Do You Know Your Language Learner?
Simply put, we are all language learners. However, we all learn languages in a different way. Here are some examples:
- In the United States, many individuals are exposed to English from birth, but they do not speak English from birth.
- Some individuals also learned another language in the home—this is called a heritage language.
- Some individuals began learning language using manual communication systems, like American Sign Language.
- Some individuals began learning language using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
Knowing how your client learned language(s) will help you determine how you proceed in your interactions with this person.
Three Main Types of Language Learners
There are three main types of language learners. Determining which type your learner is depends on the different ways in which individuals are exposed to English.
Which type of language learner is your client? (And, yes, it's possible to be more than one type!)
- Learning more than one language from birth: This is called simultaneous bilingualism. People of this type are also known as dual language learners. Most individuals across the globe are exposed to more than one language from birth.
- Learning one language at home from birth, then learning another language later: This is called sequential bilingualism or second language acquisition. For example, some students will learn a new language when they start school. The degree of proficiency will depend on how much the student actually uses that language. Immersion helps individuals to learn a new language, but it is not necessary.
- Learning only one lanaguage: The majority of individuals who were born in the United States speak English-only in the home.
Universal Facts About Language Learning
No matter how a person learns a language, there are a few universal facts.
- All language learners—regardless of where they were born or where they learned English—are influenced by factors such as region, status, style, ethnicity, age, gender, life experiences, and communication models.
- We are all language learners.
- Everyone speaks with accents and/or dialects that reflect when, where, how, with whom, and from whom they learned language.
Learn more now about multilingual service delivery.
