First Language AcquisitionFirst Language Acquisition

Ling400Ling400

First language (L1) acquisitionFirst language (L1) acquisition

• Crucial questions regarding language Crucial questions regarding language acquisitionacquisition

• Theories of language acquisitionTheories of language acquisition– The imitation theoryThe imitation theory– The reinforcement theoryThe reinforcement theory– The active-construction-of-a-grammar The active-construction-of-a-grammar

theorytheory

Language acquisition theoriesLanguage acquisition theories

• ImitationImitation: Children imitate adults: Children imitate adults• ReinforcementReinforcement: Children are negatively : Children are negatively

reinforced for errors and positively reinforced for errors and positively reinforced for correct usagereinforced for correct usage

• Active construction of a grammarActive construction of a grammar: : Children are genetically programmed to Children are genetically programmed to acquire L1 (driven by Universal acquire L1 (driven by Universal Grammar according to Chomsky)Grammar according to Chomsky)

The Innateness HypothesisThe Innateness Hypothesis

• The process of first language acquisition The process of first language acquisition cannot be fully explained by an imitation or cannot be fully explained by an imitation or reinforcement theory. (We will see some reinforcement theory. (We will see some examples later.)examples later.)

• Almost all people acquire 1st language Almost all people acquire 1st language successfully despite the fact that the data successfully despite the fact that the data they are exposed to is often defective.they are exposed to is often defective.

• Conclusion: We are born with a Language Conclusion: We are born with a Language Acquisition Device (= Universal Grammar).Acquisition Device (= Universal Grammar).

Lenneberg:Lenneberg:characteristics of biologically characteristics of biologically

controlled behaviorscontrolled behaviors1.1. Emerges before it is necessaryEmerges before it is necessary2.2. Not the result of a conscious decisionNot the result of a conscious decision3.3. Not triggered by external eventsNot triggered by external events4.4. No training neededNo training needed5.5. A regular sequence of “milestones”A regular sequence of “milestones”6.6. There is a “critical period”There is a “critical period”

UG and Lg AcquisitionUG and Lg Acquisition

• If Chomsky is right, studying first If Chomsky is right, studying first language acquisition is extremely language acquisition is extremely important because this allows us to see important because this allows us to see “UG in action”.“UG in action”.

What is wrong with the What is wrong with the imitation theory?imitation theory?

• Children understand the rule for plural Children understand the rule for plural formation because they apply it to nonsense formation because they apply it to nonsense forms.forms.wug [wug [wwʌgʌg] ] wugs [wugs [wwʌgzʌgz]]

• They produce incorrect “regular forms” insteadThey produce incorrect “regular forms” instead of irregular forms: goed, bringed, foots, mouses,of irregular forms: goed, bringed, foots, mouses, sheeps, childssheeps, childs• This can only be explained by a theory that says This can only be explained by a theory that says that children posit rules and constantly revisethat children posit rules and constantly revise them until they acquire the adult grammar. them until they acquire the adult grammar.

Evidence for internalized Evidence for internalized syntactic/semantic rulessyntactic/semantic rules

• Children seem to know complex Children seem to know complex syntactic/semantic rules that cannot be syntactic/semantic rules that cannot be taught directly.taught directly.““When did the boy say he hurt himself?” When did the boy say he hurt himself?” [ambiguous][ambiguous]““When did the boy say how he hurt When did the boy say how he hurt himself?” [not ambiguous]himself?” [not ambiguous]

Evidence for internalized Evidence for internalized syntactic/semantic rulessyntactic/semantic rules

• Some errors in syntax made by children Some errors in syntax made by children are not errors in a different are not errors in a different language/dialectlanguage/dialect

• ““What do you think what’s in here?”What do you think what’s in here?”

for “What do you think is in here?”for “What do you think is in here?”

• This is a grammatical question in a This is a grammatical question in a German dialect.German dialect.

