Teaching Young Children a Second Language

Book excerpt: This volume addresses a gamut of questions of interest to teachers of young second language learners. Why do immigrant children leave their home countries, and what are their journeys to the United States like? How do young children adjust to the new culture? What sort of dynamic prevails in immigrant families? What are young immigrants' schooling experiences like? What are language learning processes like in young children? The first part of the book contains an overview of recent ethnographic, sociological, and psycholinguistic research concerned with answering these questions. The second half of the volume focuses on classroom practice. Gordon provides an extensive overview of activities that have been proven to be effective with young language learners. Practical recommendations contained in these pages flow directly from the classroom. Gordon describes innovative second language lessons developed and implemented by ESL teachers who work with language learners enrolled in primary grades. The book places special emphasis on those instructional strategies that stir young language learners' interest while stimulating their linguistic and cognitive development.