According to Kohn (1980) English Second Language (ESL) teachers are more interested in “why” students want to learn English as a second language and do not put all their emphasis in the “how” English is acquired. ESL teachers who know “how” English language learners (ELLs) acquire a language many times don't understand "why" students acquire a second language. If professional educators have a greater understanding why ESL individuals learn a second language, then they can assist ELL better, in their language acquisition. Teachers who know the ELLs' motivation(s) for wanting to learn English will help them to be better equipped to assist them in the classroom setting and with their English language development.
At a CATESOL Conference, that took place in 1977, Joshua Fishman stated that English is now one of the most powerful languages because of “the current economic dominance of the English-Speaking nations in the world” (Kohn, 1980, p. 43). The author continues to explain that the English language is being acquired for “pragmatic and not humanistic goals” (p., 44). The need to learn English, for many individuals, continues to be personal reasons, for example, better opportunities in the workforce.
James J. Kohn (1980) also explains in his research that Lambert and Gardner believe that there are two reasons why individuals learn a second language. These two reasons are instrumental and integrative. The instrumental reason motivates the individual to want to learn English because of pragmatic reasons, and an integrative reason would be to assimilate into the culture. Individuals who lean towards the integrative motivation are those who feel that their language and culture are just as important as their community's culture and language; for example, “Montreal” where they practice bilingualism.
Learning a second language is more than just knowing how to speak the language. The individuals’ motivation(s) play a big part in determining their desire to learn a language and to acquire it. Also, ELLs' first language is very important when acquiring a second language and should be taken into consideration. Individuals who desire to assimilate into the American culture are those who see that their culture and language are seen just as important as their community’s language and culture. This is another reason why the preservation of heritage languages is important. It’s important for ELLs to assimilate into the American culture, to help them become successful in their English language acquisition. Professional ESL teachers who acknowledge their ELLs’ L1 and culture will be able to help them with their English development in a more meaningful and successful way.
The following video shares some teaching strategies when working with ELLs.
Sources:
Kohn, J. J. (1979). What esl teachers need to know about sociolingusitics (pp. 43-53). L.A., U.S.: CATESOL Annual Conference. (Reprinted from Readings on english as a second language for teachers and teacher trainees, by K. Croft, Ed., Los Angeles, CA: Winthrop)
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