Student’s Communication and Language Development

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
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Introduction to communication and language
This case study is about communication and language. It focuses on the barriers that pupils with English as a second language (EAL) may encounter and the possible solutions. Language refers to a system of communication through verbal or non-verbal codes with the aim of transferring information. Communication refers to the process of message interchange of information between people. Language ensures that a person pays attention to various issues, persons, and events; the aspect defines individual memories by translating experiences into symbols (Conteh, 2012). This case study will focus on a particular student’s communication and language development.
There are various models and theories that explain the process of acquiring communication and language. First, according to Skinner’s Operant Conditioning Theory, the aspect of students’ voluntary response is strengthened through the promise of a reward. For instance, the teacher’s instructions, accompanied by positive reinforcement for correct answers and pronunciation to questions and words, motivate the student to achieve (Read, 2007). Secondly, from the humanistic perspective of motivation, the teacher needs to consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In this theory, the lowest level represents physiological needs; the second level is safety needs; the third is love and belonging; the fourth is self-esteem. Ultimately, at the highest level, there are self-actualization needs. A teacher must always ensure that all lower-level hierarchical needs are provided before potential fulfillment can be accomplished. The low-level needs of a pupil include competence and achievement of speaking and writing English in their second language (Anjomshoa & Sadighi, 2015).
Case study 1
The concept of speaking and listening provides forms of thinking that refine a nascent thought through a conversation. Developing verbal communication skills ensures that an individual possesses robust thoughts concerning complex topics to gain clarity and coherence. In other words, the aspect of learning to think comes when people listen and speak. In the case of an EAL student, the child’s first language is not English, therefore, they are fluent in a native language other than English. EAL learning provides the learners with the capacity to communicate confidently and effectively. Further, the learning process strengthens their understanding of culture and various language changes according to purposes and form alongside their audience (Sage and Wilkie, 2006).
Collaboration safeguards speaking and listening standards because it reflects real happening within real-time in the real world. The best ideas originate from different minds working together to solve a problem, making group work an important part of the classroom. Such collaborative activities encourage learners to speak and listen as they work together. Collaborative activities within groups appear conducive towards language development (Tulloch et al., 2012).
Skinner’s reinforcement theory provides a description of how the students learn and adopt behaviour and the actions required. In this case, the reinforcement theory of motivation describes the student’s state of mind and the changes that occur when learners undergo in the course of specific actions. Skinner asserts that the external environment within the classroom, school, and home requires a positive and effective design to motivate the learner to adopt a new behavior (Gordan and Amutan, 2014).
The creation of high-level motivation, according to Skinner, is a necessity to ensure that speaking and learning are taught and learned in an intended way (Omomia and Omomia, 2014). In this case, motivation combines efforts alongside desire towards learning and developing a favorable attitude towards speaking and language skills. From Skinner’s perspective, the application of the reward system encourages the student’s performance and helps solve the socio-cultural language barrier. The development of speaking skills is vital for EAL learners since the measure of success in learning a language is evidenced by the ability to carry out a candid conversation in the target language. Therefore, speaking becomes one of the top priorities for the majority of EAL learners (Conteh, 2019).
Speaking helps learners acquire skills that enable spontaneous and natural conversation with native speakers. Therefore, providing supportive speaking activities within the classroom helps to raise the level of motivation for learners; it makes the learning process dynamic and fun for pupils. Speaking also scaffolds other language skills; oral interaction helps shape learners’ developing language while also helping develop reading competence and listening skills (Young and West, 2018).
For the purposes of student confidentiality, the pupil in this case study will be called Haned. He is an African American from South Africa with Zulu as his first language. Haned is in grade 4 and lives with his mother. He is an actor who likes participating in drama festivals, and he likes mathematics as a subject. Also, he likes cooking when at home, with his hobbies being reading, swimming, and traveling. Haned is a stammerer when it comes to word pronunciation, which complicates the issue of developing and adopting English as his second language. Haned has lived in an immersive Zulu language environment since birth and interacts well with those who speak the same language. However, he often feels shy interacting with native English speakers.
The major problem in his interactions is fluency, switching between English and Zulu (code-switching), and communicating his needs in the English language to friends. Haned uses many gestures when he wants to pass information to friends at school. This has interfered with the enhancement of Haned’s cognitive and thinking skills because it takes time for him to understand English as the second language (Monschein, 2008). His low confidence level does not permit him to interact much with other students and teachers. The closure of the schools during the Covid-19 pandemic affected the opportunity for smooth flow of his learning process. The long stay at home has lowered his interaction opportunities with peers because he has stayed with his mother indoors. Consequently, he currently feels anxious when providing verbal answers in the classroom. He has not yet rejoined the acting society due to his fear of group learning.
