GrapeSEED

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GrapeSEED is a research-based oral language acquisition and critical listening program [1] for teachers that allows students to obtain the English language naturally. [2] This natural approach, developed by Stephen Krashen, a linguist and researcher in the fields of second-language acquisition and bilingual education, and Tracy D. Terrell, an education theorist, is intended to give language learners the ability to "communicate with native speakers of the target language" by having students, who are taught in a classroom setting, first comprehend the language, and then "Speech (and writing) production emerges as the acquisition process progresses." [3]

Contents

Research and theories

Some of the research and theories that GrapeSEED is based on include the following:

The GrapeSEED program involves students participating in a teacher-led classroom where the English language is introduced and learned with materials and activities that focus not on grammar, but on language acquisition, or "'picking-up' a language." [2] [7] With acquisition, "We are generally not consciously aware of the rules of the languages we have acquired. Instead, we have a 'feel' for correctness. Grammatical sentences 'sound' right, or 'feel' right, and errors feel wrong, even if we do not consciously know what rule was violated." [7] This focus on oral language acquisition, paired with critical listening, defined as "the process of analyzing and evaluating the accuracy, legitimacy, and value of messages", [8] is intended to help students first achieve an understanding of the language, and then speak, read, and write it. [2]

The GrapeSEED program is used to teach the English language with children in preschool through second grade, [9] economically disadvantaged students, [1] and English as a Second Language (ESL) students. [10] It includes multimedia materials, [2] teaching manuals and training processes. [11]

GrapeSEED is sold by GrapeCity, inc., a privately held, multinational software corporation based in Sendai, Japan, that develops its own software products and provides outsourced product development services, consulting services, software, and Customer relationship management services. [12]

History

GrapeSEED was created from the idea of Paul Broman Sr., an American missionary who wanted to teach Japanese children the English language after World War II. In 1950, Paul moved to Japan, and along with other families and friends, built a kindergarten school. [13] Established in 1967, this school, located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, was named Miyagi MeySen Academy [14] and is where GrapeSEED originated. [10]

In 2009, GrapeSEED was introduced in South Korea and as of 2011 "...is already helping their children to learn English, elementary education by introducing such a program in the country in more than 270 kindergartens, children's homes, language schools." [15]

In 2012, GrapeSEED was introduced in the United States at Mars Elementary School in Berrien Springs, Michigan. [16] It is used in the following 16 countries: Albania, [17] Azerbaijan, [18] Brazil, [9] China, [9] India, [19] [20] Indonesia, [21] Japan, [22] Malaysia, [23] Mongolia, [24] Myanmar, [9] Nepal, [9] Russia, [25] South Korea, [15] [26] Thailand, [27] [28] United States, [10] and Vietnam. [9]

Related Research Articles

A second language (L2) is a language spoken in addition to one's first language (L1). A second language may be a neighbouring language, another language of the speaker's home country, or a foreign language. A speaker's dominant language, which is the language a speaker uses most or is most comfortable with, is not necessarily the speaker's first language. For example, the Canadian census defines first language for its purposes as "the first language learned in childhood and still spoken", recognizing that for some, the earliest language may be lost, a process known as language attrition. This can happen when young children start school or move to a new language environment.

Language education – the process and practice of teaching a second or foreign language – is primarily a branch of applied linguistics, but can be an interdisciplinary field. There are four main learning categories for language education: communicative competencies, proficiencies, cross-cultural experiences, and multiple literacies.

Communicative language teaching (CLT), or the communicative approach (CA), is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of study.

Rod Ellis is a Kenneth W. Mildenberger Prize-winning British linguist. He is currently a research professor in the School of Education, at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He is also a professor at Anaheim University, where he serves as the Vice president of academic affairs. Ellis is a visiting professor at Shanghai International Studies University as part of China’s Chang Jiang Scholars Program and an emeritus professor of the University of Auckland. He has also been elected as an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Second-language acquisition (SLA), sometimes called second-language learning—otherwise referred to as L2acquisition, is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. The field of second-language acquisition is regarded by some but not everybody as a sub-discipline of applied linguistics but also receives research attention from a variety of other disciplines, such as psychology and education.

