important that the child understands the natural inflection of the second language when it is spoken as the mother tongue.
(MiriamK)
Suggested Second Language Instruction Materials for Home Use
I have found two strong aids for second language instruction that I believe can be used in conjunction with the aforementioned 5 steps for teaching a second language.
MUZZY
The first program is MUZZY, with which I have personal experience from my childhood. MUZZY is an excellent program because it is divided by age, so children can start learning a second language as soon as their parents are ready to purchase the program.
Under MUZZY's logo, the words "Window of Opportunity" are listed, further suggesting my belief that second language acquisition comes at an early age.
"MUZZY follows national foreign language standards, which emphasize the use of functional language, repetition, and 'spiraling'. In MUZZY, words and concepts are first introduced, and then introduced again and again in many new contexts" (www.early-advantage.com). This method is stressed in Step 3, of eHow's aforementioned article. MUZZY uses a multi-sensory and multi-layered technique, and each lesson is a foundation for the next. It is effective for all types of learners. The series follows an exciting story line that is intriguing to children. It incorporates a love story, friendship with the iconic green monster, and trouble with a villain. The entire performance is carried out in the second language, with a manual and flash-cards in the native language to use for reference. When I had MUZZY, I received a set of 4 VHS tapes, 2 audio cassettes (to listen to the same story on tape), a CDrom with interactive computer games for language application, and a script manual. I know that at this point, the VHS tapes have been substituted for DVDs, but the rest of the learning materials are more or less the same.
(www.early-advantage.com)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD9i39GENWU)
This is the first commercial advertisement for Muzzy, which enticed my father to buy the program for my brother and me, and also made it popular. Based on the current website, the company has added vocabulary DVDs and additional manuals to strengthen the program.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLJ2fTrbV_w)
It looks like this may be the more recent advertisement for an updated MUZZY.It is also important to note that while it advertises being a positive program for all ages, the actual numerical listing of the series stops at age 12, where the range "8 to 12+" is written. Clearly, the "plus-sign" is depicted for marketing purposes, but BBC is also acknowledging the critical period for learning a second language, and highlighting that it may end around age 12.
LITTLE PIM
I am not as familiar with the "Little Pim" program, but it seems to work with the same idea as MUZZY, including a lovable non-human protagonist and his stories and interactions with the world around him. It is different, however, in that it also incorporates real human children doing familiar activities to engage the young viewers. This is equally called a "foreign language immersion program" that combines animation and real children to teach everyday grammar and vocabulary in a realistic context. It also offers a few more language choices than MUZZY.
(http://www.littlepim.com/products/about/)
This video explains the concept behind "Little Pim," and stresses the importance of starting early when teaching languages to children. It therefore embraces the critical language concept that is still constantly debated, despite the very positive support for it. There is even an entire page of the website, dedicated to supporting the research on the critical language period, and linking customers to scientific support of their claim.(www.littlepim.com)
I am most intrigued by this paragraph, discussing "Little Pim's" method:
Little Pim DVDs are designed and paced for developing minds. Young children respond enthusiastically to Little Pim’s format, a combination of animation and live action. Babies respond to black and white, therefore the panda captures the attention of even the youngest viewers. Each 35-minute DVD is segmented into seven 5-minute episodes to accommodate a young child’s attention span and encourage pausing for parent interaction. Simple sentences are broken down into easy-to-understand parts, and reinforced through repetition.
(http://www.littlepim.com/products/the-method/)
The color concept is something that I had never considered, but makes a lot of sense, obviously rendering this program very successful. I also like the idea of breaking up the lessons into 5-minute clips. A 35-minute lesson seems simple and unproductive to a college-aged student like myself, but makes a lot of sense in keeping the young learner's attention and allowing him/her the opportunity to interact and gain reinforcement from parents.
Therefore, there is plenty of support for at-home methods of teaching languages, and many resources for parents planning to educate their children on second languages in this way.
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