Does equal access mean treat the same? From theory to practice in the classroom of English as an Additional Language learner in Ireland – towards a transformative agenda

Abstract

While a substantial body of research exists on First- and Second-Language Acquisition (SLA), research on the language acquisition process that a language minority student goes through when they are acquiring a second language has been largely unexplored. Pedagogical practices that espouse language learning theories facilitate both the language development and integration of the language minority child into the classroom. This paper will look at various linguistic variables within the field of SLA which are of particular relevance to the language acquisition process of such students in an Irish context. By embedding these linguistic factors into pedagogical practices, educators can engage with a transformative framework which will not only aid their linguistic and cognitive development, but will also empower the students by developing their critical language skills and facilitate their ability to access the mainstream curriculum.

Keywords:

• second-language acquisition
• transformative framework
• inquiry-based pedagogy
• EAL learner
• problem-posing

Notes on contributor

Niamh Kelly lectures in Japanese language and translation at Dublin City University. She received her D.Ed. in Language Acquisition and Morpheme Order Studies from Trinity College, Dublin. Her research areas include second language pedagogy and Japanese secret language and Japanese taboos.