ERIC Number: EJ1062126
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Mar
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-0009
EISSN: N/A
Can Non-Interactive Language Input Benefit Young Second-Language Learners?
Au, Terry Kit-fong; Chan, Winnie Wailan; Cheng, Liao; Siegel, Linda S.; Tso, Ricky Van Yip
Journal of Child Language, v42 n2 p323-350 Mar 2015
To fully acquire a language, especially its phonology, children need linguistic input from native speakers early on. When interaction with native speakers is not always possible--e.g. for children learning a second language that is not the societal language--audios are commonly used as an affordable substitute. But does such non-interactive input work? Two experiments evaluated the usefulness of audio storybooks in acquiring a more native-like second-language accent. Young children, first- and second-graders in Hong Kong whose native language was Cantonese Chinese, were given take-home listening assignments in a second language, either English or Putonghua Chinese. Accent ratings of the children's story reading revealed measurable benefits of non-interactive input from native speakers. The benefits were far more robust for Putonghua than English. Implications for second-language accent acquisition are discussed.
Descriptors: Linguistic Input, Audio Books, Second Language Learning, Grade 1, Grade 2, Elementary School Students, Second Language Instruction, Instructional Effectiveness, Instructional Materials, Dialects, Pronunciation, Listening, English (Second Language), Chinese, Story Reading, Native Speakers, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 1; Primary Education; Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 2
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A