a comparative case study of two successful foreign language learners group member: 9421021 nini...
TRANSCRIPT
A Comparative Case Study of Two Successful Foreign
Language Learners
Group Member:
9421021 Nini 9631006 Jean 9631008 Nelson 9631009 Rainy
9631013 Emily 9631023 Emma 9631045 Nig
Outline
• Interviewees Introduction• Why we choose them?• Data Collection Methods• Personal Analysis• Hypothesis in use - Behaviorism - Innatism - Interactionism• Definition of Successful Language Learner
Interviewees Introduction
John Van Goch
任書欣 Suzanne Jen
John
John
Personal introduction • Born in Holland in 1957, 53
years old• Get Married, has 3 children. • Now works as Southern Chief
Executive Educational officer of Ivy League English program.
• Language ability: Dutch, English, German, French, & Chinese.
John
Educational (life) BackgroundAge 11 Started learning French Age 12 Started Learning German and EnglishAge 20 to 24 Work at a microbiology lab at universityAge 24 Left HollandAge 27 Traveled in China (for two months)
came to Taipei, Taiwan and started teaching English with Peter Lai. ( 賴世雄 )
32 years old until now Working as a English teacher and is now running his own cram school.
JohnLearning conditionsEnglish
Why- He has interest in English, and the environment where he lived gave him the chance to learn and practice.
When- Formally learned from 11 to 20 years old.
Where- In Holland, in his junior and high school.
German
Why- Historically Holland and Germany have been very close, and the languages are also similar.
When- Formally learned from 13 to 14 in his junior high.
Where- in his junior high school In Holland.
French
Why- Because he has interest in French.
When- Formally learned from 11 to 14 years old.
Where- In Holland, in his junior high school.
Suzanne
SuzannePersonal introduction• Born in Taiwan in 1984, 25 years old.• Single• Certifications:
TOEFL CBT 290 in 2005 (21)
French DELF C2 in 2006 (22)
German Test DAF B2 in 2007 (23)• Now graduated from National Taiwan University, being
the leading actress of a theater, teaching English as a tutor.
• Language ability: English, French, German, Spanish, Cantonese.
Suzanne• Educational (life) Background
Before age 5 Lived in Changhua After age 5 Moved to Manchester for one year for her father’s Ph.D.
She formally learned English in the first year of primary school. age 6 Came back to Taiwan and attended the elementary school in
Taipei. age 10 Started to read easy English novels. Gradually, turned to other
languages. age 12 Started to learn French with 3 other friends from a tutor. age 16 Went to Lillie in France as an exchange student for 10 months. age 19 Graduated from Taipei First Girls' High School
Attended National Taiwan University age 23 Went to Heidelberg in Germany as an exchange student for 10
months. age 24 Graduated from National Taiwan University, Foreign Languages
and Literature department.
SuzanneLearning conditions
English Why- Went to England for her father’s Ph.D When- 5 years old Where- In a primary school in Manchester
French Why- Greatly inspired by a French movie. When- First at 12 years old. Later learned efficiently in France at 16. Where- In Taiwan and Lillie.
German Why- Travel in Germany when she was a exchange student in France, felt that
Germany is beautiful. (optional language course in NTU). When- At age 20. Later learned in Heidelberg at 23. Where- In NTU and in Heidelberg.
Spanish Why- This is one of the most spoken language. (optional language course in NTU). When- At age 20. Where- In NTU for four semesters .
• JohnAs a Dutch, he still can speaks fluent English, and use this ability to run his own cram school business!
• SuzanneShe’s extraordinary due to her outstanding academic performance, which allows her to attend Foreign Language and Literature department in NTU with the highest score.
Why we choose them?
Data Collection Methods
Face-to-face Interview
Internet interview (via Skype)
Questionnaires
E-mail correspondence
Personal Analysis
Intelligence & Aptitude
John Suzanne
Intelligence (high)
Musical & intrapersonal
Musical & verbal-linguistic
Intelligence (low)
Logical-mathematical
Logical-mathematical
aptitude Musical Musical
Learning style learner
John
Visual auditory haptic
•Memorize vocabulary by writing them many times•Watching movies and listening to English music•Communicate with foreigners
FD
See things in the
whole side
Suzanne
Visual auditory haptic
•Listening to English music•Watching Disney cartoons with Chinese subtitle and English pronunciation
FD
Seek assistance from other
Learning style
Personality
John Suzanne
Extroversion
Risk-taking
No anxiety
Self-esteem
Motivation and attitudes
John---• Motivation
a. Environment
b. Eager to learn languages.
c. Inspired by his teachers
d. Good feeling on learning language
• Attitude a. Positive and active
b. Confident in learning language
Motivation and attitudes
Suzanne---• Motivation
English
French
German
Spanish
• Attitudea. Perseverant
b. Never give up getting to the bottom of an affair
Learner beliefs
JohnABSOLUTELY YES!
SuzanneYES, but only happened once.
Difficulties
John---Cultural usages
Memorizing Vocabulary
Suzanne---English-Reading
Listening
French- Writing
German- Grammar
Hypothesis in use
Behaviorism
Interactionism
Innatism
Behaviorism
“environment is important”
1) Imitate positive reinforcement
John: In Holland: Imitate through public media and from people he
met.In Taiwan: Kept memorizing Chinese characters and its phonics through writing, listening and reading with his tutor and his wife.
Suzanne: In Manchester: Receiving linguistic reinforcement everyday in
British primary school. In Taiwan: Listen very carefully.In France: Check out what she “heard” in dictionary and reproduce it.
