Second Language Acquisition on Children

Many popular theories of second language acquisition have been analyzed throughout history. The socialization of L2 learners, their present emotional state that is present at time of acquisition, as well as the comprehensible input and output with the use of scaffolding play a major role in second language acquisition. Let us also not forget the importance of written expression as well as reading comprehension with these L2 learners. Each play a role in language development. However, I believe that in acquiring a language, one must use a variety of techniques that work together to create a balance within the learning environment. Furthermore, all L2 learners learn differently and so a variety of resources will need to be used based on the ability of each student. There are many theories that have been developed by highly qualified experts in the field on linguistics. However, I will address those areas that I agree with as I present my personal theories on second language acquisition.

The language acquisition in childhood development is interesting because this is how we as humans learn to communicate with each other. While doing research to see how it is we are able to communicate with each other. Children are able to learn languages very quickly especially since young kids learn languages right away. Kids learn the differences between concepts and objects because that is what their language allows them to use their concepts and how much they will utilize their

Many second language acquisition theories have been developed over the years. These theories examine the avenues in which second language is acquired and the avenues in which they are

In many parts of the world, children grow up using more than one language. When the language on the streets and the markets is different from the language at home, children start using these other languages easily.

The great debate in theories of child language acquisition involves the initial stage of language learning. This is also called the nature versus nurture debate, where some theorists argue that children naturally acquire linguistic skills from simple exposure to language. Others claim that it requires more deliberate teaching and education; it is not a merely natural phenomenon. In addition to the main stages of language acquisition, I hope to offer summaries of the key debates in the scholarly field and also some interesting elaborations on the main points of this essay. The stages of child language acquisition are three, but before we look in depth at the stages of language acquisition, consider the key movements in the field of study.

According to Best start, Meilleur stated that children may not get the same level in two or more languages at the same time. Also, they stated that the best time for children to learn another language is before age of 7 because children find it easy to learn two languages from birth. Moreover, Best start mentioned that children have the ability to learn and expose two languages during pregnancy period because babies can hear a variety of sounds that help these unborn children’s brains to learn multiple languages. After the born of a child, the child has only two ways to learn and practice a new language.

Children in a sense absorb all that they hear and perceive as if they are sponges to their outside world. Children are able to pick up on things they see and hear all around them. In reference to language learning and acquisition Hagen (2008) examines the differences in children in first language acquisition (L1) and in adults in second language acquisition (L2). He distinguishes that L1 in children occurs more rapidly within three to four years in comparison to adults having difficulty in a second language. However, according to DeKeyser (2013), it is commonly said that children are able to learn a language quicker than adults, but there is no support for it. Therefore, in this paper, I will review articles pertaining to differences in language learning among children and

Abstract: In second language acquisition, age factors has always been the study focus and one of the most controversial issues of linguistics. Based on the Brain Plasticity Theory and the Critical Period Hypothesis, the purpose is to prove such a hypothesis that the younger the leaner who begins to learn an second language,the greater the probability that he or she will achieve a native-like command of it.

This research is illustrated about the best age to start learning a second language (English as an example), without damaging or having any linguistic problems with both of them. Since I suffered with my son on lately speech problems, because we combined the two languages (Arabic and English). I became more anxious with my other kids, and that is why I chose this topic to learn more about this issue. The purpose of this study is to find out the best age for kids to acquire a second language without having difficulties such as: linguistic problems in both languages. We are looking forward to see what the experts opinions about this issue and how parents prevent this problem by teaching their children the second language at

While each of these designations emphasizes a particular notion, they share the concept that second language learners are forming their own self-contained independent linguistic systems. This is neither the system of the native language nor the system of the target language, but falls between the two. The most important feature of interlanguage is that it has its own legitimate system where learners are no longer looked on as producers of malformed, imperfect language replete with mistakes, but as intelligent and creative beings proceeding through logical, systematic stages of acquisition creatively acting upon their linguistic environment. The second feature is that this system is dynamic and it is based on the best attempt of learners to produce order and structure to the linguistic stimuli surrounding them. Finally, it is a linguistic system which reflects the psychological process of learning and the psychological process of foreign language learning.

It is a well-attested fact that learners commit errors when learning a second language. Errors are in fact considered inevitable in any learning process. For a very long time different authors (Corder, 1967; Richards, 1971; Dulay and Burt, 1972, as cited in Taylor, 1975;) see those errors not only as deviations of the rules but also as important sources for studying the process of learning a target language. The learner’s mental process and rules adopted by them at different stages are evidenced by those errors. (Fauziati, 2011). It is, therefore, the

Over the past decades, a variety of approaches have been proposed to explain the phenomenon of language acquisition. These models were influenced by variety of disciplines and research directions, such as cognitive psychology, linguistics, etc.; therefore, the models relate to linguistic development in various ways. One of the most striking differences between the approaches is the perception of the place of heredity and environment in the process of acquiring language, but as we shall see each approach gives them a different weight and importance. In this paper we describe three approaches to acquire first and second language: Behaviorism, Innatism and Social-interactionist. During the work we will try to understand the characteristics of each approach; how they differ from each other; advantages and disadvantages; and what aspects from each theory that we should combine in our class.

That children outpass adults in the mastery of second languages can be partly explained by the plasticity of the young brain and adults’ slowing effects of ageing. However, this assumption is not entirely convincing since there are strong evidence that older learners are more efficient than younger learners in the early stages of the L2 development, or adults and adolescents can make more rapid progress than children toward mastery of an L2 in contexts where they can make use of the langue on a daily basis in social, personal, professional, or academic interaction.

Example (1), which is an example typically used to explain interlanguage, is produced by an L1 Spanish speaker who is learning English as L2. This sentence is ungrammatical both in Spanish and English; therefore, the speaker is not using either a Spanish or English structure for the production of this sentence. This led scholars to establish that interlanguage has its own rules odd to either her L1 or L2. This the idea that innate predisposition for language acquisition may result in the

Reading the two studies, certain conclusions regarding their theoretical framework can be drawn. The first article provides Usage Based linguistics view of language learning as mainly based on experience and item, with particular formulas used at the beginning and then resulting to general constructions (e.g. Dabrowska 2000; Tomasello 2003; Dabroswka and Lieven 2005). On the other hand, Ionin, Zubbizarreta, and Maldonado, study adopts a theoretical framework that primarily focuses on the aspects of linguistic knowledge, namely the L2-input, L1 transfer and the inherent linguistic knowledge (Universal Grammar) that influence the acquisition of English articles by second language learners.