TSL426

FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

AND SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION

PREPARED BY :
NUR SYAHIRAH BINTI ROSLAN (2015146359)
SYAZANA BINTI MOHAMAD (2015158939)
FIRST LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION
 DEFINITION
• Refers to first-language acquisition, which studies infants'
acquisition of their native language.

• This is the acquisition of the mother tongue.

• The process by which humans acquire the capacity to

perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce
and use words and sentences to communicate.

• Language acquisition is one of the quintessential human

traits, because non-humans do not communicate by using
language.
 INPUT
• Input is where human infants are certainly
helped in their language acquisition by the
adults in the home environment.
• “baby talk” is where speech style adopted by
someone who spends a lot of time interacting
with a young child.
• Examples for simplified words are “tummy” ,
“mama” “poo-poo” “pee-pee” and others.
 Caregiver Speech
• Also described as “motherese” or “child-
directed speech”.
• There are four types of caregiver speech :

Often using
Frequent use exaggerated
of questions intonation

A slower
Extra loudness tempo with
longer pauses
BACK TO QUESTION 1
THE ACQUISITION STAGES

The two- Telegraphic

word stage speech
The one-
word stage
Babbling

Cooing
 1) Cooing
• Between 2-4 months.
• The child gradually becomes capable of
producing vowel-like sounds, such as [i] and [u]
• Repetition of the vowel sounds.
• Express satisfaction or pleasure.
 2) Babbling
• Between 6-8 months.
• The child produces a number of different
vowels and consonants, such as ba-ba-ba and
ba-ba-da-da, which at times can almost sound
like a real speech.
• Uses consonants B, M, D and G.

BACK TO QUESTION 2
 3) The one-word stage
• Between 12 – 18 months.
• One or two recognizable word.
• Resembles words or simple phrases.
• Words that utter everyday objects such as
“milk” , “cat” , “spoon”
 4) The two-word stage
• Begin around 18 – 20 months.
• At least 50 different words.
• Simple sentences, grammatically incorrect and
perhaps missing information.
• Variety combination words appear.
• For examples :
• baby chair, daddy car, more milk, cat bad.
• The phrase “baby chair” may be taken as :

1) an expression of possession = (this is baby’s

chair) or
2) as a request = (put baby in the chair) or
3) as a statement = (baby is in the chair)
 5) Telegraphic speech
• Between 2 – 3 years old.
• The child begins producing a large number
that could be classified as “multiple-word”
speech.
• The child vocabulary has grown to hundreds
of words during this stage and pronunciation
become more clearer.
• Almost complete sentences.
• Correct/proper word order.
• Physical development : running and jumping.
• For examples :
a) this shoe all wet
b) daddy go bye-bye
c) cat drink milk
THE ACQUISITION PROCESS

Developing
Developing semantics
syntax
Developing
morphology
Learning
through
correction
Learning
through
imitation
 1) Learning through imitation
• Basis of child’s speech production used by young
children.
• They may repeat single words or phrases, but not the
sentences structures.
• It is likely that the children understand what are the
sentences but they express what they understand by
their own.
• For examples :
• Mum is hungry = mum hungry
• The cat is sleeping = cat sleep
 2) Learning through correction
• It is unlikely that adult “corrections” are a very
effective determiner of how the child speaks.
• The child will continue to use a personally
constructed form, despite the adult’s repetition of
what the correct form should be.
• Example :
Child : My teacher holded the baby rabbits.
Mother : Did you say your teacher held the baby rabbits?
Child : Yes.
Mother : Did you say she held them tightly?
Child : No, she holded them loosely.
 3) Developing morphology
• By the time a child is two-and-a-half years old, he or she is
going beyond telegraphic speech and the child indicates the
grammatical function of the nouns and verbs used.
 4) Developing syntax
• In the formation of questions and the use of
negatives.
• The child goes through with 3 stages :

Stage 1 occurs Stage 2 occurs Stage 3 occurs

between 18 – 26 between 22 - 30 between 24 - 40
months months months
 Forming questions Forming negatives
First stage : First stage :
Wh- form (Where, Who) to the beginning A simple strategy of putting NO or NOT at
of the expression. the beginning.

Examples : Where mummy? Examples : not a teddy bear

Who is that person? not sit here
Second stage : Second stage :
More complex expressions can be formed. Additional negative forms “don’t” and
Wh-forms, such as What and Why. “can’t” appear, and with no and not.

