CLAD Factors Affecting Language Acquisition 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the context of second language acquisition, 'fossilization' refers to:
- Persistent errors that stabilize in a learner's interlanguage and resist correction (Correct answer)
- A natural stage in which learners stop speaking temporarily
- The process of losing the first language as the second language develops
- Errors caused by translating directly from L1
Correct answer: Persistent errors that stabilize in a learner's interlanguage and resist correction
Fossilization occurs when certain non-target-like forms become permanent features of a learner's language, even after instruction.
Question 2: According to research on age and second language acquisition, older learners typically:
- Acquire grammar rules faster initially but rarely achieve native-like pronunciation (Correct answer)
- Achieve native-like pronunciation more easily than younger learners
- Have no advantage over younger learners in any aspect of acquisition
- Acquire vocabulary more slowly than younger learners in all contexts
Correct answer: Acquire grammar rules faster initially but rarely achieve native-like pronunciation
Older learners often outpace younger ones in early grammar learning due to metacognitive skills, but younger learners have an advantage for phonology.
Question 3: Which environmental factor most consistently predicts English oral language development in young ELL students?
- Quality and quantity of English language interaction with peers and adults (Correct answer)
- Number of years in a bilingual program
- Geographic region of the school district
- Amount of time watching English-language television
Correct answer: Quality and quantity of English language interaction with peers and adults
Rich, interactive exposure to meaningful English through conversation with proficient speakers is the strongest environmental predictor of oral language growth.
Question 4: A student switches between English and Spanish within a single sentence when speaking with a bilingual peer. This behavior is most accurately described as:
- Code-switching, a normal and strategic communicative behavior in bilinguals (Correct answer)
- Language confusion indicating incomplete acquisition of both languages
- Subtractive bilingualism in progress
- Evidence of fossilization in both languages
Correct answer: Code-switching, a normal and strategic communicative behavior in bilinguals
Code-switching is a sophisticated, rule-governed communicative practice common among proficient bilinguals, not a sign of deficiency.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of 'subtractive bilingualism'?
- An ELL student rapidly loses proficiency in their home language as English dominates school and social life (Correct answer)
- A student develops strong proficiency in both English and Spanish
- A student uses L1 to support comprehension of L2 content
- A student's L1 grammar positively transfers to English writing
Correct answer: An ELL student rapidly loses proficiency in their home language as English dominates school and social life
Subtractive bilingualism occurs when acquiring a second language comes at the cost of the first language, often when the L1 is not valued or supported.
Question 6: Research on 'comprehensible output' (Swain) suggests that language production benefits acquisition because:
- Producing language forces learners to notice gaps in their linguistic knowledge (Correct answer)
- Output is always more comprehensible than input for learners
- Speaking practice eliminates the need for comprehensible input
- Writing activates different brain areas unrelated to acquisition
Correct answer: Producing language forces learners to notice gaps in their linguistic knowledge
Swain's Output Hypothesis argues that when learners produce language, they discover what they cannot yet express, which drives further acquisition.
Question 7: A teacher provides ELL students with graphic organizers, visual supports, and manipulatives during a science lesson. These strategies primarily address which factor affecting language acquisition?
- Comprehensibility of input by reducing cognitive load (Correct answer)
- The natural order of morpheme acquisition
- The monitor hypothesis by encouraging self-correction
- Negative transfer from the home language
Correct answer: Comprehensibility of input by reducing cognitive load
Visual and contextual supports make academic content more comprehensible, lowering the cognitive demand and making input accessible to ELL students.
CLAD Factors Affecting Language Acquisition 4
In the context of second language acquisition, 'fossilization' refers to: