Name:Janne Kim

Class Number:204WK

My experience of L2 Acquisition

I have been studying english since I was in elementary school, but still english is difficult and unnatural to me. After college, I worked with an airline company as a cabin attendant for couple years. I realized that my english ability from the way of tradional teaching was just memorized and easy forgettable so I couldn’t have fluent communication skills at work. After marriage at age 26, I had a chance to live in America for six years because of my husband’s business. I attended college to learn language and accounting for two years during the time. As an adult student, my dedication to L2 acquisition was so difficult but, it was successful comparing with the learning L2 in the L1 environment. According to the theory of Stephen Krashen, language must be acquired through natural communication rather than just learning it. Acquisition is a subconscious acceptance of new language as well as the process of people learn their first language. In this essay, I will discuss my experiences about how my L2 acquisition was successful throughout my study in college and life in America.

First of all, in the classroom, teachers are more likely an involver or an enabler having strong and good rapport with students while many of teachers are explainer in Korea. The classroom dynamic in America was very different from Korea. I usually participated in debates or discussions in many classes. I preferred group activities sharing my ideas rather than ones I do alone. Also, international students often went out field trips to learn different culture which I liked because I could physically involve rather sitting and listening lectures. Each intelligence correlate together and these Multiple intelligence helped my understanding better and learning lectures effectively.

Second, I was not only a student but also a housewife, I’ve got individual learner differences such as a job, home lives, degree of focus, application, and distraction than other students. I had to work for our business mostly when I had no class and did many house chores so I couldn’t concentrate on my study only. Also, Malcolm Knowles’s adult learning theory applied to me. He states adults have a developed sense of self, prior experience, practical reasons for learning. They are self-directed and internally motivated. As a result, my motivation should be included family responsibilities, work-related activities and academic achievements. I was most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to my job or personal life. I had to be more goal-oriented person in the given circumstance.

Lastly, I would like to say an effective teacher is the teacher who make students feel special, safe and secure when they are in the classroom. A teacher should really listen to his or her students and gives clear, positive feedback to help students find passion of learning, In the first year at the college in America, as an international student, I was delicate and vulnerable under low motivation, low self-esteem and high anxiety. I felt a way behind of the class all the time. Some teachers encouraged me with respectful attitude that was dominating my enthusiasm while some other teachers treated me regardless. For example, in philosophy class I was highly inspired by the professor gave me positive feedback for my assignments. Even though the lecture was so hard to understand, I did never give up and tried my best.

In conclusion, my experience of L2 acquisition was very different than others. The challenges of L2 acquisition for an adult was so great to me. It is because I have learned a second language after the critical period for language learning has ended. As we age, the longer we use our native language, the further it comes to dominating our linguistic habit. However, the affective filter to my L2 acquisition acted successfully contrast to the passive learning in Korea where language is to be remembered and easy forgettable.

In active learning, I could simultaneously learn and practice english skills and systems: reading, speaking, writing, listening, grammar, lexis etc. in the L2 environment. Even long after all this time, Learner retention rates from experiential learning in english was higher to me than learning it from school in Korea. Through TESOL course I am taking, I would like to speak fluently and learn how to teach in english.

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