Examples : What is mummy doing? Examples : He not bite you

Why daddy is not home yet? You cant dance
Third stage : Third stage :
The movement of the auxiliary in English Other auxiliary forms such as didn’t and
questions (I can have… -> Can I have…?) won’t.
Generally quite close to adult model.

Examples : Can I have a piece? Examples : I didn’t buy it.

Will you help me? She won’t let go.
 5) Developing semantics
• During the two-word stage, children use their limited
vocabulary to refer to a large number of unrelated
objects.
• Overextension : overextend the meaning of a word
on the basis of similarities of shape, sound and size.
• Example : use ball to refer an apple, an egg or a ball.

BACK TO QUESTION 3
SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION OR
LEARNING
 SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING
• the process by which people learn another language in addition to
their native language.

• First language as (L1) whereas foreign or second language is

(L2).

• A distinction is sometimes made between learning in a “foreign

language” setting (learning a language that is not generally spoken
in the surrounding community) and a “second language” setting
(learning a language that is spoken in the surrounding community).

• Example : Japanese students in an English class in Japan are learning

English as a foreign language (EFL) but if those same students were
in an English class in USA, they would be learning English as a second
language (ESL).
 ACQUISITION AND LEARNING

Acquisition

• Gradual development of ability in a language by using it naturally in

communicative situations with others who know the language.

• Takes place without a teacher.

• Example : Children who “pick up” a second language from long

periods spent in interaction, constantly using the language with the
native speakers of the language as their L1.
 Learning

• A conscious process of accumulating knowledge of the features of

language such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

• Takes place with a teacher.

• Result in more knowledge “about” the language than fluency in

actually using the language.

• Example : A student can fill in the blanks on a grammar page but

knowing grammar rules does not necessarily result in good
speaking as they may not be able to speak fluently.
 ACQUISITION BARRIERS

1) Insufficient focus on the process (adults have a lot of other things to do and think
about, unlike very young children).

2) Insufficient incentive (adults already know a language and can use it for their
communicative needs)

3) The “critical period” for language acquisition has passed (usually around the
time of puberty)

4) Affective factors such as self-consciousness that inhibit the learning process.

 THE AGE FACTOR
• ADULT

• Difficult to acquire another language fully after the critical period for language
acquisition has passed.

• Result to loss of flexibility or openness to receive the features of another language.

• CHILDREN

• Quicker and more effective L2 learners in class.

• Optimum age for learning (10 – 16 years old) when the flexibility of the inherent
capacity for language has not been completely lost.
 AFFECTIVE FACTORS

• The negative feelings or experiences which can create a barrier to

acquisition.
- STRESS

- UNCOMFORTABLE

- SELF-CONSCIOUS

- UNMOTIVATED
 FOCUS ON TEACHING METHOD

GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD

• A method of teaching foreign languages derived from the classical (traditional)
method of teaching Greek and Latin. A way to teach languages is through the
teaching of grammar and the translation of texts.

• Students learn grammatical rules and then apply those rules

by translating sentences between the target language(L2) and the native language
(L1).

• Emphasize a written language rather than spoken language -very little attention is
placed on pronunciation or any communicative aspects of the language.

BACK TO QUESTION 5
 THE AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD

• Learn to speak languages through habit-formation, and

therefore need to practice drills until the new habit has been
learnt.

• Emphasized a spoken language.

• Belief that the fluent use of language might develop with a lot
of practice repeating oral skills.
 COMMUNICATIVE APPROACHES

• Languages are learnt through communication, and that the focus of the
classroom should be on encouraging learners to engage in speaking
activities which simulate 'real life' communication.

• Emphasized the functions of language (what it is used for) rather than the
forms of language (correct grammatical or phonological structures).

• Example : Practising question forms by asking learners to find out personal

information about their colleagues as it involves meaningful
communication.
 FOCUS ON THE LEARNER
• The fundamental change has been shift from concern with the teacher, textbook
and method to an interest in the learner and the acquisition process.

• “ Errors ” were regarded negatively and they had to be avoided.

• Example : A Spanish (L1) speaker’s production of in the room there are three
womens that shows a failure to learn correct English.

• Indication of the natural L2 acquisition process in action.

• A clue to the active learning progress being made by the student as he/she
tries out ways of communicating in new language.
 TRANSFER

• Transfer (crosslinguistic influence) – using sounds, expressions or structures from the

L1 when performing in the L2.

