Second Language Acquisition in MALDIVES

By: Sujjey, Suja, Fai, Hucen, Saadhu & Shimu

OneTwo

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5

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No of Languages

Perc

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geHow many languages do you know/speak?

6%

44%50%

Total: 54 Participants

Is English in the Maldives a foreign / second Language?

• Second Language• Serves a communicative purpose• Not just taught and spoken in schools• Used for business purposes• Officially regarded as the second language

Do Maldivians acquire English naturally? To what extent?

• Majority of children LEARN English through instruction.

• Some children acquire naturally. Especially in the capital.

• Parents play a vital role.• Maldivian couple staying abroad.• Early exposure.

How do Maldivians normally acquire English and what are the consequences of ‘acquiring’ as opposed to

‘learning’?

• Normally learned at school through formal instruction.

• Guided learning.

• Learning takes place consciously.

Consequences of ‘learning’ English

• Knowledge is explicit. • Formal teaching helps (Krashen, 2006).• Less likely to achieve perfect L2 mastery • More concerned with fluency than accuracy• Fossilisation (Ellis, 2004).• Focuses on a particular aspect of the target

language system.• Allows teachers to control the learning process

(Lightbown & Spada, 2006).

BROKEN ENGLISH?Indian English

Maldivian English

AMERICAN ENGLISH?

BRITISH ENGLISH?

What kind of English is taught in Maldivian Schools?

References

• Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Lightbown, P.M. & Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Krashen, S. (2005). Theory of second language acquisition. Retrieved on 1 February 2012 from http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html