Evelyn Lugo Morales, Ed D TESL Universidad del Este, Carolina Campus 2012 Puerto Rico TESOL President June 28, 2012

Dr E. Lugo Morales2 *1*1

Characteristics of Young ELLs As Chomsky (1969) demonstrated, children between 5 and 10 years old are still acquiring the structures of their first language. ◦ Older learners have the foundation of a fully developed first language  when they begin acquiring a new language, ◦ Children are perfectly capable of acquiring two or more languages  there is no evidence that this process produces any negative consequences ◦ In many parts of the world it is the norm, rather than the exception, for children to grow up bilingual or multilingual (De Houwer, 1999)  young children do not have a fully developed native language on which to base the learning of a second. Dr E. Lugo Morales3

What Many Children Do In Language AgeWhat many children do... Preschoolers 3 to 4 years Young preschoolers make comments and requests, and tell others what to do. They can talk about things that happened and make up stories. listen attentively to stories and retell stories themselves. enjoy books that tell about real as well as make-believe. may revert to toddler behavior when feeling upset or shy. make shapes such as circles and squares and pretend to write the way they have seen adults write. Dr E. Lugo Morales4

What Many Children Do In Language AgeWhat many children do... Preschoolers 4 to 5 years Preschoolers know the names and sex of family members and other personal information. They play with words and make up silly words and stories. are beginning to draw figures that represent people, animals, and objects. understand that pictures, numbers, words, and letters are symbols of real things and ideas. "write" as a way to tell stories and offer information. enjoy "reading" on their own. may recognize a few words such as their name or words on signs. Dr E. Lugo Morales5

What Many Children Do In Language AgeWhat many children do... Preschoolers 5 to 6 years Children can recognize and reproduce many shapes, letters, and numbers. They are gaining control over writing and drawing tools. understand that letter written on a page represent spoken words. use invented spelling (tp for top, Mry for Mary). dictate stories for others to write. enjoy using computers. Dr E. Lugo Morales6

Children need to develop their native language(s) along with English Because ◦ their primary mode of communication with their parents, extended families, and community members is their native language. So, ◦ they need meaningful interaction opportunities in both languages, including verbal interaction and engagement with printed materials such as books and other media. Dr E. Lugo Morales7

Learning English as an Additive Process provides a nurturing, supportive environment for children, which can lead to improved self-esteem and help foster positive relationships with parents and communities ◦ children’s native language is a valuable asset to be fostered. ◦ learning English will not result in the loss of the native language Dr E. Lugo Morales8