Shanghai Community International School

By Richard Benade, English Acquisition Language Teacher at SCIS Hongqiao

 

Recently, I spoke with some of our language learners about their early experiences acquiring English. I wanted to improve my own practice and see how their experience aligned with established language acquisition theory.

How did you feel when you first began learning in an English environment?

“I felt anxious and scared. But after some time, I got a little more relaxed because the teachers at this school make students feel comfortable with their level of English. There were also students in my grade who came and were like, ‘Hey, how are you?’ and even though I didn’t understand anything they still tried to communicate with me.” - Beliz

“When I lived in Korea, I learned English through Korean, so everything was easier. But when I entered an English environment, it was really hard in all my subject classes. At first, it felt like there was a big wall in front of me that I couldn’t get over.” - Hangyel

 

Students require safe learning spaces for language acquisition to occur. This is referred to as the affective filter. The less comfortable a learner feels, the higher their affective filter. In a highly affective filter environment, students are afraid to make mistakes and are unlikely to process new language skills.

One way that SCIS fosters safe learning spaces is by celebrating the multilingual and multicultural nature of our community. We recognize home languages as an asset and encourage our learners to use their multilingual skills.

At home, you can support your child by modeling a positive attitude toward language acquisition. Languages should be seen as powerful tools for experiencing new cultures, stories, and opportunities. You can also encourage your child to read at home in whichever language excites them. Literacy skills are transferable and promote good habits that will enable success in all classes.

 

How do you feel about how we learn English at SCIS?

“At my old school, when we learned English, we only learned basic terms. But when we learn in classes like I&S, it makes me realize that ‘wow’ there’s a lot more words than just these basic terms.” - Beliz

Learning and acquiring a language are very different things. We learn a language by memorizing rules, patterns, and vocabulary. However, this does not lead to natural speech. We acquire a language when we immerse ourselves in authentic experiences and use language to accomplish meaningful tasks.

At SCIS, we support language acquisition by giving opportunities for students to use language in meaningful contexts. Math, PHE, I&S, Design, and Science each require us to use English in unique, context-specific ways.

You can support your child at home by encouraging the authentic use of English. While there may be a time and place for memorization and textbooks, experiences like reading a book for pleasure are more likely to lead to language acquisition. 

What helped you when you first began learning English?

“My family encouraged me. Also videos with English subtitles. The purpose of watching videos should not be to learn English. We should watch videos that interest us so that we have fun. During the entertainment, we can learn English." - Hangyel

“Reading helped me, but it should be a topic or genre you’re interested in. You shouldn’t get bored while reading. You should feel interested and be thinking ‘Oh what’s going to happen next?'" - Beliz

“I love reading Chinese books, and when I started learning English, my mom bought me lots of English books. She said that I should also read English books every day." - Jasmine

 

Children are more likely to acquire language if they enjoy the content. In short, our learners don’t need to read and watch strictly academic material to practice their English. Here are some suggestions for selecting things to read and watch.

It should be:

·      Easy enough to effortlessly comprehend

·      Self-selected

·      Chosen for interest and enjoyment

What stood out to me while talking to these students was how important it is to have a safe learning environment and feel invested in what we are learning. I’m pleased to see that we’re making that happen at home and at school in our SCIS community!