Language Acquisition Case Study
Alexa Armentano
Introduction:
Language acquisition is a dynamic and intricate process, influenced by many factors that play a large role in the process. One of the factors that has become a focal point of exploration is the influence of sociocultural factors. For this case study, I decided to investigate how sociocultural factors influence the second language acquisition process, especially within an educational setting. Some sociocultural factors that have been investigated are peer interactions, teacher interactions, cultural background, and social content. Investigating this topic and understanding how these factors affect students’ second language acquisition in an educational setting can be very beneficial. It can help create effective and engaging classroom environments for multilingual learners and ensure they are being set up to succeed. This paper will focus on the relationship between sociocultural elements and the language learning experiences of students in educational settings. The person I chose for this case study is a fifteen-year-old girl who is currently in 10th grade. She came to New York in 8th grade, without speaking any English. She is originally from Guatemala and her first language is Spanish. I chose this student to work with for this case study because she is currently going through the process of second language acquisition and is able to share her experience in content of culture, peer interactions, and teacher interactions. By exploring cultural background, peer interactions, teacher interactions, etc. this will be beneficial for understanding how sociocultural factors impact the second language acquisition process, ultimately advocating for a more inclusive and effective educational environment.
Literature Review:
There have been studies completed in the past looking into how sociocultural factors influence second language acquisition. Exploring the world of learning a second language, we find valuable insights from recent research on how cultural and social factors shape this process. The study completed in “Sociocultural Aspects of Second Language Acquisition” written by David Nunan (1992) discusses how the classroom is a sociocultural entity. It was found that the sorts of interactions which occur in the classroom are not the same as the interactions that occur outside of the classroom. Meaning, the language that teachers and students use inside the classroom is different from the language that is used outside of the classroom. Overall, it was found that by spending time in classrooms and attempting to understand language within the rich and diverse sociolinguistic context will deepen and enrich students’ understanding of the second language acquisition process. In a study completed by Ozfidan et. al (2014), sociocultural factors, mainly peer interactions, in SLA was investigated. It was found, according to participants, throughout all their language experiences, working with peers had a major influence on their learning if a language. Peer interaction provided them good opportunities for their language learning because they tended to produce a lot of spoken and written language. In an article written by Taveras (2019), multiple studies were completed and discussed. It was found that interaction is the main source for oral language development for ELL students. “Although the experiences of ELL students explored in the studies indicate some personal success (e.g., more familiarity with the host education system, socialization with peers, reinvented identities, greater proficiency), there has been limited reporting on the linguistic gains achieved by ELL students from engaging in peer interactions. One way to interpret the lack of reported linguistic development is through the lens of the Interaction Hypothesis (Krashen, 1985). As reported by the students and sometimes their instructors, ELL students were (and may still be) presented with inadequate opportunities to interact with their peers.” (Taveras, 2019). It was stated that classroom dynamics and its social atmosphere is also an influence on MLs SLA process. Depending on the students in the class, and what languages they speak, can affect the level of interaction. In a study of second language acquisition under sociocultural theory, Aimin (2013), it is stated that SCT presented another ideology, different from behaviorism and cognitivism, which appeared in the field of learning with two perspectives: cognitive and social. Social interaction and cooperative learning are paramount in constructing both cognitive and emotional images of reality. (Ai-Min, 2013). Once again, this shows social interaction between peers, and teachers, is imperative to the second language acquisition process. In an article written by Virginia Collier (1995), research regarding sociocultural contexts of schooling was discussed. It is stated that social factors in the U.S. have major influence on language acquisition for school. In the research that Collier (1995) completed, when examining interactions among student background variables, instructional treatments, and their influence on student outcomes, it was found that two-way bilingual education at the elementary school level is the most promising program model for the long-term academic success of language minority students. Reading these studies that have been completed provided knowledgeable information needed for this case study.
Methodology:
For this study, a mixed-methods approach was used, integrating classroom observations and interviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of the sociocultural factors influencing second language acquisition. I observed a female high school student during a math class that the ENL teacher pushed into. The classroom observation was conducted during one period of the school day. This provided insight into the daily interactions and dynamics that shapes the students’ language learning experience. Additionally, I conducted two interviews- one with the student and one with the ENL teacher from the same educational setting. The interview was conducted to extract qualitative data on the impact of sociocultural factors on language acquisition. These interviews were conducted at a time and place that was convenient for them. I went to the high school that the student attends, and where the ENL teacher teaches to conduct the interviews. I conducted the interviews when the student had a period where she worked in a small group with the ENL teacher in the ENL classroom. I conducted the interview with the ENL teacher during one of her prep periods in her office. I decided to choose a high school student, even though I work with preschool aged students, because I decided I would be able to gather more information about the students’ experience and have more of a background to discuss. I ensured during the whole experience that the participants felt respected and valued. This mixed-methods approach allowed me to gather more data which ensured more validity of the study’s findings and provides a more robust understanding of the intricate relationship between sociocultural factors and second language acquisition.
