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A Successful Multi-language Learner: Fabian Wang. 9531021 Erica 9531037 Kim 9531043 Amanda 9531044 Erin 9531049 Ruby. Who. Fabian. Background. Born in Miami, Florida, USA Mother Language-English and Portuguese Acquires 7 languages
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A Successful Multi-language Learner: Fabian Wang 9531021 Erica 9531037 Kim 9531043 Amanda 9531044 Erin 9531049 Ruby
Who Fabian
Background • Born in Miami, Florida, USA Mother Language-English and Portuguese • Acquires 7 languages • a supervisor in Customer Disputes for American Express (before) • Been living here for 3 years • An English teacher (now) • Now is learning for Taiwanese
Purpose Four Reasons: • He learns most of the languages by himself. • He can acquire languages well without spending a long period of time. • He has experiences of teaching foreigners Chinese. • When he speaks Chinese, his intonation is good. Most people agree that the intonation of Chinese is a great challenge for foreign learners.
Data Collection Methods • E-mail interview • Face to face interview • Video-taking • Picture-taking • Recording
Analysis • Multiple Intelligence • Aptitude • Personality • Learning Styles • Motivation and Attitudes • Age of Acquisition and the CPH
Multiple Intelligence • Linguistic-intelligence • Interpersonal-intelligence • Intrapersonal-intelligence
Aptitude • Identify and memorize new sounds • Understand function of particular words in sentences • Figure out grammatical rules from language samples • Remember new words
Personality • Extroversion → can easily talk with strangers →when you are learning a foreign language, never be shy • Risk-taking → He would not afraid of speaking no matter what he said might be wrong or not. → Learners should put into practice what has been learned
Learning Styles • Auditory learner in high school. → he never took notes in classes • Becomes a visual learner when learning foreign languages. → made index cards with vocabulary kept writing when studying books
Learning Styles • Field-Independent > Field-dependent → recognize the rule and the system of everything • Left brain > Right brain → analyzing grammatical structures is important and necessary
Motivation and Attitudes Spanish → making friends →instrumental → the environment →extrinsic Italian → earning money →instrumental → learning voluntarily →intrinsic
Motivation and Attitudes • French ★the former period : professor’s suggestion →integrative & extrinsic ★the later period: had a French girlfriend →instrumental & intrinsic
Motivation and Attitudes • Cantonese → learning martial art →intrinsic & instrumental • Mandarin → for working → intrinsic& instrumental
Age of Acquisition and the CPH • As an adult, he could understand grammar. • Although learning foreign languages after 18 (after puberty), his pronunciation is good. • CPH couldn’t be supported on this case.
Discussion • Behaviorism • Innatism • Interactionism
Behaviorism • Imitation ★Be an actor. ListenImitate Memorize “ Your brain is very big!”
Behaviorism • Practice ★ Seize every moment to practice Stick note-cards everywhere. ★ Use the dictionary divide words into many themes
Behaviorism • Practice ★ Write a lot and read a lot. “If you do not practice, you will forget!” ★ Mingle with native speakers make girlfriends
Behaviorism • Reinforcement (positive feedback) ★ Encouragement from the French teacher ★ A strong desire for languages inside his soul
Behaviorism • Habit formation ★ Make learning all the languages as a habit ★ Study books from 10 am to 3 pm daily
CAH The similarities between L1 and TL makes Fabian acquire three target languages with ease. L1 ▲ TL
CAH Mother Languages Target Languages We think it’s difficult to acquire TL. However, Fabian skills at finding rules and patterns of TL so he learned TL well. Chinese & Cantonese English & Portuguese different
Innatism ★Innatist theory have argued that UG offers the best perspective to understand SLA. ★ Other linguists argue that UG is not a good explanation for SLA, especially by learners who have passed the critical period.
Innatism ★ Fabian learned most of the languages after18. ★ Doesn’t believe in natural talent. ★ Anybody has the ability to do anything they want! ★ Age is not a problem; don’t say you are too old to learn a language.
Krashen’s “monitor model”(1982) • The monitor hypothesis ★ Have no aware of the intonation. ★ When speaking Mandarin, he thinks of the way that native people speak.
Krashen’s “monitor model”(1982) • Input Hypothesis ★(i+1) →A lot of writing and try to read immediately. ★ Read book: (basic) → (intermediate) → (advanced) Kids book → friends’ mails → novel ★ Write down anything that he want to say.
Innatism-Affective filter Hypothesis • Didn’t really learn much about languages in the school. Because of ….. Boring courses, no motivation… Ex: Spanish course.
Innatism-Affective filter Hypothesis • All languages he learned come for big motivation that made him have positive side for learning languages. • Ex: when he went back to Florida, people around him speaking Spanish, so he had to learn it.
Information Processing • Norman Segalowitz (2003)- → “Pay attention” • Make vocabulary cards stick everywhere…
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory ★ Language development takes place in the social interactions between individuals. ★ Speaking (and writing) mediate thinking. ★Zone of proximal development (ZPD): when there is support from interaction with an interlocutor, the learner is capable of performing at a higher level.
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory • Exposed to the native environment →Put himself into the situation • Hold chance to interact with speakers who speak the language. → Only hand out with people who speak Italian when he learned it.
Learner Beliefs • Be an actor • Don’t set a high wall in front of you. • Know how to say the correct way incorrectly = Know the right way to speak wrong
