EED121: PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LEARNING

QUESTIONS ANSWERS
What is language? It isa system of communication which consists of a set
of sounds and written symbols which are used by the
people of a particular country or region for talking or
writing.
Language is:
- Symbolic, rule governed, impactful, shaping
relationships, conveying power
Emerged at around 150,000 to 200,000 years ago
What theories support the Origins of Language? 1. Divine Source Theory: Language is a God-given
gift to human species. In Christianity, God gave
Adam the kingdom of all animals in the Garden of
Eden and the first thing Adam did was to name
these animals. That is how language started
according to religious sources. Today people speak
many different languages rather than only one
language because ancient humans became too proud
and they tried to build the Tower of Babel in order
to reach God. So, God punished them by separating
their languages.
2. Natural Sound Source Theory: All languages
have sounds that mimic the natural sounds. These
are called onomatopoeic words (e.g.coo-coo,
splash, beef, buzz). It may also came from the
natural cries of emotions such as joy and pain
(oops, ohh, ouch) and doing some collaborative
work (yo-he-ho, hi-ho).
3. Physical Adaptation Source Theory: Humans
possess physical features humans that are distinct
from other creatures, which may have been able to
support speech production (i.e. Human teeth are
upright, not slanting outwards like those of apes,
which are helpful in making sounds such as f and
v; Human mouth has a complicated muscle system,
which allows us to produce various vowels. Our
tongue can move backwards, forwards, up and
down; Human brain is bigger and specialized for
language.)
How is language developed in children? It occurs in stages
What is language acquisition? The process by which humans acquire their first
language(s)
It is an active process that involves the child's
cognitive and social development.
Language is learned through the environment, through
interaction, and through practice
What is the role of cognitive development in language Cognitive development is crucial in language
acquisition? acquisition, as children need to have certain cognitive
abilities in order to learn language.
What are the stages of language development in 1. Babbling Stage (birth to four months): sounds may
children? seem random or spontaneous
(Innatist Theory, Critical Period Hypothesis) 2. One Word Stage (age one): noted for
vocabulary growth such as the acquisition of
simple, high-frequency words (e.g. ma and da)
3. Two Word Stage (age two years):
arrangement of telegraphic speech, (i.e. short and
direct utterances that convey a core meaning
without the grammatical features of the language.)
Content words will take center stage while function
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words or inflected endings are omitted. This may

What is the difference between language acquisition
and language learning?
What is the difference between a language acquisition
device and a universal grammar?
What is the difference between first language
acquisition and second language acquisition?
What is the difference between a linguistic and a
cognitive explanation of language acquisition?
contribute to feelings of frustration as the
communication will be incomplete or inadequate.
As language development accelerates during this
stage and communication improves ineffectiveness,
syntactic rules will begin to be pieced together. This
can include concepts such as placing adjectives
before nouns for English speakers.
Language acquisition refers to the natural process of
acquiring a language, while language learning refers to
the deliberate process of learning a language.
A language acquisition device is the innate ability to
acquire language, while universal grammar is the set
of rules that underlie all languages.
First language acquisition is subconscious and
automatic, while second language acquisition requires
conscious effort and attention.
A linguistic explanation focuses on the grammatical
rules and structure of language, while a cognitive
explanation focuses on the cognitive processes
involved in language acquisition.

What is the critical period hypothesis?
 The idea that language acquisition is dependent on
critical periods of development
 This idea states that there is a window of time
during childhood /specific age range when language
acquisition is most effective.

What is the critical period for language acquisition?

