Development Principles of Blue Wolf & Friends
The Blue Wolf & Friends program integrates a number of components.
- Second Language Acquisition Principles developed by TESOL.
- Second Language Goals, Descriptors, and Indicators developed by TESOL and PLI.
- The PLI Whole Life Language approach.
- Corpus Linguistics Research, both external and conducted by PLI.
- The PLI Method whereby programs are created that utilizes core language.
PLI Whole Life Language Approach
The PLI Whole Life LanguageTM approach is a remote language immersion experience that seeks to incorporate language and culture into the learner's life, not simply as a daily subject to study, but as lifestyle. For example, in the Blue Wolf & Friends program the learners (and parents) will be encouraged not only to watch video programs at different times of the day, but also to regularly incorporate music, role playing, reading, and speaking into the days activities. PLI will create a template that teachers and parents can follow to help immerse learners into the language and culture as a normal part of their lives. A component of the Whole Life LanguageTM approach is providing programs that touch on all aspects of life, so that the language used is highly conceptualized and relevant. The wheel diagram to the right shows the topics that will be covered in the Blue Wolf & Friends program.
General Principles of Language Acquisition
Progressive Language has assembled a team of world-class linguists and experienced ESL teaches to design the Blue Wolf & Friends program. In addition to relying on the expertise of our academic team, we utilized well-established principles for language acquisition, such as those found in the TESOL publication ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students. The language acquisition principles that PLI is following are summarized below.
- Successful language learning and language teaching emphasize the goal of functional proficiency.
- To learn another language is to learn new norms, behaviors and beliefs that are appropriate in the new culture. To add a new language, therefore, is to add a new culture.
- Language acquisition occurs over time with learners moving through developmental stages and gradually growing in proficiency.
- Language is learned most effectively when it is used in significant and meaningful situations as learners interact with others.
- Learns must have multiple opportunities to use English, to interact with others, and to receive feedback on their language use.
- Authentic language often entails the simultaneous use of different language modalities�reading activities may activate the development of speaking abilities, and vice versa.
- Native language proficiency contributes to second language acquisition.
- Learners need to see that there are personal rewards to be gained from communicating effectively in English.
Blue Wolf & Friends is designed to complement classroom language learning. Table 1 discusses functional language goals for a successful K - 3 ESL program. Since many of the functional goals outlined below are difficult to achieve via an Internet language program, the design assumption for Blue Wolf & Friends is that a teacher or parent will provide feedback and practice as needed.
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