INTR 608: Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
for Field-Based Language Learners

This course is primarily for those who plan to learn a new language in an overseas context. It provides the basic knowledge and skills for becoming a successful learner no matter which approach to language learning is used—formal opportunities such as enrollment in a language school or independent study with a tutor, or informal opportunities such as learning by means of a network of relationships with speakers of the new language.

If you are like most field-based language learners, you will spend a few months or more in formal language study, either in a language school or in a tutoring program in which you work with native speakers of your target language and some learning materials. What sets ICCT apart from other pre-field SLA programs is its unique emphasis on the special needs of such language learners.

Although formal language study often provides a good foundation to build upon, especially in the areas of grammar and vocabulary development, it cannot give you more than a healthy start on your quest to become proficient in the language. To develop the competence you need in order to minister effectively, you will need to know how to evaluate your formal program, build upon its strengths, compensate for its weaknesses, and plan and implement an effective approach for your own learning needs and goals. ICCT can help with every aspect of this process. It specializes in showing language learners how to take control of their language learning situations and make good decisions about how to combine formal language study with learning on their own outside of class.

Research tells us that the most successful foreign language learners are not necessarily more motivated to learn than others nor more gifted in innate learning aptitude; neither do they necessarily spend more time and effort on language learning. Rather, contributing strongly to their success is their ability to employ a range of effective learning skills and strategies. They understand the language learning process; they are aware of and take advantage of their own unique learning styles and learning strengths; they know how to assume responsibility for their learning. In short, they know how to learn a new language.

Our goal at ICCT is to equip you with the abilities and strategies shared by good language learners. To this end, our SLA course consists of four interrelated components.

Plenary Sessions
These sessions provide the foundation for other components of the program. They deal with the what and the how of language learning. For example, what does it mean to know a language? In order to know a language, exactly what do you need to learn, and what skills must be developed? How should you go about the learning process? How can you capitalize on your innate learning strengths? How can you make the most of a language school or a structured tutoring situation? How can you learn from ordinary native speakers? How can you learn from your successes, and how can you make your mistakes work for you?

Practical Phonetics
Small-group phonetics instruction will prepare you to learn to hear and pronounce your target language more accurately. You will focus intensively on the most important phonological features (e.g., sounds, intonation, stress patterns) of the world's languages as well as the phonological features of your target language.

Language Learning Techniques
These techniques provide hands-on experience in developing a broad range of step-by-step procedures for language learning. You will gain confidence in your ability to tackle a new language as you work in small groups with a native speaker of a language you have not studied previously.

Practicum
Twice weekly, you will try out your newly acquired learning techniques with native speakers of your demonstration language who live in the Wheaton community. Through this one-on-one interaction, you will discover a great deal about your personal learning strengths and weaknesses, including particular strategies that work best for you.

Schedule
Classes meet Monday through Friday, 9:15 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. and 2:00 - 2:50 p.m. Evenings and weekends are important times for completing reading assignments, tape listening, practicum assignments, and writing short reports. Because of the intensity of this course, we strongly recommend that you plan for no outside responsibilities during ICCT.

Credit, Concurrent Enrollment
Four semester hours or noncredit. Those taking the course for noncredit will generally do the same work as the credit students.

If you are planning to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), you may enroll concurrently in Introduction to TESOL (noncredit only). You may also sign up for INTR 562: Foundations of Intercultural Communication (2 hours or noncredit).

Instruction that goes with you to the field
ICCT's involvement in your future language and culture learning does not end when you finish our three-week pre-field course. Rather, we provide five years of free unlimited e-mail support so that we can help you over the hurdles that are part of nearly every new learner's experience.