| y"> | | | | with the feeling that they are not reaching their goals. |
| There are five different stages in the second language | | | | On occasions, the teacher's lack of knowledge on |
| acquisition process: | | | | these kinds of issues can produce unintentional |
| 1) The Silent Period | | | | disastrous results on their students' self-esteem. How |
| 2) The Early Production Period | | | | common it is for those of us who specialize in teaching |
| 3) The Speech Emergence Period | | | | methodologies to meet disappointed or even angry |
| 4) The Intermediate Production Period | | | | teachers complaining about their students' lack of |
| 5) The Advanced Production Period | | | | progress. |
| Even though there is wealth of research on these | | | | "We've been working on the Present Tense for over |
| different stages, out of these five periods, probably the | | | | two months now. We've been doing drills, lots of |
| most misunderstood, ignored or even unknown both by | | | | repetitions, we've created real-life situations to make |
| teachers and students alike is the first, the Silent | | | | the language come to life and yet, they can produce |
| Period, which will be the focus of our article today. | | | | little or nothing!" |
| What is the Silent Period? | | | | "How come they not learn after doing this for more |
| The first stage of the language acquisition process is | | | | than three weeks!" |
| called "The Silent Period" simply because the students | | | | My reply in most cases is the same: "Just give them |
| aren't doing much talking yet. In some learners this | | | | more time." |
| period may be shorter or longer, ranging between 2 to | | | | As times goes by, provided that our students are in a |
| 6 months, though it may take much longer too, | | | | truly communicative setting, they will start to produce |
| depending on the exposure to the foreign language | | | | what they cannot do right now. |
| that the learner has. | | | | The widespread ignorance of this stage in the |
| For example, a foreigner living abroad and surrounded | | | | language acquisition process can create very |
| by a new language all day may have a shorter silent | | | | unwanted situations. As a Colombian saying goes: "la |
| period than a student in his home country who attends | | | | ignorancia es atrevida." |
| a bilingual school in which a second language is taught | | | | Lacking an exact English idiom, or al least not knowing |
| for four or five hours a day. In turn, this student's silent | | | | one myself, I will proceed to explain its meaning. The |
| period may be considerably shorter than that of a | | | | saying basically says that "ignorance is rude and |
| learner studying a second language for just two hours | | | | causes us to do stupid things." |
| a week. So it becomes clear that generalizing how | | | | On one occasion, while working in a pretty nice school |
| long this period may last is nearly impossible because it | | | | in the US teaching ESL (English as a Second |
| depends on many personal and individual variables that | | | | Language) to a child from Mexico, I got a call from my |
| come into play. | | | | supervisor. She was extremely concerned as the |
| The main characteristic of this stage is that after | | | | principal of the school I was working at had called her |
| some initial exposure to the language, the learner is | | | | to complain about my skills as a teacher as my |
| able to understand much more than s/he can produce. | | | | student "had not been making any progress at all" |
| You can easily see this in two-year-old babies too! | | | | since she started to receive my services. Even though |
| You can speak to them normally and they can | | | | this same principal had sat in on one of my classes |
| definitely understand whatever you say. However, | | | | and even written a report that said that my work was |
| even if they wanted to say exactly what you said, | | | | "above average," she seriously doubted that my |
| they would not be able to. They may use some of | | | | teaching approach really worked. After all, although the |
| your words but they would find it impossible to | | | | lesson had been fun and provided plenty of |
| express their ideas in a similarly organized way, in spite | | | | communicative opportunities for students to put the |
| of the fact that they may understand every single | | | | language to use, she had not seen any drills, repetitions, |
| word we said. | | | | gap filling exercises, and grammar rules had never |
| This goes hand in hand with the fact that | | | | been presented to my group of "seven-year-olders." |
| comprehension preceded production. We will always | | | | So, in her opinion, it was only natural this student could |
| be able to understand much more than we can | | | | not do or say much in English. The funny thing was.... |
| produce. For example, in spite of knowing little or | | | | this student has been in the US for less than two |
| nothing about economics, accounting and marketing, | | | | months and had been receiving ESL services for less |
| when I watch or read news reports on those fields, I | | | | than a month and a half!!!! |
| can get a pretty good and accurate idea of what | | | | What is more, unlike the idea this principal had, she had |
| those reports are about. However, if someone asked | | | | made ENORMOUS progress. She could already |
