“WOW! ICE CREAM…!” ACQUIRING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE USING IMITATION AND REPETITION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Learning English as a second language is not easy when non-native English children have to live within the native English speaking community, and they have no idea at all about the language except only for very few words. This study describes how three siblings from Indonesia, aged 6, 7 and 9, struggled with English when they first went to a primary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The data were collected from the siblings' language achievement reports and the researcher's anecdotal records from her daily interaction with the siblings and the school's teachers. The result shows that the siblings were facilitated with ESL teachers, books and multimedia to support them develop their vocabulary repertoire. Imitating and repeating words and short sentences from teachers, peers, books, and multimedia are the strategies they preferred to apply while interacting in the school environment. This paper discusses the siblings' processes in acquiring the language during their seven months studying in that school. 

Keywords: School-Aged Kids, English as a Second Language, Language Development, Environment Supports