Chapter 6: Comparisons of Teaching English as a Second Language in the United States and China

It is very apparent that our world is becoming more diverse no matter what country you are living in. In today’s society being bilingual is a valuable quality to have. Although English may not be as widely spoken in all countries, this is a great foundational language to have for small communication. Whether you live in the United States learning English as a second language (ESL), or you are someone in China learning English to become bilingual, there are several research-based teaching methods that will help with language acquisition. In the United States these teaching methods are being used widely across many classrooms of all ages (Echevarría, 2012). Some of the most successful and commonly used methods in the classroom are the sheltered instruction observation protocol, total physical response, and Ex-cELL. Students learning English in China who are being taught with these same methods show a higher intelligence and understanding of the language, especially at young ages, rather than students with only one language. It is important to note that with these methods being used “it is the structure it provides for teacher–student interaction that is the key to future development and exploitation, as learners take the original task in unforeseen directions” (Bygate, Skehan, & Swain, 2013, p. 6). For these research methods to show success in learners, teachers should focus their instruction on the interactions students have with the language; the way the target language is being received and the output produced from students. The research we conducted focuses on a few of the most successful methods used in the United States as well as being used in China. Our research has shown that these methods used in both countries can attribute to the successful rates of second language acquisition.