Extended version

Part 1 → Approaches to explaining 1st language acquisition

Learning Acquisition
 artificial  Natural
 formal → lessons  Informal → no lessons
 Corrections  No lessons→ no corrections
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We have 3 theories

BEHAVIOURISM: accounts for a person’s acquisition of frequently expressions

This theory of 1st language acquisition agrees that a child’s language learning is influenced by the
environment, as the child is surrounded by adults as a model to follow. Adults provide children with both,
the stimuli and the reward that they need to acquire language.

Traditional behaviourists believed that a language learning is simply a matter of imitation and habit
formation.

 Main representatives:
 Watson
 Pavlov
 Skinner

 Characteristics (People can learn a lg as they learn any behavior)

1. Repetition and practice: → drilling. Repetition isn’t like a parrot.
It is selective → children repeat or use the word they have learnt to denote the word they
want to use, no based on stimulus from the context.
2. Positive reinforcement: reinforces a behaviour by providing a consequence an individual finds
rewarding. Parents praise a child’s good behaviour.
3. Stimulus-response: The role of the environment is crucial, because without an enriching Lg
environment, 1st language acquisition is not possible or is limited. (according to behaviourism)
A. The quality and quantity of lg is exposed to make a difference.
e.g.: when the bell rings the children go to the break.
4. Habit formation: routine
5. Punishment - reward: Habits can be reinforced by rewards or punishments. If the sentence
produced by the child is correct, it is rewarded by the adult, e.g. by giving a price. The
reward reinforces the child’s response, so that response will be repeated until it become a habit.
But, if the sentence is not correct, the child´s response it will be punished by the adult. In
this way, the child´s response will be weakened and it will be less probable for the child to
repeat it in future situations.

 Does behaviourism still exist in our classroom? YES

We still see behaviourism at school when
A clear example of stimulus-response at school is the bell. They know they have to form expecting
for the greeting (habit formation) Inside the classroom we still give activities such as drilling (not
only to reinforce memory, also to consolidate pronunciation), memorising grammatical rules
(phrasal verbs). When we give them exams, we expect correct answers, will be rewarded by the
teacher with positive feedback
Pace (time) → everybody learns at the same time and in the same way (?)
 Techniques
1. Substitution → people substitute different elements in an utterance.
2. Overgeneralization → People generalize a role and apply it to different contexts.
Extended version
INNATISM accounts for the acquisition of grammar

Main representative  Noam Chomsky

He developed a theory saying that all people are born with a Universal Grammar (UG)

UG → it is a set of principles common to all languages (tenses, syntax, gender, singular, plural, aspect,
etc.) Each language has different factors but all of them share the same principles.

It is a mental capacity.

Role of the environment → basic contribution: it just activates the UG (universal grammar)

EVIDENCE:

1. Animals do not have lg, they have a system of communication. This shows that human beings
are born with a capacity for languages.

2. Time: all children develop lg approximately at the same time. This also shows they have that
capacity for languages.

3. Mistakes/correction: Children will eventually discover how lg works and will be able to self-
check, they do not pay attention to correction. If they find the way to self-check, that means they
have the capacity for lg.

4. Samples of lg: Children will develop completely regardless of the levels and number of samples of
lg they are exposed to

5. Conditions: Children will develop lg regardless of the conditions they are brought up in (abusive
parents or loving parents)

Lennebergs (neurologist) he argued that the language acquisition device, like other biological
functions, works successfully only when it is stimulated at the right time, a time which is
referred to as the critical period

CPH → Critical period hypothesis claims that there is a perfect time when language can be developed
more easily, after that time language is more difficult to acquire. The ability to acquire language is
biologically linked to age, until 12 or 13.

This period states that the 1st few years of life is crucial time in which an individual can acquire a first
language if presented with acceptable environmental stimuli. If language input doesn’t occur until after this
time, the individual will never achieve a full command of language.

Complete lg acquisition ← PUBERTY → performance with some limitations.

There are 2 versions of CPH.

 The strongest version is that children must acquire the first language by puberty or they will never
be able to learn from consequent exposure.
 The weak version is that language learning will be more difficult and incomplete after puberty.
Extended version
INTERACTIONISM → accounts for communicational and social aspects of language (interaction).

Vygotsky (Interaction among people) → role → mediator

The mediator is a person who helps you go from where you are to the zone of proximal development.

Caretaker speech

Scaffolding → Set of skills and activities that prepare a person to reach the zone of proximal
development.

ZPD  the space between what a learner can do without assistance and what a learner can do with adult
guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.

PIAGET (interaction between a person and objects)

Stages: people undergo different stages.

Limitations

1. Experiments: some experiments carried out in his research were not totally proper for children, so
his conclusions may not be completely objective.

2. Stages: there is not a 100 % or correspondence between the age at children and the stage they
should be.

3. Language: the LG used in the experiments hasn’t always proper for children. Some children might
not have performed some actions , because they didn’t understand the LG not because they
couldn’t.
Extended version
Part 2
The one-word stage is a period, between 12 and 18 months, in which children produce single words for
everyday objects. They learn that if they repeat these words in a certain environment, they will get
something.

For example, “juice”, this word might mean “I want juice”. They see that these words satisfy their needs.
(If they said it, they will have what they want)

If a child says “cookie” and his mom gives him a cookie, then the child’s word is being reinforced and will
be probably repeated again in similar situations because now it has a meaning.

Term Holophrastic (belongs to the one-word stage but is the transition for the two-word stage)

This single words take the place of a whole phrase or sentence. They use gestures and intonation to
communicate the right meaning, which suggests the child is already extending their use. Depending of the
tone, facial expressions or body language we can assume the meaning. For example, a child saying the
word “Mom”, can have a lot of meanings. (Carry/lift someone up)

Part 3
Motivation  It is an internal drive that encourages people to do something to achieve a goal.
Goal  It is something that you hope to achieve, in the future ()
2 classification of goal:
1. Long-term goal  it is a goal that requires more time, like a graduation
2. Short-term goal  It is a goal that doesn’t take much time, like pass an exam
2 types of motivation
 Intrinsic motivation (Occurs inside the classroom)
 Teacher: Teacher’s personality is important, they need to be Professional, Emphatic, Not to impose
authority
 Physical conditions: influences a lot, like the Timetable, Number of students, location, etc
 Method: Different practices, techniques, activities that a teacher proposes. Adjust the method to
what the group needs and can do.
 Activities: Should be up to the student’s level, Picking the right level of challenge of activities
 Extrinsic motivation (outside the classroom)
 Instrumental motivation: People may use only Long Goals as an instrument.
 GOALS:Promotion or Better Salary
 Integrative Motivation: People want to integrate the target language community / culture
 GOALS:To understand films

Motivational differences
However, we cannot apply the same motivation to ALL our students. For example, children learn through
their senses for this reason T should provide them with concrete material.
In the case of teenagers, they usually confront authority which makes them the most challenging group,
we can motivate them by listening to their opinions and encourage them to have agency.
AGENCY  take responsibility for their own learning
Finally adults, as they usually behave well in class, the teacher can explain things like grammar rules
effectively. However, many adults also enjoy creative activities. For this reason the teacher should find out
their interests to plan the most appropriate lessons for them. This will change the routine and make
learning more effective