Second language acquisition in a naturalistic setting:a case study

Resumo

In this paper I attempt to show and describe the different settings which surround the life of a seven-year-old Brazilian girl (Luiza, my daughter) acquiring English naturally. I observed Luiza’s use of English at school, at home, watching TV/Video, as she played with English friends and her brother, and as she participated in community activities. I talked formally and informally with Luiza’s teachers, friends and parents of friends. Following ethnographic principles, this description focuses on Luiza’s second language development, i.e., on her interaction with friends, on the importance of TV/Video for learning the new language, and on her use of English in school and at home. For the analysis I will draw mainly on authors who deal with English as an Additional Language (EAL), such as Turner (1997), Drury (1997), and Long (1997) as well as on authors who describe the importance of TV/Video for language development, such as Rice and Woodsmall (1988), Naigles and Mayeux (2001), Singer and Singer (2001), and Rice and Sell (1990).