Birth to 5 years old
What is the role of imitation in language acquisition?
Imitation plays a crucial role in language acquisition,
as children learn language by copying the words and
phrases of those around them.
Which theory explains that language acquisition is Nativist theory
innate and biologically determined?
What are the four major theories of language 1. Linguistic Learning/ Innatist Theory/Nativist
acquisition? Theory: Noam Chomsky
 Human brains are pre-wired with a language
acquisition device.
 A child’s brain contains special-language
mechanisms at birth
 There is a specific window of time during which
all humans display an enormous potential to
cultivate native or even native-like proficiency in
a language. (Critical period hypothesis)
 Innate language structures provide a framework
for language learning

2. Behaviorist Theory: Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner

 Children imitate adults. Their correct utterances
are reinforced when they get what they want or
are praised
 Language acquisition is really one big and
complex case of conditioning. At its core, it’s all
pattern recognition—associating words with
meaning.
3. Cognitive Learning Theory: Jean Piaget
 Humans are able to learn language because of
our ability to learn. It’s because of our cognitive
EED121: PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LEARNING

development. Our brains become more complex,

and we learn so many things so fast.
 Language learning occurs through thinking
processes like categorization and problem-
solving
 Language is just one aspect of a child’s overall
intellectual development

4. Interactionist Theory: Jerome Bruner

 Language is acquired through social interaction
and communication
 Interaction between children and their care-
givers are essential to language development
Which theory of language acquisition emphasizes the Behaviorism
role of imitation and reinforcement in language
learning?
According to the behaviorist theory, how does Through imitation and reinforcement
language acquisition occur
What is the key principle of the social interactionist Language is acquired through social interaction and
theory of language acquisition? communication

According to the constructivist theory, how does
language acquisition occur?
What is an example of a behaviorist approach to
language teaching?
What is an example of a nativist approach to language
teaching?
According to the social interactionist theory, what role
do social interactions play in language acquisition?
What is an example of a constructivist approach to
language teaching?
Who proposed the concept of the "silent period" in
language acquisition?
What is meant by the “silent period in language
acquisition?
Which theory supports the idea that language Universal grammar
acquisition occurs through exposure to the rules of a
language?
What is Phonology?
What is the smallest unit of sound in a language?
What is the process of breaking down a language into Morphology
its component parts in order to study its structure?
What is morpheme?
Through cognitive processes and problem-solving
Giving rewards for correct answers and good behavior
Providing opportunities for students to interact with
native speakers
They provide opportunities for language practice and
communication
Providing opportunities for real-life language use and
problem-solving
Stephen Krashen
 When a language is learned, there should be a
period in which the learner is not expected to
actively produce any language. This is based on
observations of a listening period in infants when
they learn a first language.
 When learners begin to study a new language, they
can go through a silent period where they are
exposed to sufficient comprehensible input to
allow them to begin to acquire language.
the study of speech sounds of a language or languages,
and the laws governing them, particularly the laws
governing the composition and combination of speech
sounds in language
Phoneme
the smallest meaningful units of meaning
It is a word or part of a word that has meaning.
It cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts
without violation of its meaning or without
meaningless remainders.
It recurs in differing word environments with a
EED121: PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LEARNING

relatively stable meaning.

What is the difference between a phoneme and a A phoneme is a unit of sound, while a morpheme is a
morpheme? unit of meaning.

What is the difference between syntax and semantics? Syntax refers to the rules for combining words into
sentences, while semantics refers to the meaning of
words and sentences.
Which theory suggests that language acquisition is Nativist Theory
driven by a biological innate language acquisition
device (LAD)?
What is the zone of proximal development?  the difference between what a learner can do
independently and what they can do with assistance.
 the space between what a learner can do without
assistance and what a learner can do with adult
guidance
What is the role of input in language acquisition, Input provides the raw material for language
according to the interactionist perspective? acquisition.
Input is important in both first and second language
acquisition, as children need exposure to language in
order to acquire it.
What is the ‘silent period’ in the stages of language A stage in second language acquisition when learners
acquisition? are unable to produce language

What is the role of feedback in language acquisition? Feedback helps children correct errors in their speech.

How can anxiety and boredom as affective filters to
learning a language be reduced?
 Keep the students motivated to learn
 Boost the students’ confidence in learning the
language by engaging them in meaningful learning
experiences
 Provide activities based on the students’ learning
styles and multiple intelligences
 Diversify teaching method and use positive and
humorous language to create a harmonious and light
atmosphere for learning.