Research by Dr Sarah Ann Liszka at the University of Greenwich focuses on the second language acquisition of grammatical properties which are persistently problematic areas to master (such as tense, aspect, articles). This has led to the development and delivery of workshops for 118 secondary school teachers (Key Stages 3-5) with EAL (English as an Additional Language) pupils from 48 schools and five local councils across the UK.
Second language acquisition (SLA) is learning a second language after a first language is already established. In the UK, for example, this often happens when a child who speaks a language other than English goes to school for the first time.
Learning and using a second language proficiently is crucial to successfully integrate into other cultures and improve life chances. However, when the age of onset for the new language is around or after puberty, evidence suggests that many learners have problems acquiring selective grammatical features, which can persist even at very high levels of proficiency. This impedes their linguistic attainment and may ultimately hinder their success in domains such as education and the employment market.
The research conducted by Dr Sarah Ann Liszka is important for teachers in the classroom in order to improve EAL learners’ ability to reach their full potential in exams, such as GCSE English Language. This, in turn, will have an impact on their life opportunities, especially in the areas of employment or further study.
“Bridging the gap between linguistic theory and practice for teachers of EAL pupils to improve their second language acquisition” was carried out by Dr Sarah Ann Liszka.