The Innateness HypothesisThe Innateness Hypothesis

• Chomsky argues that a child is born Chomsky argues that a child is born with an innate grammar (Universal with an innate grammar (Universal Grammar) that has some basic rules Grammar) that has some basic rules and principles. and principles.

• The only thing that the linguistic input The only thing that the linguistic input does is to set some parameters. This does is to set some parameters. This accounts for the idiosyncracies among accounts for the idiosyncracies among the world’s languages.the world’s languages.

The Innateness HypothesisThe Innateness Hypothesis

• Chomsky also points to the fact that L1 Chomsky also points to the fact that L1 acquisition follows a set of well-defined acquisition follows a set of well-defined developmental stages. So he thinks that developmental stages. So he thinks that this is like the ability to walk: we are this is like the ability to walk: we are genetically predisposed to acquire a genetically predisposed to acquire a language just as we are genetically language just as we are genetically predisposed to walk.predisposed to walk.

NewbornNewborn

L1 acquisition, stagesL1 acquisition, stages

• Stage IStage I babblingbabbling (0-9 mos.) (0-9 mos.)

• A large variety of sounds are produced A large variety of sounds are produced many of which are not sounds used in many of which are not sounds used in L1. L1.

12 months12 months

L1 acquisition, stagesL1 acquisition, stages

• Stage IIStage II Linguistic mapping (9-24 mos) Linguistic mapping (9-24 mos)• Lexical developmentLexical development: : holophrasticholophrastic (one (one

word) stageword) stage• TelegraphicTelegraphic speech speech: two-three word stage; : two-three word stage;

lexical but not functional categorieslexical but not functional categories• Examples: Examples: See hole? No eat? Airplane all See hole? No eat? Airplane all

gone. All done milk.gone. All done milk.

L1 acquisition, Stage IIL1 acquisition, Stage II

• 15 months15 months• MommyMommy• What?What?• GoGo• Wa-waWa-wa• GimmeGimme• Ba-ba (grandmother)Ba-ba (grandmother)• Na-na (blanket)Na-na (blanket)

• 18 months18 months• More grapejuiceMore grapejuice• Write a paperWrite a paper• Mommy head?Mommy head?• What doing, Mommy?What doing, Mommy?• Right downRight down• Drink juiceDrink juice• Oh! Drop a celeryOh! Drop a celery

24 months24 months

L1 acquisition, stages L1 acquisition, stages

• Stage IIIStage III Complex syntactic analysisComplex syntactic analysis (24-36 mos.)(24-36 mos.)

• Optional infinitive stageOptional infinitive stage: root infinitives : root infinitives (RIs) alternate with inflected verbs (IVs)(RIs) alternate with inflected verbs (IVs)

L1 acquisition, Stage IIIL1 acquisition, Stage III

• Root infinitivesRoot infinitives– Open toybox. No Mommy read.Open toybox. No Mommy read.– Drink juice. Oh, Horsie stuck!Drink juice. Oh, Horsie stuck!– Pas manger la poupée. ‘Not [to] eat the Pas manger la poupée. ‘Not [to] eat the

doll.’doll.’– Michel dormir. ‘Mike to sleep.’Michel dormir. ‘Mike to sleep.’

L1 acquisition, Stage IIIL1 acquisition, Stage III

• Inflected verbsInflected verbs– Didn’t come out.Didn’t come out.– We goed to the beach.We goed to the beach.– Veux pas lolo. ‘I don’t want water.’Veux pas lolo. ‘I don’t want water.’– Ça tourne pas. ‘That doesn’t turn.’Ça tourne pas. ‘That doesn’t turn.’– Des geht nicht. ‘This goes not.’Des geht nicht. ‘This goes not.’– Mone auch schlaft. ‘Simone also sleeps.’Mone auch schlaft. ‘Simone also sleeps.’

L1 acquisition, 27 mos.L1 acquisition, 27 mos.

