English Immersion Environment, Children's Second Language Acquisition Research And Development Process

Along with the human progress of information civilization, people increasingly realized the importance of language communication. As the communication tool for internationalization exchange, language becomes the attention focus of the people. Now learning second language is becoming more and more popular in the world, and the learner's age becomes younger and younger. Based on the Critical period(Sensitive period) hypothesis of children language acquisition theory and the successful application of French immersion teaching in Canada around 60 year's of last century, second language immersion education teaching model is accepted by many countries and corresponding localization research is going on around the world. In June,1997, the China-Canada research program of English immersion education program was launched in Xi'an China, and this program presented a novel way and suitable background for the Chinese children to learn English more naturally and effectively. The children English immersion research in 13 years demonstrates that English immersion teaching is a revolutionary reform in second language learning, and the early language immersion teaching is the best pattern for Chinese children to learn English.As a post graduated student, It's honor for me to get the chance to research the English immersion education method supervised by respected Mrs. Zhao Lin. I'm very interested in this research subject, so from the first day to be a post graduated student, I began to take part in relative research class and academic discussion. When I took part in the experimental kindergarten class, I was frequently shocked by the children using English freely, richly and easily. I was really moved by energetic and professional teachers in the class. In order to veil the mystery progress of children second language acquisition and development, and further enrich the research results in English immersion, under the guidance and support of tutor, the study is going smoothly.As a subject of the research project of study on Children English Immersion Education, this paper focus on the process of children's second-language acquisition and development in English immersion environment. Unifying the domestic and foreign English immersion theories and application, we carried on English immersion teaching study for two years in the same experimental kindergarten class. We tracked class by sustained observation and recording, and analyzed the large number of class videos, presenting our research results by quantitative and qualitative analysis. The quantification research stresses on children's second language development levels. By sorted the two years practical research data into four periods, and reorganized and analyzed all the experimental materials using International Children Language Communication Data Analysis System (CHILDES), in the transcription, coding, data collection, statistics in the data, sorting on the basis of further analysis of the data to show children's second language at various stages of development, the development condition and results in various periods was given in this paper. In qualitative analysis research, we emphasized on the overall process tacking and analysis to get the valuable information. Finally using the language measuring table Pre-LAS2000, the English proficiency and level were tested according to the different development periods. Followings are main research conclusions in this paper:1. Children second language acquisition is developing gradually and improving continuously by series periods.2. In the second language development process, the children's listening and spoken skills have remarkable improvements.3. In the process of the second language acquisition and development, children are very active and happy with strong confidence and optimistic manner.4. This research supported powerfully the conclusion that English immersion teaching is revolutionary reform and this early English teaching method is the best pattern for Chinese children to learn English.5. In the English immersion teaching, the qualified English teacher is the key factor to carry on the successful practice.In view of the research conclusion, teaching suggestions are given as followings:1. Teachers should follow the rule of the children's second language acquisition and development, and guide the children to understand and obtain the second language skills gradually.2. Teacher teaching should face all children and respect the individual difference, give children more practical opportunity.3. Teachers should be good at discovering the luminescent spot in children English language learning and give them specific encouragement and praise, exciting the child's interests to fulfill effectively curriculum.4. Teacher's languages should be accurate, clear, and vivid.5. Research project should pay great attention to train more qualified teacher for English immersion teaching.