In this case, the teacher describes some of Haned’s phrases as “not proper,” meaning that he does not have adequate speaking skills to express his experiences; this makes his conversation slow, and it often stops without the desired end. This is a clear indication that the pupil cannot communicate adequately to describe his experiences (Tulloch et al., 2012).
There are various challenges that EAL learners encounter during their learning process. These learners are expected to acquire both colloquial and academic English. They have to develop cultural and language knowledge alongside an understanding of the intended curriculum. This presents a potential area of struggle for EAL learners, especially the new arrivals (Tulloch et al., 2012). A possible solution could be incorporating the EAL learners into multi-cultural groups comprised of natives and other foreigners. They are encouraged to participate in debates by giving their personal opinions on the topic of discussion (Young and West, 2018).
The language of learning appears to have more vocabulary and concepts specific to each curriculum, therefore, appearing strange and unfamiliar to EAL learners. In some instances, EAL is compared to special education needs, with pupils inappropriately grouped as low achievers. Such categorisation prevents accessibility towards good role models of spoken standard English. This could mask their true potential, hence offering activities that lack appropriate cognitive engagement. Similarly, the EAL learners face language differences due to alphabetic letters and sounds. For instance, some languages appear to be logographic with different alphabetic meanings since symbols are used in place of words (Şakiroğlu and Kaya, 2018). The solution will demand that the teachers apply the use of the Y_Lex samples vocabulary program, as explained in part 2.
Concerning socio-cultural challenges, EAL learners can feel a sense of isolation and bewilderment in the learning environment. This happens especially when the learners are from a foreign country where their learning has been interrupted. Further, a child’s years of schooling vary across countries according to their age. Moreover, the classroom routines are, at times, strange to the learner, therefore, psychologically affecting their ability to master the new speaking and listening skills. Those experiencing trouble with speaking and listening encounter difficulties expressing their basic needs, which exacerbates feelings of isolation (Saxton, 2017). The application of collaboration during group discussions is key to providing a solution to such problems.
Barriers also occur where the language and learning amongst the minority ethnic groups are considered model minorities. In this case, there is a belief that a particular group is more advanced than the others are. Such profiling may result in bias with attitude towards learners who do not conform to such stereotypes (Flynn, 2019). The perception that minority ethnic groups underperform and low teacher expectations influence student progress could be propagated. There are also differences in the approach to learning and teaching for learners as per their current location compared to their countries of origin. For instance, some environments engage more in didactic and less talk-based learning processes. In such environments, various activities that may require open-ended problem solving alongside discussion may be problematic because they are unfamiliar (Pawlak, 2018). The use of talk-rich sessions that ensures all learners are given equal opportunity to express themselves is key (Read, 2007).
Conclusion
Part 1 of the case study explains the concepts of language and communication, which encompasses learning and development of speaking alongside listening. Part 2 of this case study will consider how Haned’s communication and language are supported. The second part will describe an appropriate intervention measure that was planned to support Haned. These measures will ensure that Haned is well initiated into developing English as his second language. It is necessary to provide adequate support to EAL learners since the learning process can be complicated, especially for those new to or early in their English language acquisition. Learners’ proficiency in English is key to their future educational attainment, and the amount of support the student needs is individual to their circumstances.
References
Anjomshoa, L. and Sadighi, F. (2015). The importance of motivation in second language acquisition. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 3(2), pp.126-137.
Conteh, J. (2012). Teaching Bilingual and EAL Learners in Primary Schools. London: Sage
Conteh, J. (2019). The EAL Teaching Book: Promoting Success for Multilingual Learners. 3rd ed. London: Learning Matters.
Gordan, M. and Amutan, K.I. (2014). A review of BF Skinner’s ‘Reinforcement Theory of Motivation’. International Journal of Research in Education Methodology, 5(3), pp.680-688.
Monschein, M. (2008). The 50 best games for speech & language development, Brackley: Hinton House
Omomia, O.A. and Omomia, T.A. (2014). Relevance of Skinner’s Theory of Reinforcement on Effective School Evaluaution and Management. European Journal of Psychological Studies, (4), pp.174-180.
Pawlak, M. (2018). Investigating the use of speaking strategies in the performance of two communicative tasks: The importance of communicative goal. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8(2), pp.269-291.
Read, J. (2007). Second Language Vocabulary Assessment: Current Practices and
New Directions. International Journal of English Studies, 7(2), pp.105-126.
Sage, S. and Wilkie, M. (2006). Supporting Language and Communication: A Guide for School Support Staff, London: Sage
Saxton, M. (2017). Child Language: Acquisition and Development. (2nd ed). London: Sage
Şakiroğlu, H.Ü. and Kaya, H.İ. (2018). The student perspectives of common problems while gaining English speaking and listening...