Language Acquisition

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What is Language Acquistion?

Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to

perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences

to communicate .

Language acquisition usually refers to first language acquisition, which studies infants' acquisition of their native language. This is distinguished from second language acquisition, which deals with the acquisition (in both children and adults) of additional

languages.

Linguists and applied linguists used to divide language acquisition into two categories:

Second Language

Acquisition

First Language Acquisition

1 -what is First Language Acquisition -

First Language Acquisition is a universal process regardless of home language .

First Language AcquisitionAll humans (without exceptional

physical or mental disabilities) have an innate capability to acquire language. Children may acquire one

or more first languages

For example,

children who grow up in an environment in which only English is spoken and heard will acquire only

English as their first language

When does First Language Acquisition occur?

•

Acquisition occurs passively and unconsciously through implicit learning. In other words, children do not need explicit instruction to acquire their first language

but rather seem to just "pick up" language in the same way they learn to eat, drink,

and walk

Second language acquisition

•

Second language acquisition assumes that

A second language learner has A good

knowledge about his/her first language

before starting the process of learning the

elements of the second language including

its vocabulary, phonological components,

grammatical patterns, language functions,

structures, and writing rules .

As a mater of fact, knowing a first language affects the process of second language acquisition in two different ways. Some researchers believe that second language acquisition is often hindered by the knowledge of one's first languag

•All humans have the ability to learn

additional languages although, just as with other areas of study like math or science,

some people are better at learning second languages than others. Older children and

adults may learn one or more second languages

What Is The Difference Between Acquisition And Learning

As opposed to acquisition, learning occurs actively and consciously through explicit instruction and education. In other words, older children and adults need explicit teaching to learn their second languages. Language learning requires explicit instruction in speaking and hearing additional languages .

•For example, while children who acquire English as their first language just seem unconsciously and without instruction to "know" that most adjectives precede nouns in English, those same children as adults must be taught that most adjectives follow nouns in Spanish

Differences between L1 and L2 Acquisition

Differences between L1 and L2 acquisition

Some Facts About Language Acquisition

• 1-The child’s language is a system in its own right rather than being a small fragment of the adult system

• 2-The learning of a first language has many sides and is not simply a matter of

learning syntax and vocabulary

• 3-The use of the first language goes hand in hand with the child’s needs and

interests

• 4-Wherever there is a relationship between cognition and language development, language depends on cognition

• 5-The child’s use and learning of language is partly determined by mental capacity

6-There are particular stages of development through which all children progress, even if the rate of progression

varies

• 7-The child learns to adapt its language use to particular situations

• 8-Adults adapt their speech in systematic ways when talking to children