• There some creamThere some cream• This is not betterThis is not better• Put in you coffeePut in you coffee• I go get a pencil ‘n’ I go get a pencil ‘n’

writewrite• Put my pencil in Put my pencil in

therethere• An’ I want to take off An’ I want to take off

my hatmy hat

• I put them in the refrigerator to freeze

• That why Jacky comed

• We’re going to make a blue house

• How ‘bout another eggnog instead of cheese sandwich?

Eva, 27 monthsEva, 27 months

• Baby lemon. Not work. Baby lemon. Not work.

• Baby lemon not work.Baby lemon not work.

• Unuh. Unuh.

• Yeah.Yeah.

• Mommy, seeds in there.Mommy, seeds in there.

• No. Spit it out.No. Spit it out.

Eva, 27 monthsEva, 27 months

• [The][The] Baby lemon Baby lemon [does][does] notnot work. work.

• [The][The] Baby lemon Baby lemon [does][does] notnot work. work.

• Unuh. Unuh.

• Yeah.Yeah.

• Mommy, Mommy, [null][null] seeds [are] in there. seeds [are] in there.

• No. No. [null][null] spit it out. spit it out.

Eva, 27 monthsEva, 27 months

• JJ play violin.JJ play violin.• Mommy, play violin. Play that.Mommy, play violin. Play that.• Yeah. Me get big play violin.Yeah. Me get big play violin.• Mommy, my hand do it.Mommy, my hand do it.• Bandaid. Me need bandaid.Bandaid. Me need bandaid.• Owie. Fall. Fell.Owie. Fall. Fell.• Me huggin’ baby. Me on bottom, me on top.Me huggin’ baby. Me on bottom, me on top.

Eva, 27 monthsEva, 27 months

• JJ playJJ play[s][s] [the][the] violin. violin.• Mommy, play Mommy, play [the][the] violin. Play that. violin. Play that.• Yeah. Yeah. MeMe get big, get big, [null][null] [will][will] play violin. play violin.• Mommy, Mommy, mymy hand do hand do[es][es] it. it.• Bandaid. Bandaid. MeMe need need [a][a] bandaid. Owie. bandaid. Owie. • [null][null] Fall. Fall. [null][null] Fell. Fell. MeMe huggin’ baby. huggin’ baby. • MeMe [was][was] on on [the][the] bottom, me on bottom, me on [the][the] top. top.

My own children (examples)My own children (examples)sound substitutionsound substitution

• Substitution of hard stop consonants Substitution of hard stop consonants (like [k])(like [k])

• baikin (bacteria) --> baichinbaikin (bacteria) --> baichin

• mikan (mandarin orange) --> mitanmikan (mandarin orange) --> mitan

metathesismetathesis

• kojichuu (under construction) --> kojuchikojichuu (under construction) --> kojuchi

• aisukuriimu (ice cream) --> aisukuruumiaisukuriimu (ice cream) --> aisukuruumi

(note that two vowels are switched)(note that two vowels are switched)

• onigiri (rice ball) --> ogini (ri is dropped)onigiri (rice ball) --> ogini (ri is dropped)

sarada (salad) --> sadarasarada (salad) --> sadara

(note that two syllables are switched)(note that two syllables are switched)

overextensionoverextension

• neko (‘cat’) --> uma (‘horse’)neko (‘cat’) --> uma (‘horse’)

How adults talk to childrenHow adults talk to children

• It is obvious that children need It is obvious that children need utterances in the target language to utterances in the target language to acquire it. But it is not clear if they need acquire it. But it is not clear if they need special input. special input.

• Is child-directed speech needed for Is child-directed speech needed for them to acquire a language?them to acquire a language?

• Questions about “Motherese”Questions about “Motherese”• Making corrections -- any effect?Making corrections -- any effect?

second language acquisitionsecond language acquisition

• It is fair to say that one needs explicit It is fair to say that one needs explicit instruction to supplement what one can instruction to supplement what one can do “naturally” if one is to learn a new do “naturally” if one is to learn a new language as an adult (anyone after language as an adult (anyone after puberty).puberty).