Gifted+language+students

=== This page presents the typical characteristics of students who are gifted in their native language and in a foreign language. It then proposes a list of examples of how these traits may be manifested, and finishes with a basic description of a gifted language learner. ===

Students who are 'linguistically gifted'
Sousa (2003, p.113) describes students who are gifted in **language arts** (for which I believe the NZ equivalent would be 'English'). While the language arts programme would be conducted in the mother tongue, many of the skills and descriptors are common to students who excel in foreign language education and, while they could be difficult to judge in the junior school, could be applied to seniors.

The following possible characteristics are identified (Sousa, 2003, p.114):
 * //heightened **awareness** of language//
 * "understand the nature of language"
 * have a particular interest in "rhyme, accent, and intonation", or grammar
 * they are interested in other languages, and aware of the "relationship between the sounds and words" in these languages.
 * //strong ** communication ** skills//
 * "easily gain the attention of an audience"
 * entertain using the "humorous or dramatic components of a situation"
 * produce language showing "a creative flair that is exceptional for their age, often using metaphors and poetry"
 * "express ideas elegantly and succinctly"
 * //strong** leadership **//
 * "guide a group to achieve its shared goals, while being sensitive to the participation of others"
 * //exceptional talent in ** reasoning and arguing **//
 * able to reason on "abstract and hypothetical levels" (spoken/written)
 * justify their opinions
 * use questioning to challenge others

The following are points taken from a checklist proposed by Sousa (2003, p.117).
Second tier bullets indicate links with aims stated in the New Zealand curriculum for French (Ministry of Education, 2002).


 * //"Writes or talks in **imaginative and coherent** ways"//
 * //" ** Organizes text ** in a manner that is exceptional for the student's age"//
 * //"Expresses ideas ** succinctly and elegantly ** "//
 * //"Writes with a flair for ** metaphorical and poetic expression ** "//
 * "**By the end of level 8**, learners [...] may use language creatively". Levels 7 and 8 Proficiency Statment: Personal Independence. (MOE, 2002, p.71)
 * //" **Takes the lead** in helping a group reach its writing goal"//
 * //"Easily grasps the essence of a ** writing style ** and adapts it for personal use"//
 * "At each curriculum level, a range of **text types** is included" (MOE, 2002, p.22)
 * //"Can capture and maintain the **attention of an audience** by using drama and humor in imaginative ways"//
 * "recount a series of events to inform, persuade, or entertain". Level 8 Achievement Objective 8.3. (MOE, 2002, p.78)
 * //"Engages creatively and seriously with **social and moral issues** expressed in literature"//
 * "Learning about social and cultural aspects of French-speaking communities will enable students to compare these aspects with those of New Zealand communities and to understand the wide variety of cultural characteristics of French-speaking people" (MOE, 2002, p.21)
 * //" ** Justifies ** opinions convincingly"//
 * "give and respond to information and opinions, giving reasons". Level 7 Achievement Objective 7.4. (MOE, 2002, p.72)
 * "develop an argument or point of view, with reasons". Level 8 Achievement Objective 8.2. (MOE, 2002, p.78)
 * //"Shows special **awareness of language features** such as intonation, rhyme, accents in spoken language, and grammatical organization in written texts"//
 * //"Presents **arguments at the hypothetical or abstract level** in both spoken and written language"//

Lowe, H. (2002, p.143) proposes the following list of characteristics of an able language learner:

 * "interest in 'difference'; openness and empathy to foreign cultures;
 * curiosity about how language works and interest in form for its own sake;
 * recognition of grammatical patterns and the function of words i n sentences;
 * use of technical vocabulary t o discuss language;
 * use of linguistic and non-linguistic clues to infer meaning;
 * ability to identify and memorise new sounds; good listening discrimination skills; An example of why this is imporant (Friends)
 * ability to reproduce the sounds o f the language;
 * flexible thinking;
 * good memory;
 * ability to extrapolate general rules f rom samples;
 * ability to apply principles from known languages t o the learning of new ones;
 * effective communication strategies: uses paraphrase; borrows from L1; circumlocutes; identifies with hearer;
 * intuitive feel and 'flair' for the language;
 * ability to make connections between items, between what is known and what is new, to make jumps in understanding;
 * curiosity about meanings and the 'why' factor;
 * ability to assimilate 'chunks' of language meaningfully;
 * attention to detail; keen to produce accurate language;
 * liking to do things with language; putting things together in creative and imaginative ways;
 * independence, concentration, perseverance, risk taking;
 * awareness and use of a range of strategies to learn; and
 * mastery of L1. "

However, it is important to remember that gifted learners are not a homogenous group. Different learners will display a different mixture of the above attributes, and may have particular strengths in one of the four major skill areas (reading, writing, listening, speaking).


 * asking a lot of questions which show that they're comparing cultures or linguistic systems
 * able to produce accurate language after few examples
 * off task during ‘fill in the gaps’ style activities
 * finished early and talking/reading a book
 * answering all of your questions before the rest of the class has a chance to think
 * seeming not to do their work, but able to give you the answers when you ask them
 * repeating new sounds in the language to themselves
 * putting bits and pieces from previously learned phrases together to make new ones
 * reading aloud very fluently, at early stages
 * saying “Isn’t that the same word that we used when we said ...? How come it means ... here?”
 * saying “Why is it ma soeur but mon frère?”
 * making links with English: “terminer is to finish... so it’s like ‘interminable’!”
 * being pestered by classmates, who use them like a dictionary
 * working diligently
 * chatting with you in the target language when they see you around the school
 * taking charge in cooperative work, and encouraging other students along
 * working out grammatical rules from what they see of the language
 * making lots of mistakes in the target language, but only because they’re experimenting and trying to communicate advanced ideas\
 * substituting new words into phrases so that they can express ideas more fitting for themselves
 * correcting all of your errors on the board
 * choosing words or phrasing because it ‘sounds right’
 * noticing differences in accents when listening
 * using idiomatic language, or phrasing which has not been addressed in class

Therefore, I propose this basic definition of a gifted language learner:
====A student who is interested in/curious about the target language and culture, and how the two interact. They quickly notice patterns, and deduce rules from this, deconstructing and reconstructing. They enjoy making hypotheses about how the language is used, seek opportunities to use the language productively and will apply what they have learned in future communication. As a consequence, the students' interlanguage will develop faster than that of their peers, they will often know what they have not been taught, and claim to have chosen to express themselves the way they did 'because it sounded right'. They may take the lead in group classroom activities, quickly grasp the conventions of new text types, and present well-structured arguments in the target language. These students will use their native language as a resource, but move more and more towards creating their own rules within the foreign language's system. Their communication will show cultural sensitivity and authentic structure/intonation/phrasing, etc.====

Sousa, D. A. (2003) //How the Gifted Brain Learns.// Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Lowe, H. (2002) Modern Foreign Languages. In Eyre, D. & Lowe, H. (Eds), //Curriculum Provision for the Gifted and Talented in the Secondary School.// (pp140-163).

Ministry of Education. (2002). //French in the New Zealand Curriculum//. : Wellington: Learning Media. Nikolova, O. & Taylor, G. (2003). The Impact of a Language Learning Task on Instructional Outcomes in Two Student Populations: High-Ability and Average-Ability Students. //The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education.// 19(4), 205-217. Retrieved July 25, 2009, from __http://csaweb110v.csa.com.helicon.vuw.ac.nz/ids70/view_record.php?id=2&recnum=8&log=from_res&SID=g1424e0bmnouvr6rnjsturt337&mark_id=search%3A2%3A0%2C0%2C50__