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Lalala
Lalala
• Introduction.
• Language learning.
• Main theories.
• Imitation.
• Innateness.
• Cognition.
• Input.
• Behaviourism.
• Cognitive theory.
• Monitor theory.
• Constructivism.
• Communicative Competence.
• Conclusion.
• Bibliography.
1. This topic aims at studying the processes of learning and acquiring a language in
both, first and foreign language, pointing out the importance of linguistics in these
processes.
It seems clear that we do not learn our mother tongue in the same way that a foreign
language; these processes are totally different.
All through this topic I will explain the differences and similarities between the
learning and acquisition of the mother tongue and a foreign language. In order to do it in
a clear way, I will firstly deal with important concepts such as language, grammar and its
components. Bearing in mind these general concepts, I will explain the main theories
related to first language acquisition and, in the following section, I will do the same with
the second language learning. The last part of this essay will be devoted to expose the
main differences and similarities between these two processes. Finally, I will compile the
main ideas in a brief conclusion and I will also enumerate the main bibliography used for
the development of this topic.
After this brief introduction and, before dealing with the first language acquisition
process, it is required to deal with the concepts of Linguistics and Grammar since they
are the key to better understand how the native and the foreign languages are
developed.
On the one hand, it has to be adequate (it has to specify what is or is not possible in
a language) and, on the other hand, it must explain how a sentence has to be related to
other sentences with similar or opposite meaning.
2.b. It is also important to bear in mind the psychological needs of the theory of
learning since, in order to develop in an adequate way the teaching/learning process, it
is required to represent the language user’s knowledge of the language as well as
specifying the processes through which that knowledge is translated into performance.
Therefore, a psychologically useful model of language must fulfil three main factors:
Once we have studied the relationship between linguistics and language learning, I
will deal with the second part of the topic which will be devoted to the analysis of the
different theories about first language acquisition.
3. Nevertheless, before presenting the main theories that explain first language
acquisition, I would like to explain briefly the main contributions of linguistic to foreign
language teaching.
As I have already mentioned, linguistic has been applied to language teaching for
years. This fact has produced a great evolution in foreign language teaching.
All these aspects were reflected on his “Generative Transformational Grammar” and
he named the collection of innate rules that enable us to express ideas into word
combinations. This way, the grammar is defined as a combinatory discrete system,
which allows the building of an infinite number of sentences from a finite set of elements
through some rules.
3.a. Bearing in mind these two linguists, I will introduce the most important theories
that explain the first language acquisition. All of them take as their main base the
guidelines provided by Saussure and Chomsky.
Both aspects lead us to think that the acquisition of a language is more a matter
of maturation than of imitation.
• Input: in the 70’s, Crystal stated that “motherese” (the way that
mothers talk to their children) showed that parental input is adapted
in such a way that it eases children’s language acquisition. The main
characteristics of this type of language are: simplicity (shorter
utterances), clarity, expressive (affective elements) and attention
catching.
3.b. At this point, it is also required to consider the differences that children find
when they arrive at school for the first time from the point of their linguistic development.
When children arrive at school, they find people whose linguistic norm may vary
from their own and, at this moment, they have to use language in a different way. At
home, children take advantage of the interpersonal function of the language (use the
language to change someone’s behaviour or to get something). However, the language
at school is different: it is centred on the “ideational” function (expression of ideas) and
correctness is emphasized. Therefore, children have to use the language to talk about
the language and learn a special technical vocabulary (meta-language).
These general considerations must be taken into account in the second language
acquisition process since it shares some characteristics of first language development
in school.
Once we know the main theories that support first language acquisition I will move
on to the next part of this essay which will be devoted to the study of the main theories
that explain the second language acquisition process.
4. When dealing with second language acquisition process I will pay special
attention to the following theories:
• Monitor Theory: it is one of the most influential theories in the last years.
KRASHEN (1982) describes 5 main hypothesis:
After having explained the main theories that explain the acquisition and learning of
the foreign language, it is also required to highlight that the main goal of the foreign
language area is the development of an adequate communicative competence in, at
least, one foreign language. Therefore, let us explain the meaning of such an important
concept and the way it is reflected on the current curriculum.
- Systematic potential: the native speaker possesses a system that has a potential
for creating a lot of language.
- Feasibility: the native speaker knows whether something is possible or not in the
language.
Moreover, all these sub-competences have been adapted for teaching purposes
in the Curriculum of foreign language of Primary Education as the Organic Law of
Education (LOMCE 8/2013) establishes. More specifically, it is the Royal Decree
126/2014, which divides the contents of Communicative Competence into 4 different
blocks:
All through this topic I have explained the most important theories that explain the
first and second language acquisition and learning process. Therefore, I will deal now
with the next step in my discourse where I will compare both processes in order to
expose their differences and similarities.
5. GASS (1994) pointed out that the differences between first and second
language acquisition are the following ones:
• Age factor: most linguists agree on the fact that the age at which we start the
acquisition of a language plays an important role. Nowadays, children start
this process at the age of three and, consequently, the possibilities to
internalise the phonological, semantic, syntactic and pragmatic components
of the foreign language are increased although the time of exposition to the
foreign language is limited.
• Fossilisation: the point at which no further learning appears possible. It can
occur: - When students feel their communicative needs have already been
met. - When students don’t value accuracy. - When students are resistant to
the target culture. - When students don’t receive the corrective feedback.
• Transference: negative influence that first language has on the production of
the second language (keep the same word order, syntactic structures and
phonological patterns used in their mother tongue).
GASS (1994) also claimed the most important similarities between first and
second language acquisition:
• Interlingua development: in both languages, speakers go through before they
are able to speak fluently. At first, learners are unable to say anything (silent
period) and they only produce sounds, words or expressions. It is required to
be exposed to the language for a period of time in order to get the pre-
syntactic stage where learners are already able to produce the first
utterances.
• Sub-conscious mental process: our brain organises and stores the input we
receive in order to make the speech mechanisms available. If language has
been acquired, learners can produce the language without reflecting on the
process.
• Personality and contextual factors: not all language learners acquire the
language in the same context. The different contexts will determine how the
language is acquired. Another important aspect is the psychological
component in terms of the learner’s personality.
6. As a conclusion, I would like to underline that, all through this topic I have tried
to show that there is not a unique method to explain how a language is acquired.
Nevertheless, we have to bear in mind that this process will never take place in the
same way as we acquire our mother tongue.
Both processes are different due to factors such as the context or the age and,
what is more important, they take place even in different parts of our brain.
I have presented the most relevant methods proposed along the years but we, as
teachers, should be eclectic and choose the best parts or strategies in every method
and apply them to our own teaching practice.
The main bibliography used for the development of this topic is:
• BREWSTER, J; ELLIS, G and GIRARD, D: “The Primary English
Teacher’s Guide”. Penguin. London (2002).
• CARROLL, D.W: “Psychology of language”. Brooks/Cole. Belmont
(1986).
• CRYSTAL, D: “The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language”. CUP.
Cambridge (1987).
• GASS, S.M: “Second Language Acquisition: An introductory course”.
London: Lawrence Erlbaum (1994).
• STEINBERG, D.D: “Psycholinguistics”. Longman. London (1982).