• Positive transfer – The use of a feature from the L1 that is similar to the L2 while
performing in the L2. ( e.g. the German learner producing 'I am
twelve years old' in English L2 as a direct translation of the
German structure)

• Negative transfer – Transferring an L1 feature that is really different

(interference) from the L2 while performing in the L2. (e.g. the French learner
producing 'I have 12 years').
 INTERLANGUAGE
• Interlanguage - the term for a dynamic, rule-based linguistic system that
has been developed by a learner of a second language (or L2) who has not
yet reached proficiency.

• A learner's interlanguage preserves some features of their first language (or

L1), and can also overgeneralize some L2 writing and speaking rules.

• Interlanguage can fossilize.

• Fossilization - the process of 'freezing' of the transition between the L1 and

L2 because of the inability to overcome the obstacles to acquire
native proficiency in the L2.
 MOTIVATION
• 2 types of language learning motivation :-

INTEGRATIVE
INSTRUMENTAL MOTIVATION
MOTIVATION
• Learners want to learn the
• Learners with an L2 so that they can better
instrumental motivation want understand and get to know
to learn the L2 in order to the people who speak that
achieve some other goal such language.
as completing a school • Usually for social purposes
graduation requirement. in order to take part in the
• Does not plan to engage in social life of a community
social interaction using the using the language.
L2.

BACK TO QUESTION 6
 INPUT AND OUTPUT

• Input - describe the language that the learner is exposed to.

• Input can be made comprehensible by being simpler in structure and vocabulary, as

in the variety of speech called foreigner talk.

• Negotiated Input: Target language (L2) material that learner acquire in interaction
through request for clarification while active attention is being focused on what is said.

• The opportunity to produce comprehensible output in meaningful interaction seems

to be another important element in the learner’s development of L2 ability.
 TASK-BASED LEARNING
• A solution to create different types of tasks and activities which learners (in
small group/pairs) have to interact with each other to exchange or solve
problems.

• Example : The assumption in using tasks such as “ Plan a shopping trip with
your partner by making a shopping list” .

• To improve the learner’s fluency by using the L2 in an activity that focuses

on a clear goal.

• Result – Provide overwhelming evidence of better L2 uses by learners and

develop communicative competence in L2.
 COMMUNITIVE COMPETENCE
• Communicative competence – General ability to use language accurately,
appropriately and flexibly.
STRATEGIC
SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCE
COMPETENCE
GRAMMATICAL • Ability to use language
COMPETENCE • Ability of learner in to organize effective
producing sentences messages and to
• Involves the accurate according to the overcome potential
use of words and communicative communication
structures . situation. problems.
• Only concentrate on • Enables the learner to • Gestures, expressions,
grammatical know when to say Can I mimics and intonation
competence. have some water? are among others some
versus Give me some of the most strategies
water! according to used.
social context .
BACK TO QUESTION 4
 APPLIED LINGUISTIC
• Large-scale endeavor by applying the ideas of linguistic from
other fields such as communication studies, education,
psychology and sociology.

• Concerned with practical issues involving language and its role

in everyday life.

• Represent an attempt to deal with a large range of real-world

issues involving language.
 QUIZ

QUESTION 1 QUESTION 4

QUESTION 2
QUESTION 5

QUESTION 3 QUESTION 6
1. Choose the typical features of caregiver speech.

a) Frequent use of questions, extra loud noises,

slower tempo with longer pauses and often using
exaggerated intonation

b) Child produces a number of different vowels and

consonants, such as ba-ba-ba and ba-ba-da-da
2. During which stage and what age do children
typically begin producing varied syllable
combinations such as ba-ba-da-da?

a) Babbling stage. It happens between 6-8 months.

b) Telegraphic speech. It happens between 2-3 years old

3. What is the term used to describe the process
involved when a child uses one word like ball to
refer to an apple, an egg or a ball?

a) Baby talk

b) Overextension
4. What are the three components of
communicative competence?

a) Grammatical competence, sociolinguistic

competence and strategic competence

b) Transfer, interlanguage and motivation

5. Choose the correct teaching methods introduced
in learning second language acquisition?

a) Task-based learning and communicative competence

b) Grammar translation method, audiolingual method and

communicative approaches
6. What are the types of language learning
motivation in second language acquisition?

a) Input and output

b) Instrumental motivation and integrative motivation

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