Sheltered instruction is an educational approach designed to make academic content more accessible to English language learners (ELLs) while promoting their language development. It involves modifying instruction to accommodate students' language proficiency levels and providing additional support to help comprehend and engage with material effectively.

Sequential bilingualism occurs when a person becomes bilingual by first learning one language and then another. The process is contrasted with simultaneous bilingualism, in which both languages are learned at the same time.

The comprehension approach to language learning emphasizes understanding of language rather than speaking it. This is in contrast to the better-known communicative approach, under which learning is thought to emerge through language production, i.e. a focus on speech and writing.

Language teaching, like other educational activities, may employ specialized vocabulary and word use. This list is a glossary for English language learning and teaching using the communicative approach.

In the field of second language acquisition, there are many theories about the most effective way for language learners to acquire new language forms. One theory of language acquisition is the comprehensible output hypothesis.

The input hypothesis, also known as the monitor model, is a group of five hypotheses of second-language acquisition developed by the linguist Stephen Krashen in the 1970s and 1980s. Krashen originally formulated the input hypothesis as just one of the five hypotheses, but over time the term has come to refer to the five hypotheses as a group. The hypotheses are the input hypothesis, the acquisition–learning hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, the natural order hypothesis and the affective filter hypothesis. The input hypothesis was first published in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extensive reading</span> Reading longer, easier texts for extended periods of time

Extensive reading (ER) is the process of reading longer, easier texts for an extended period of time without a breakdown of comprehension, feeling overwhelmed, or the need to take breaks. It stands in contrast to intensive or academic reading, which is focused on a close reading of dense, shorter texts, typically not read for pleasure. Though used as a teaching strategy to promote second-language development, ER also applies to free voluntary reading and recreational reading both in and out of the classroom. ER is based on the assumption that we learn to read by reading.

Ian Stephen Paul Nation is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of linguistics and teaching methodology.

The silent period is a phase reported to have been observed in second-language acquisition where the learner does not yet produce but is actively processing the L2. This silent period has been claimed to be typically found in children and has been called the second stage of second language acquisition, following the use of L1 and preceding productive use of L2, and can last between a few weeks to a year. Generalizing how long this period may last is nearly impossible because it depends on many personal and individual variables that come into play.

Focus on form (FonF), also called form-focused instruction, is an approach to language education in which learners are made aware of linguistic forms – such as individual words and conjugations – in the context of a communicative activity. It is contrasted with focus on forms, in which forms are studied in isolation, and focus on meaning, in which no attention is paid to forms at all. For instruction to qualify as focus on form and not as focus on forms, the learner must be aware of the meaning and use of the language features before the form is brought to their attention. Focus on form was proposed by Michael Long in 1988.

The interaction hypothesis is a theory of second-language acquisition which states that the development of language proficiency is promoted by face-to-face interaction and communication. Its main focus is on the role of input, interaction, and output in second language acquisition. It posits that the level of language that a learner is exposed to must be such that the learner is able to comprehend it, and that a learner modifying their speech so as to make it comprehensible facilitates their ability to acquire the language in question. The idea existed in the 1980s, and has been reviewed and expanded upon by a number of other scholars but is usually credited to Michael Long.

The natural approach is a method of language teaching developed by Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It aims to foster naturalistic language acquisition in a classroom setting, and to this end it emphasizes communication, and places decreased importance on conscious grammar study and explicit correction of student errors. Efforts are also made to make the learning environment as stress-free as possible. In the natural approach, language output is not forced, but allowed to emerge spontaneously after students have attended to large amounts of comprehensible language input. "Comprehensible input" is a central conception under this method.

