Acculturation and Language
Acquisition Stages
TTWELL Summer Institute 2010
1
As I sit here I wonder if you, my teacher,
are able to tell when I’m sinking in spirit
and ready to quit this incredible task. I
walked a thousand miles, dear teacher,
before I met you.
- ESL student
Ontario Department of Education
Many Roots, Many Voices, p. 4
2
Acculturation Stages
Honeymoon Stage
 Withdrawal/Rejection Stage
 Regression Stage
 Adjustment or Integration Stage
 Acceptance Stage

3
Honeymoon Stage

Excitement about all that is new

Enthusiastic about learning
4
Withdrawal/Rejection Stage
Overwhelmed
 May appear sleepy in class
 Irritable
 Withdrawn and uninterested in learning
 Emotional basis for resistance to new
culture and language

5
Regression Stage

Socialize with those of similar
backgrounds, home language

Homesickness

Can display anger

Initial gains in language may regress
6
Adjustment or Integration Stage

Signs of actively adapting to new culture
and language challenges

Infusion of home and new culture—seek
ways to participate in both

Dependent upon balance between home
language and English
7
Acceptance Stage

Active and successful participation in
mainstream culture

Pragmatic use of both languages and
cultures

Can mean refusal to use native language
at home
8
General facts: Second Language
Acquisition

Errors in L1 transfer to L2

Errors are developmental in nature, which
parallels L1 development
◦ Overgeneralization (ex: -ed ending for all past forms)
◦ Code switching: need to allow use of L2
◦ Elimination (ex: articles)

Focus on errors that interfere with
comprehension
9
Language Acquisition Stages
Progression is individualized…

Silent period or preproduction
◦ Neither oral nor written language use

Early production
◦ One- or two-word oral responses
◦ Drawing rather than writing responses
10
Language Acquisition Stages (cont’d)

Speech emergence
◦ Phrases or short sentences (orally)
◦ Words and short phrases on paper

Intermediate fluency
◦ Beginning conversational interchanges
◦ Short basic sentences; loose sense of
paragraphs
11