CC BY
24THE CHARACTERICS OF YOUNG LEARNERS IN THE PROCESS OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Adolatjon Shuxrat qizi Urazmetova
She is an English teacher at the secondary school № 16 in Urgench, Khorezm region
urazmetova1991 @bk.ru
ABSTRACT
The article is concerned with the study of characteristics of young learners in the process of second language acquisition. Young learners have certain characteristics which are different from old learners to those influence their acquiring a foreign language. The study focuses on the certain special features of young learners that teacher should take into account during the teaching.
Previous researches and studies in this area of investigation have been gathered and analyzed. Several points of the issue have been taken into consideration and concluded that teaching a second language to children is obviously different from other age groups.
Keywords: young learners, resources, egocentric, imaginative. Introduction
It is widely claimed that children have a reputation for being natural language learners. Almost without exception, they have learned their native language with apparent ease, and by the time they are 6 years old, they have brought it to a level of fluency. Many researchers have claimed that children can be more advanced to acquire second language as they are compared to adults or the old-aged.
According to Thomas and Armstrong (1998: 5), a child arrives to school full of instincts and skills which he has already begun to use and he will continue to use them for learning his own language as well as a foreign language like in the case of English:
• Children have the ability for indirect learning.
• They have a lively imagination.
• By nature they are creative in different communication situations.
• They are able to grasp the gist of a message.
• Children love speaking. Characteristics of young learners1
In the process of second language acquisition, age is mostly regarded as a vital factor. There are some distinctive characteristics of young learners in language learning.
1 Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1994.
In this article, a number of distinctive characteristics of young learners will be mentioned in the process of second language acquisition.
Before presenting the characteristics of young learners, it is worthwhile mentioning that by young learners, we mean students that are under twelve years old. Those that are over twelve are considered as teenagers. Adulthood is commonly thought of as beginning at age twenty.
1. Young learners get bored quickly.
If the activities are not interesting and engaging enough, young learners get bored easily. This is because they have a limited attention span. Generally, after ten minutes, they can get disinterested in the activity at hand, especially if it is taught directly and is devoid of the elements of play.
2. Young learners are meaning-oriented
They may understand what is being said without necessarily understanding every individual word. They may not only guess and interpret what is being uttered but they also respond to it with whatever language resources they have at their disposal.
3. Young learners like to discover things
They are characterized by curiosity and enthusiasm. They like to make sense of the world around them through engaging and motivating activities where they have to discover by themselves rather than being told. They also often learn indirectly from everything around them - not necessarily focusing on the topic being taught.
4. They prefer concrete activities
According to Piaget's cognitive development theory, young learners are still developing. That is, they are still making their way from concrete to abstract thinking. Unlike adults who are more analytical, they are not yet well equipped to learn abstract concepts such as grammar rules. In addition to that, they are more inclined to understand based not only on explanation but more importantly on what they hear, see and touch
5. They are more egocentric
They prefer to talk about themselves. Activities that focus on their lives are their cup of tea. In addition to that, children under the age of 12 need individual attention and approval from the teacher.
6. They are imaginative
Young learners are imaginative. Activities that are full of imagination is a source of enjoyment for them. It is sometimes difficult for them to distinguish reality from imagination.
7. They imitate
They learn by imitating adults. It is amazing how humans imitate and discover things from a very young age. Children acquire communication skills through social
2 Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. Essex, England: Longman.
Uzbekistan www.scientificprogress.uz
Page 791
interactions. Consequently, because imitation functions as a learning tool, it is
"5
rewarding to use it to teach children new skills and knowledge. Conclusion
One of the reasons why teaching young learners requires highly skilled teachers is that these learners have difficulty understanding abstract concepts. Moreover, while teaching them, an appropriate learning atmosphere should be provided, where the children may move and interact in a stress-free environment. Young learners are, however, more imaginative. They also like discovering things, and easily respond to meaning-based activities. Finally, children are also good at imitating the teachers' language use (e.g.pronunciation) and social behaviors.
REFERENCES
1. Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandria, va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1994
2. Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. Essex, England: Longman.
3. Mohammed Rhalmi (2019) Seven Characteristics of Young Learners.
