FLA: More than Imitation
To acquire one’s first language: Learn words
Derivational & Inflectional morphemes Recognize relationships
Sentence order Word collocations Semantics Pragmatics
Make generalizations
The Enablers
Innate Grammar No genetic predisposition…
Motherese Cognitive Development Feedback
You catch more flies with honey… Recasting
Critical period
Syntax
One-Word Stage Two-Word Stage Telegraphic Stage Movement Rules
Y/N Questions WH Questions Passive
Reflexive & Pronouns
Morphology
Kids Acquisition (abbreviated)
1. -ing2. plural -s3. possessive -’s4. the, a 5. past tense -ed6. 3rd pers. sing. -s 7. auxillary BE
Parents Usage1. the, a 2. -ing3. plural -s4. auxillary BE5. possessive -’s6. 3rd pers. sing. –s7. past tense -ed
So what…?
Morphology
Kids Acquisition -ing plural -s possessive -’s the, a past tense -ed 3rd pers. sing. -s auxillary BE
Question: Would you expect
exactly the same order in Spanish, German & Chinese kids?
(Ex. 9)
Lexicon: Common 1st Words
Daddy, mommy, baby… Juice, milk, cookie, water, apple… Dog, cat, duck, horse… Car, boat… Shoes, hat… Ball, blocks… Bottle, key… Hot, all-gone, dirty, cold, here, there… Up, sit, see, eat, go, down… Hi, bye…
Whaddya think: Why these words….?
Morphological Acquisition Phrase final elements Syllabicity Intolerance of Ambiguity
≠ Homophony≠ Exceptional≠ Allophonic = Clear Semantics
The Ways We Learn (& Err) Whole Object Assumption Type Assumption Basic Similarities Assumption
Overextension Underextension Verb meanings Dimensions
Phonological Development She said “da-da”
Babbling Put one foot in front of the other…
Vowels before Consonants Stops “
Fricatives/Affricates Labials “ Velars Word-initial “ Word-final Reception “ Production
Early Phonetic Production
Substituted segments Deleted syllables Deleted final consonant Reduced consonant clusters
More Examples?
Get Some Exercise What phonetic processes are evident in
the pronunciation of a 2 yr old below? pocket [bαt] spoon [bun] zoo [du] bath [bæt] grandma [gαgα]
What might we hear for: juice under
From Previous Slide: Substituted segment Deleted syllables Deleted final consonant Reduced consonant clusters
Foundations
Innate grammar Methods
Naturalistic We’re taking the video anyway… Longitudinal
Experimental Focused on a point Cross-sectional
Get Some Exercise (2)
One Naturalistic study found only 12 of 60 children used a passive structure. Does this mean the other 48 had not yet
acquired the passive structure? How does this example reflect on the “pros
& cons” of the Naturalistic approach? Other Pros/Cons to
Naturalistic/Behavioral Approaches?
“Gina is by lingual… that means she can say the
same thing twice, but you can only understand it
once.”
Comparing FLA & SLA FLA
Blank slate Intensive input Adaptability
Reduced cognition
Less experience
SLA Competition Peripheral input Less flexible
Expanded cognition
More Experience
Whaddya Think?
Acquiring a second language involves both knowing something about the language and being able to do something with the language.
Do you think that knowledge and skills are related?
What trade-offs can you see between accuracy and fluency?
Interlanguage
Transference L1 competence in L2 performance
Pre-nominal ADJs in Spanish of English native
“e” b/4 initial ‘sk’ in English of Spanish native
Fossilization Interlanguage ‘errors’ become ‘rules’
Will I/they Ever Get It? Age
Critical Period Hypothesis Idiosyncrasies
Affective issues cf. Krashen’s Filter
Cognitive issues Positive (Direct) Evidence Negative (Indirect) Evidence
Learning environment
Fossilization: Whaddya think?
What factors can you think of that might influence fossilization?
Do you think some people are more likely to fossilize than others? Why or Why not?
Do you think it can be reversed? If so, what strategies might be
effective?
Whenever we speak…
Language StrategicCompetence Competence
Organizational Pragmatic Competence Competence
Grammatical Textual Illocutionary Sociolinguistic Competence Competence Competence Competence
Vocabulary Cohesion Rhetorical Dialect CulturalOrganization
References Syntax Register
MorphologyFunctional
Phonology Abilities
Typical ESL Instruction
Interlanguage Phonology
Markedness Differential Hypothesis Linguistic universals ~ If it’s uncommon, it’ll be harder to acquire
Similarity Differential Rate Hypothesis Similarity breeds confusion…
Syllabification Once a syllable, always a syllable… A stressful situation
Exercise
A dialect of Arabic breaks up clusters by inserting an epenthetic vowel in front of an unsyllabified consonant. How would a speaker of this dialect pronounce the following words?
plant transport translate
Exercise (some more)
Given what you know about implicational universals, do you think it would be easier for an English speaker to acquire French nasal vowels (e.g. gant [gã] ‘glove’) or for a French speaker to acquire English oral vowels?
Exercise (again)
What explanation would you give for a native speaker of French who produced the English sentence ‘I drink frequently coffee’ ?
How could you explain to this person that ‘He is frequently late’ is grammatical?
Do any other English verbs have the same properties as BE ?
Interlanguage MorphologyL1 Acquisition -ing plural –s irregular past possessive -’s copula (main verb) BE articles the, a, an regular past -ed 3rd pers. sing. -s auxillary BE
L2 Acquisition -ing copula (main verb) BE articles the, a auxillary BE plural -s irregular past regular past -ed 3rd pers. sing. –s possessive -’s
Morphology Exercise
Second language learners, regardless of their first language, produce forms like goed, sheeps, and could decided even though they never hear these from a native speaker. Why?
What are some other forms you might expect to hear?
In the Classroom Modified Input
Teacher talk ( i +1) Modified Interaction
Discourse differences Focus on Form
Explicit Language Instruction Error Correction Self-monitoring & correction
Bilingual Education Almost 10% of school kids = ESoL
Bilingual Education English-Only ESL Newcomer Programs Heritage Language Programs
Over 500% increase ESoL kids in SC from 1994 - 2004
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