Results:
The process of finding the results to my research question was interesting as well as enjoyable. Having time to observe the students in a class before conducting the interview was helpful for my process. I paid attention to how the MLs were interacting with each other, other students, the classroom teacher, and the ENL teacher. The students were very quiet, and did not like to participate, especially the student I focused on for this case study. With the full class, she did not participate or volunteer to answer any questions. When she was working in the small group with the ENL teacher, she did answer a question, but was still very quiet and shy. She was paying attention, and very focused throughout the whole lesson. During the interview, the student answered all the questions the best she could. Her English is not very strong, but she was trying her best to explain her experiences. First, I spoke to her about how often she interacts with her classmates and if it helps her learn English better. She responded by sharing she only interacts with her peers a very little bit, and she mostly interacts with other MLs who also speaks Spanish as their L1. The student shared how interacting with other students does help her learn English a little better, but she doesn’t interact with them too much because speaking English is still challenging for her. She then shared that her teacher helps her the most to learn English by talking to her, correcting her when needed, and showing her how to complete assignments. Then, I started asked about her cultural background and if/how it has been affected since moving out of Guatemala. She shared that she did not speak any English until she moved two years ago, and that she does not speak any English at home. Her family only speaks Spanish because her family does not know any English at all. She feels her culture has not been affected at all because they still do a lot of things from their culture, and they still speak the same language. She feels not much has changed when she’s with only her family because of speaking Spanish and doing the same traditions as always. After speaking to her about the difficulties of learning English, she shared some ideas on how it can be made easier. The student shared how it is very difficult learning English, and that writing in English is way easier than speaking English. She feels she interacts with her teachers very well, and that she is way more comfortable talking to her teachers than peers who are not MLs. The student’s ideas on how to make learning a new language in a classroom easier are to have a Spanish to English dictionary for tests, quizzes and assignments, and to have a vocabulary list with definitions in both English and Spanish. The student provided very helpful information for my case study, and I learned a lot from her. She does not speak English very well; it is sometimes hard to understand her, and you can tell it is very challenging for her to speak in English. She speaks very slowly and takes time to think about what she is going to say before speaking. I thought it was an interesting fact that she has been learning English for two years now but is not making much progress, and that she doesn’t speak any English outside of the educational setting. This was one of the main aspects of my interview that stood out to me because I think if she was speaking English more at home, and outside of school, she could have an easier time acquiring English. Another main finding that stood out to me was that fact that she doesn’t speak to her peers much, only her teachers and other MLs who speak Spanish. This was an interesting finding because peer interaction was one of the aspects I was investigating. I found that she does not interact much with her English-speaking peers. If she interacted more, maybe her English would be better than what it currently is. She mentioned that she does learn English from her peers, but she doesn’t typically interact with them, which was an interesting finding. After I completed the interview with the student, I then conducted an interview with the ENL teacher.
It was interesting to learn how an ENL teacher works with MLs who are in high school because all of my experience with MLs and ENL teachers are with preschool and elementary aged students. I began the interview by asking what program is used with MLs and how often they work with their identified ML students. The program this school uses is ‘EDGE’ and the ENL teacher works with MLs six periods a day every day. Each period is forty minutes, and she also spends most extra help periods with MLs as well, which is another thirty minutes per day. Then, I asked the ENL teacher if and how she uses students’ cultural backgrounds as a beneficial resource while working with students and she said yes. She uses it to engage and motivate the students, and every year, she does a project with MLs about their cultures in their stand-alone class (which is what I would compare to a pull-out lesson in elementary.) She does this so she can get to know them better and plan her lessons based on their culture and interests. She feels that using their cultural background in the classroom is beneficial because it helps make MLs feel more comfortable in an environment where they don’t always feel like they fit in. I asked the ENL teacher if she finds MLs expressing their cultural background and she answered by saying she does see MLs expressing their culture when they are around people with the same cultural background as them, or with her, the ENL teacher. With classmates that might not have similar backgrounds as them, they are usually shy and keep to themselves. After discussing how culture affects acquisition, especially in the educational setting, I asked about how MLs interact within the same setting. The ENL teacher works with MLs in a small group during their stand-alone class. During this time, if it is a regent’s course, she spends a lot of time completing practice regents and discussing the questions and answers. She also will speak to classroom teachers and find out specific topics that the MLs need extra support with and will focus on that during this time. She feels MLs learn a lot through observation, but not as much as actually being in the conversation and practicing the language themselves. The ENL teacher thinks MLs learn a lot through interaction with classmates, but that not all MLs are comfortable having conversations with classmates who aren’t other MLs. She notices MLs who interact with other classmates do pick up specific sayings and then will begin using them. The student I interviewed for this case study is very shy and does not typically interact with classmates who aren’t MLs who also speak Spanish. Then, I moved on to ask the ENL teacher how social interactions in school impact second language acquisition for learners. This was interesting because the ENL teacher shared that this student is on the soccer team and acts very different during practices and games as she does when she is in school. When she is at practice, this student is extremely comfortable and interacts with all of her teammates, not just the other ML on the team. She is not as shy and is open to talking to her peers more. This stood out to me because in this case, this student is more comfortable in a more social setting, and maybe this is more helpful for her acquisition. And finally, the last question I asked the ENL teacher was about if MLs feel comfortable interacting with classmates who aren’t MLs. The ENL teacher said it truly depends on each individual student and their level of proficiency. In the case of the student that I focused on for my case study, the answer would be no. This student rarely interacts with peers in her class who aren’t other MLs who speak Spanish. On the other hand, there are other students who are more comfortable talking with classmates, but they have a higher proficiency level in speaking English. Overall, this entire process was extremely interesting, and I learned a lot about how sociocultural factors impact second language acquisition within an educational setting.