Merrill Swain is a Canadian applied linguist whose research has focused on second language acquisition (SLA). Some of her most notable contributions to SLA research include the Output Hypothesis and her research related to immersion education. Swain is a Professor Emerita at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. Swain is also known for her work with Michael Canale on communicative competence. Swain was the president of the American Association for Applied Linguistics in 1998. She received her PhD in psychology at the University of California. Swain has co-supervised 64 PhD students.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to second-language acquisition:

An English language institute (ELIs) or English language centre (ELCs) is a department within a college or university in English-speaking countries that aims to develop students' English language skills for a variety of purposes. In countries like New Zealand, ELCs accounted for one-fifth of the $1.1 billion (NZ) in revenue (2001).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Keim, Bill (October 2014). "Latest Educational Research Demonstrates Value of GrapeSEED" (PDF). WASA Hotline: 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 8, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Chang, Daris (March 2015). "Book and Materials Review: GrapeSEED Curriculum GrapeSEED Media, Ltd. Kirkland, WA: GrapeCity Inc., 2013". TESOL Journal. 6 (1): 193–194. doi:10.1002/tesj.181.
  3. ↑ Krashen, Stephen D.; Terrell, Tracy D. (1996). The Natural Approach Language Acquisition in the Classroom. Bloodaxe Books Ltd. p. 58. ISBN   978-0136099345.
  4. ↑ Berns, Margie (1990). Contexts of Competence: Social and Cultural Considerations in Communicative Language Teaching. US: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 86. ISBN   978-0306434693.
  5. ↑ Krashen, Stephen; Terrell, Tracy D. (1996). The Natural Approach Language Acquisition in the Classroom. Bloodaxe Books Ltd. p. 1. ISBN   978-0136099345.
  6. ↑ "Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition". Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition. Ricardo Schütz. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Krashen, Stephen D. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition Language Teaching Methodology Series. Pergamon. p. 10. ISBN   9780080286280.
  8. ↑ Duck, Steve; McMahan, David T. (2013). Communication in Everyday Life: A Survey of Communication. SAGE Publications. p. 127. ISBN   9781483321769.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "GrapeSEED working with My First School Kindergarten, Hanoi - Vietnam". mfs.edu.vn.
  10. 1 2 3 Mumford, Lou (February 25, 2013). "ESL program a 'game-changer'" . Retrieved September 10, 2015– via SouthBendTribune.com.
  11. ↑ "Buckeye Learning Support Team Attends GrapeSeed Conference | Buckeye". salemquakers.k12.oh.us. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  12. ↑ Buchanan, Clare (September 30, 2014). "Japan's GrapeCity: At home in Xi'an". ChinaWatch, a paid supplement to the Washington Post. ChinaWatch. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ Rubinstein, David (July 27, 2012). "Industry Watch: Seeds yield fruit for GrapeCity". SD Times Magazine. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  14. ↑ "宮城明泉学園 - Miyagi MeySen Academy | English - Our History". www.meysen.ac.jp. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  15. 1 2 Yong Joon, Kim (2011). "New market leader in infant and elementary English education market, "GrapeSEED"". Economy CEO (Korea). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  16. ↑ Clawson, Cindi (June 20, 2012). "New learning method helping kids learn English". WNDU Channel 16 News. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Courses". Lincoln Centers of Albania. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Interlink "English for Kids"". www.facebook.com. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  19. ↑ "GrapeSeed English Language Solution for Kids - Delhi - EventsHigh". EventsHigh. Retrieved September 14, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "St. Judes Play School.... GrapeSeed English Curriculum in Gurgaon India | Pre-School in Gurgaon India at UpFeet India". www.upfeet.in. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  21. ↑ "grapeseed english for children | Love To Learn Indonesia". lovetolearnindonesia.com. April 30, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Mizuho school". www.mizuho-edu.co.jp. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Proven Programmes | ActiveKidz GrapeSeed". www.activekidzgrapeseed.com. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Логарифм дунд сургууль". logarithm.mn. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Rick Norman Launches GrapeSEED Curriculum Program for GrapeCity". ricknormangrapecity.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  26. ↑ "성민유치원". www.sungmin-i.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  27. ↑ Administrator. "GrapeSEED". www.lertlah.com. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  28. ↑ Gall, Rob (February 18, 2015). "First International Conference At Buriram Rajabhat University". Buriram Times.com. Retrieved September 14, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
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