2) Practice the consistency of reinforcement
John: English, German, French-
Talk to foreigners: “Let’s stop talking in Dutch!”
Chinese (Mandarin) – Tried to read the words he saw on
newspaper, and street signboard.
Suzanne:English- talk to her foreign friends.
French, German- Using what she “learned” to communicate
with her host family members and classmates.
3) Habit quality and quantity
John & Suzanne
Listening to music, watching TV, reading novels, talking with foreigners.
led to measurable improvements on listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH)
• SL vs TL- similar - easier to learn.• SL vs TL- different - harder to learn.
John (Support)Dutch VS English = similar – easier to learn
Dutch VS French = similar
Dutch VS German = similar
Dutch VS Chinese = different – has difficulty
Suzanne (Against)Chinese VS English = different – no difficulty
Chinese VS French = different – no difficulty
Errors In learning Second Languages
• Transfer of habits from L1 John & Suzanne- No problem
learn L2 quite early and naturally.
• Influenced by other languagesJohn- No problem.
Suzanne- Happened in her L2&L3
ex: English- wanted to say “you’re right” but said “you have reason” ( French: Tu as raison)
Confused her at the beginning when she just get to know how to speak French.
Innatism
The Critical Period Hypothesis (Within puberty period)
1. John --pros• Encountered English (L2) in early childhood
Learned English at 12
→learned L2 in critical period→learned it well • Learned Chinese at 27
→learned Chinese beyond critical period
→cannot learn it as well as L2
The Critical Period Hypothesis (Within puberty period)
2. Suzanne• English--pros
Attended classes in primary school in England at 5
learned English in early childhood→Strong foundation→learned it well
• French--cons
Being an exchange student in Frence at 16
→learned French beyond critical period
→with motivation
→still learned it well
Second language applications: Krashen’s “monitor model”
I. Acquisition-learning hypothesis
John• “Acquire” English(L2) instead of “learn” it (subconsciously)• Learned Mandarin(L3) consciously
Suzanne• “Acquired” English (L2) subconsciously. Learn naturally.• “Learned” German (L4) and Spanish (L5) under a conscious
process
Second language applications: Krashen’s “monitor model”
II. Monitor hypothesis
John
• Making minor changes through traveling and meeting different people
Suzanne
• Making minor changes by herself
• Being corrected, but rarely, by friends
III. Natural order hypothesis
John• learning order in Dutch(L1): listening, speaking, reading
and writing• learning order in English(L2): the same as Dutch
Suzanne• learning order Chinese: listening, speaking, reading and
writing• learning order of English: the same as Chinese
Second language applications: Krashen’s “monitor model”
IV. Input hypothesis
1. John
2. Suzanne• Disney cartoons, movies• Read easy English novels and novels for children• Look up new words
Second language applications: Krashen’s “monitor model”
Improve Parts English Chinese
Listening Listening to songsWatched TV programs and focus on the
spoken language
Speaking Speaking to foreigners Speaking with his family
Reading English novels, movies Signs on street or posters
Writing X Keep writing Phrases
Others Traveling
Second language applications: Krashen’s “monitor model”
V. Affective filter hypothesis
John• Frustrated by difficulties
→Suspend learning
→with strong motivation
• Taught by his wife
→easily become slack
→went to cram school
Suzanne• learned French at 12
→ felt bored
→didn’t learn French well
• went to France at 16
→strong motivation
→ speaks fluently
Interactionism‘Learning from interactions’
Interactionism
John-Language- English• Interact with strong motivation• Interacting Subjects-
1. Sister’s friends
2. International exchanges students
3. Foreign friends
• Results
1. A sense of achievement
2. Learn a lot from foreign friends
Suzanne- Language- English• Interacting subjects- English
1. Exchanged students in France
2. Friends who came from all over the world
a. the year in France
b. the month in Manchester
c. ten months in German• Results
1. Speak more fluently/ hesitate less
2. Cultural experiences
ZPD- Zone of proximal developmentJohn-Language: English• Interlocutor:
15-The English teacher at school
Now- limited
Language: Chinese Interlocutor:
His wife- Charlie
Failed to be John’s Chinese teacher
‘One day Chinese one day Dutch’ plan
A very successful helper when he learns Chinese
Homework and story books
Suzanne- Language: English
Interlocutor:
College teacher- Karen Cheung
Tim Kasey
Language: French
Interlocutor:
Host family- Michel and Edwidge
They were very willing to correct her grammatical errors
X Classmates
The Comprehensible output Hypothesis -learners must produceJohn-Language: English Interlocutor:
English friendsinteract with them actively.
Suzanne- Language: English Interlocutor:
English friendsinteract with them actively.
Language: Chinese Interlocutor:
A Chinese tutorShe doesn’t speak any English.
Language: French
Interlocutor:
Her host family in France
They didn’t speak any English.
John-Language: English
Interlocutor:
An Irish friend who John lived with for one year.
Would start using his friend’s terms and expressions
Ex. I’m knackered/buggered.
Suzanne-Language: English
Interlocutor:
American friends & British friends
Noticed the colloquial expressions during communications
Ex. barf/ airhead/ honcho
The noticing hypothesis -learn things by noticing
Definition of Successful Second Language Learner
• Our definition:
A successful language learner should attain a certain high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• A successful language learner should :be able to use the language to communicate with others,
and use it to achieve something.
be able to speak with accurate pronunciation and fluency; and being able to write properly.
The End~
Q & A
Time