Exploring how sociocultural factors impact learning a new language in school, the observations and interviews provided very interesting results. The student’s tendency to interact predominantly with other Spanish-speaking MLs shows how peer interactions can significantly shape language development. It is clear this student rarely interacts with English-speaking peers, and her proficiency level is very low. She seems to only interact with MLs who also speak Spanish throughout the school day. While she does interact with all of her peers on the soccer team, she doesn’t spend enough time with them for it to make a difference. The student mostly talks to friends who speak Spanish, showing that who you talk to can affect how you learn a language. The student’s reliance on the ENL teacher for support reveals the pivotal role educators play in the language learning experience, emphasizing the importance of teacher-student relationships as influential sociocultural factors. The ENL teacher’s incorporation of students’ cultural backgrounds also underscores the potential motivational impact of such pedagogical approaches. On the other hand, the student’s contrasting behavior on the soccer team brought up an interesting finding. The ease with which she engages with her teammates in a less formal, more social content shows the influence of varied social environments on language acquisition. This finding suggests that the sociocultural factors at play extend beyond the classroom, which shows the need to consider a more diverse social settings for students acquiring another language. Overall, these findings show that peer interactions, teacher interactions, cultural backgrounds, and social contexts all play a big part in second language acquisition within an educational setting.
Discussion:
Looking at what I found with my research and from the literature review, some aspects match up, and some bring new insights. The student talking more to other Spanish-speaking MLs aligns with existing research emphasizing the role of peer interactions in language learning. This mirrors the idea that students often feel more comfortable practicing a new language with peers who share a similar language background. Relating my findings to Nunan’s (1992) findings, a lot of the learning does happen within the classroom that offers its own social, cultural, linguistic contexts. A lot of learning, if not all, is completed through interaction. My findings emphasize the broader discussion on peer interaction in the Ozfidan et. al (2014) study, highlighting its significance in language development. The central role of interaction with the ENL teacher, as well as peers, in the student’s language journey resonates with Taveras’ (2019) findings, emphasizing the importance of guidance in the language acquisition process. This also goes along with Ai-Min’s (2013) findings and how beneficial the sociocultural theory can be for students during their language learning journey. Additionally, Collier’s (1995) insights into teachers as cultural mediators further support the notion that educators play a pivotal role in creating a culturally diverse learning environment. The student’s contrasting behavior when she is with her soccer team provided new insight to these studies and it is an interesting aspect of my findings. They found that language acquisition can be influenced by being in different social groups. In reflection, my findings align with existing research, which shows that sociocultural factors do impact second language acquisition in an educational setting.
Conclusion:
Exploring how sociocultural factors impact second language acquisition was an enjoyable and interesting case study. This study focused on a 10th grade multilingual learner and her ENL teacher. Through classroom observations and interviews, useful information was found. My findings showed that sociocultural factors like peer interactions, teacher interactions, cultural backgrounds, and social settings, plays a role in second language acquisition. My findings also matched existing research from previous studies. However, the finding that the student was more comfortable with her soccer team has not been explored as much as my other findings. This study emphasizes the importance of sociocultural factors during second language acquisition, highlighting the roles of peers, teachers, and diverse social settings. In conclusion, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on second language acquisition, offering an understanding of how sociocultural factors shape the language learning journey within educational settings.
References:
Ai-Min, L. (2013). The study of second Language acquisition under Socio-Cultural Theory. American Journal of Educational Research, 1(5), 162 167. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-1-5-3
Collier, V. P. (1995). Acquiring a Second Language for School. Directions in Language and Education, 1(4). http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED394301.pdf
Nunan, D. (1992). Sociocultural Aspects of Second Language Acquisition. Cross Currents, XIX (1). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED356641.pdf#page=16
Özfidan, B., Machtmes, K., & Demir, H. (2014). Socio-cultural factors in second Language learning: A case study of adventurous adult language learners. European Journal of Educational Research, 3(4), 185–191. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.3.4.185
Tavares, V. (2019). A review of peer interaction and second language learning for ELL students in academic contexts. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education/ Revue Canadienne Des Jeunes Chercheures Et Chercheurs En Éducation, 10(2). https://dev.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjnse/article/view/67905
Angell, J., Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (1995b). How languages are learned. The Modern Language Journal, 79(2), 268. https://doi.org/10.2307/329630
Pavlenko, A. (2002b). 11. Poststructuralist Approaches to the Study of Social Factors in Second Language Learning and Use. In Multilingual Matters eBooks (pp. 275–302). https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853595851-013