What we do...

What we do in the Foreign language Elementary School (FLES) program is oriented towards language acquisition. Specifically, second language acquisition (SLA), since their primary language, for most of the children, is English. The way children acquire a second language is somehow similar to the way they acquire their native language. The process begins, in most cases, with a “silent period”, in which they speak very little. Some children reject hearing/listening to the foreign language because it is “incomprehensible”. That is what happens when some children complain about “I don’t understand a word you are saying” o “Could you say it in English?” However, these “silent learners” are rehearsing important “chunks” of information. The first words or phrases are then used in one or different situations and become “attached”. A handful of words and phrases are used to accomplish basic purposes. The most direct source of information in the classroom is the teacher and other authentic materials we work with. This is the “input”. Classroom management and differentiation is extremely important so that this input can reach everyone. When students process the input in a way that leads to learning we call it “intake”. The amount and quality of input the children receive is the most important factor affecting their learning, but it has to be at a level comprehensible to them. The input should be just beyond what the learner can fully understand; it is comprehensible, but not 100%. And that is OK!! Another factor is the use of the language in interaction, that is how the students generate new contexts for words and new combinations. The more exposure, the earlier… the better.