Principles of Instructed Second Language Learning

Dee Reid, School Support Services, The University of Waikato

Jeanne Gilbert Uni of Waikato 2013 1

2

1. Instruction needs to ensure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of formulaic expressions and a rule-based competence

2. Instruction needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning

3. Instruction needs to ensure that learners also focus on form

4. Instruction needs to be predominantly directed at developing implicit knowledge of the target language while not neglecting explicit knowledge

5. Instruction needs to take into account the learner’s “built-in syllabus”.

6. Successful instructed language learning requires extensive target language input

7. Successful instructed language learning also requires opportunities for output

8. The opportunity to interact in the target language is central to developing proficiency

9. Instruction needs to take account of individual differences in learners

10. Instruction needs to take account of the fact that there is a subjective aspect to learning a new language. (This one ties in with adapting the language as part of your identity.)

11. In assessing learners’ target language proficiency it is important to examine free as well as controlled production

Eleven Principles...

Jeanne Gilbert Uni of Waikato 2013

3

1. Instruction needs to ensure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of formulaic expressions and a rule-based competence

6. Successful instructed language learning requires extensive target language input

7. Successful instructed language learning also requires opportunities for output

8. The opportunity to interact in the target language is central to developing proficiency

Focus on Four...

Jeanne Gilbert Uni of Waikato 2013

4

Co-construction of useful kīwaha / phrases e.g. Kei te pēhea koe?

Focus on fluency before accuracy (it’s ok to make mistakes)

Explain language patterns when appropriate

Teacher uses te reo Māori as much as possible

Posters of te reo Māori on wall – used in context

Words and phrases being used in context are displayed

Wall charts showing language patterns

Student errors are being made, and that’s okay

What does it mean? What could it look like in the classroom?

1…repertoire of formulaic expressions

https://learninglanguageswaikato.wikispaces.com/Te+Reo+M%C4%81ori

Formulaic Language

Jeanne Gilbert Uni of Waikato 2013

8

9

Resources for formulaic language

He Reo Tupu He Reo Ora p187 – 192 Learning Languages Waikato wiki: https://learninglanguageswaikato.wikispaces.co

m/Te+Reo+M%C4%81ori

e.g. Mōrena tamariki mā.

Jeanne Gilbert Uni of Waikato 2013