LIN 5700 Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition Session Notes Dr. Elia Vázquez-Montilla

The Big Question “How are we to account for the fact that virtually every child,  without special training,  exposed to surface level language data in interaction,  builds for himself ----  in a short period of time, and  at a pre-logical stage in his development ---  a deep level, abstract and highly complex system of linguistic structure ?” J. W. Lindfors, Children’s Language and Learning, 1980.

Basic Ideas about Language: u First one is acquired swiftly, efficiently, and without instruction. u It has rules. u It has a sound system, a vocabulary, and a grammar system. u Languages have private codes. u Change is essential. u Languages are shaped by the needs of the speakers. u Writing is a derivative of speech.

Developmental Sequence u Crying u Communicative Dance u Cooing u Babbling u Echolalic babbling u 1 word stage (holophrastic) u pivot words (2 word stage) u telegraphic stage u overgeneralizations

Acquistion vs. Learning u Acquisition u Similar to first language acqusition u “Picking up” a language u May not be in conscious awareness u Implicit knowledge u Errors accepted u Formal teaching does not necessarily help u Learning u Formal knowledge of a language u Knowing about a language u Deliberate and conscious efforts u Explicit knowledge u Errors corrected u Formal teaching helps

Theories about language acquisition u Behavioristic: u Children are born with a genetic inheritance for learning. u Learning occurs entirely through the action of the environment shaping the individual’s behavior. u Behavior is shaped through reinforcement. u Nativistic: u Structures and functions in the biological makeup cause language to be learned. u Regardless of environment, child can learn language if biologically equipped. u Environment affects the rate of learning.

More theories... u Cognitivist: u cognitive development (and thus language) is a product of interaction between child and environment. u There is a fixed sequence of development determined biologically. u Children are born with innate capacity to develop logical thought. From this thinking, they develop language. u Social Interactionist: u Language and cognition develop together with verbalized thought produced around 2 years of age. u Social interaction at base of language development. u Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is range of possibility for higher learning or language development.