| me to explain what the reports said, I would surely | | | | understand most greetings and basic classroom |
| resort to general language and simpler explanations to | | | | directives; she could understand several types of |
| describe what the experts stated using specific jargon | | | | questions on different everyday topics. She could |
| and technical analysis. | | | | even understand many things that people told her to |
| In other words, at the level of comprehension, I could | | | | do and basic facts! However, when it came to talking, |
| manage to understand everything, but at the level of | | | | she could just say one or two greetings and produce |
| production I may not able to express everything I | | | | "yes" or "no" replies. Does this mean she had not |
| heard in exactly the same way. Nevertheless, with | | | | made any progress? Does this means she had not |
| more exposure on those topics, and if they became | | | | learned anything? Not in the least! On the contrary, she |
| meaningful to me and part of my everyday reality, | | | | was way advanced in her initial stage of second |
| after a while I would be able to start to use that | | | | language acquisition and very soon afterwards she |
| specific jargon as part of my everyday vocabulary. In | | | | entered the early production period. Plain and simple, |
| this example, the stretch of time between my initial | | | | she was going through her silent period. |
| exposure to the topic, maybe the first time I heard a | | | | When I talked to the principal and explained to her, as |
| report on those topics and the time when I could talk | | | | politely as possible, what the silent period was and |
| about it freely without jargon or any language-related | | | | how much progress this girl had made, she could not |
| problems could be considered my silent period in the | | | | help blushing and sighing with relief at the idea that "we |
| field. | | | | had not been wasting our time!" |
| I want to highlight here that I am stretching the linguists' | | | | Once more, by knowing this simple fact we can relax, |
| definition of this period a little bit while saying this. | | | | enjoy what we are doing without the frustrating feeling |
| Linguists refer specifically to the time when a person | | | | that we are getting nowhere. Students can also enjoy |
| starts to acquire the language through exposure to it, | | | | the freedom of knowing that sooner or later they will |
| understands a lot but is unable to express his or her | | | | be able to put into practice whatever they are learning |
| ideas yet. When they talk about the "Silent Period" | | | | now, given the right language setting (For more info on |
| they do not imply that it refers to the acquisition of | | | | the right language setting, please read my other |
| language at any stage of the second language | | | | articles: "Are you in a Really Communicative Second |
| acquisition process as I do. This is my humble opinion | | | | Language Classroom?," Making the Most out of Your |
| after several years of working with second language | | | | Second Language Acquisition Program," and "Second |
| learners. Again, this is something that I have personally | | | | Language Acquisition in Adult Learners - Parts 1 and |
| noticed that I feel could be perfectly applied to | | | | 2.") |
| language learners at any stage of their learning as | | | | If we are "masters and commanders" of our class, as |
| shown in the previous example. | | | | it may happen if you have your own language school |
| As we have just seen when it comes to the first | | | | or if you have the freedom to do as you please, just |
| contact between a language learner with a second | | | | knowing this simple fact can give you a whole |
| language this takes a new dimension, of course. For a | | | | different perspective of your work. Nevertheless, if |
| long time they may be unable to utter a single word | | | | you are working for someone who demands quick |
| and that is perfectly fine and it is part and parcel of the | | | | and immediate results, the best piece of advice I could |
| language acquisition process. What is so peculiar about | | | | give you is to do your own research on this topic; read |
| this period is that it has the special ability to make adult | | | | as much as you can and be prepared to account for |
| students anxious and drive teachers absolutely crazy! | | | | whatever you do with your students. Talk to your |
| This is by far the most difficult period both for | | | | supervisor, peers, students or whoever is demanding |
| teachers and students alike. | | | | results now and simply explain to them what the |
| One of the main reasons why I decided to write this | | | | wealth of research on this issue shows. More often |
| article was to remind teachers of this crucial stage in | | | | than not, the light that knowledge projects will dissipate |
| second language acquisition and to make students | | | | the darkness that surrounds ignorance. Not only will |
| aware of its existence so as not to place a heavy | | | | they understand what you mean but they will also |
| burden on themselves. By knowing this simple fact | | | | appreciate your efforts to make your classes more |
| both teachers and learners can share the joy of | | | | enjoyable and stress-free. |
| teaching and learning without the stress associated | | | | |