Thesis Topic
Understanding sociolinguistics, and multiple intelligences will help teachers teach students in a full immersion or “sink-or swim” manner and therefore, students will acquire the language faster and in a more comprehensive manner.
Thesis:
The study of sociolinguistics and full immersion allows for a quicker and more comprehensible acquisition of the English language.
Introduction:
In order to acquire language, it is important to be surrounded by the particular language being learned. Imagine living in Germany but wanting to learn French as a first language. Your parents only speak to you in German, you are constantly surrounded by people who speak the German language, and you live in a country where German is the main language; at yet you are required to learn French? This does not make any sense at all. If you want to learn the French language, you need to be surrounded by it either in social context, societal context and within the home.
To learn English as a second language will be even more difficult if you are not in a country that uses the language. English is the language of business, and also of pleasure. People travel to foreign countries and do not only hear the mother tongue being spoken, but they also hear English. Why is English so important in every country? This is because the English language is a worldwide language that has traversed all cultures, countries and even religions. In order to be success as a business person, and in order to get a good job, it is important to know how to speak English fluently. So, if you want to learn English, surround yourself with the people and the cultures that speak English.
What is Sociolinguistics?
Sociolinguistics is the study of language and society. How language is linked to society and how society functions in its own language are important factors to consider when trying to learn a new language (uoregon, 1997). Sociolinguistics also includes the study of dialects within a specified cultural region, and it also explores how men and women communicate with each other. It codes the function of language. Sociolinguistics is directly linked to full immersion. Sociolinguists have looked at speech communities based on the social categories such as age, gender, class, ethnicity, and geography. The way people function deal with these categories and the way people acquire language will be a direct reflection of the categories listed above.
Quick acquisition
In order to quickly acquire a language, it is very important to be surrounded by people who speak the language. It is also important that you be immersed in the culture. It is one thing to speak the language and it is another thing to understand the culture within its context. This is where the term bilingualism plays a role. Being bilingual is not about being able to just read, write, and speak a language, it is about being able to function in the culture of the given language and switch easily from one language to the next within its own mobility.
Sociolinguistics and Full immersion
Both full and immersion and sociolinguistics go hand in hand. They complement each other and all for greater understanding and learning of a second language. In the classroom, full immersion has to do with not allowing the mother tongue to be spoken within the class time. It is more like a sink-or-swim learning process where kids either surviving (swim) or fail out (sink) when learning the new language. All forms and methods for teaching can be used in a full immersion program. Sociolinguistics can help create the full immersion experience if administered correctly. Many teaching methods can be used to achieve the sociolinguistic goals. When a student focuses on the language and is grouped in a particular social class, gender, and even location, their acquisition will be easier if they are focused on that particular category.
Types of Sociolinguists
The study of sociolinguistics can be divided into two different categories. The first category is called micro-sociolinguistics and the second is called macro-sociolinguistics. Micro-sociolinguistics deals with language and dialect. It studies the phonology within a language group or dialect. Macro-linguistics focuses more on the behaviors of entire speech communities and it explores why some communities keep their language and why some replace it with a completely different language. When studying these sociolinguistic subcategories, it is important to consider both the micro and the macro when teaching ESL or TESOL in a holistic approach. When teachers understand what sociolinguistics means and involves, it will be easier for them to teach in a full immersion manner. Students will also be more willing to learn in the “sink or swim” fashion.
Disagreements in Full Immersion
In every case or circumstance, you will find people who will disagree with the full immersion system of learning. People who disagree usually are worried because of anxiety. Students who have never spoken the English language will feel anxious and scared. But like a toddler learning the language of their parents, full immersion will assist kids and allow them to learn using a more natural approach which also includes TPR. The Total Physical Approach allows students to use movement before they speak. The students listen first and then, once they are ready, they begin to speak. Students who speak too soon may find issues with grammar and syntax. We do not give a toddler grammar lessons, but instead, we correct them as they learn the language. They learn to speak correctly based on the natural way. Those who are opposed to full immersion usually are against it because they believe it may not be appropriate for all students. Students who are over twelve years of age will struggle in this kind of program because their brains have already been programmed for a certain language and they will not be learning the language simultaneously with the other, but they will be learning a second language. Some parents are worried about “too much exposure” at one given time. With too much exposure, parents worry that the child or student will forget their roots (Chen, 2008).
While these are valid concerns, adults will struggle in general because they will not be learning the language simultaneous (curriculum-math, science, social studies, reading) but instead just the language itself. There is such thing as limited immersion. Limited immersion is a more realistic term that can be applied to classrooms in general. If you are teaching English in a classroom, and you only allow English being spoken, but yet you live in Germany, this could be considered limited immersion. They are still surrounded by the language but not at every waking minute of the day.
Howard Garner
In order for teachers to best assist their students, whether being adults or children, it is important to be familiar with their unique learning style. Howard Garner proposed a theory that states that people have multiple intelligences. The intelligences include but are not limited to Spatial, linguistic, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and logical. These intelligences are believed to be what helps students learn new things and retain old things. He believe that everyone has one or more of these intelligences (Smith, 2008)
Conclusion
I believe there are many ways to learn a second language. Learning in a full immersion setting, and understanding sociolinguistics will help students comprehend material within context of the culture they are in and around. For me, it does not matter how old you are. I believe you can learn a second language. When teaching ESL or TESOL, students can learn how to speak English using many different methods of teaching. Students learn in different ways. According to Howard Garner, it is important to understand your student’s intelligence and then cater to their needs. If teachers work with students in an environment that is accommodating to the language they are being taught, they will learn faster. The study of sociolinguistics allows for the understanding of language within context and under certain categories that will automatically place students in a “sink or swim” or full immersion program.