First-Language-Acquisition

1stLanguageAcquisitionHowdohumansacquirespeech?languageacquisitionvs.languagelearningTheoriesofchildlanguageacquisition(1)Abehavioristview(2)Aninnatistview(3)AninteractionistviewChildlanguagedevelopmentTheCriticalPeriodHypothesisStagesinchildlanguagedevelopmentAbnormal(Atypical)languagedevelopmentFirstlanguageacquisitionissostraightforward,whyislearningasecondlanguagesodifficult?Firstlanguageacquisition(L1acquisition)referstotheprocesswherebychildrenbecomespeakersoftheirnativelanguage(NL)orlanguages.Somelinguistspreferthetermlanguagelearning,childlanguagedevelopment.languageacquisitionvs.languagelearningAmericanSLAscholarStephenKrashenmakesthedistinctionbetweenacquisitionandlearningChildrenacquirelanguagethroughasubconsciousprocessduringwhichtheyareunawareofgrammaticalrules.Thisissimilartothewaytheyacquiretheirfirstlanguage.Languagelearning,ontheotherhand,isnotcommunicative.Itistheresultofdirectinstructionintherulesoflanguage.Learnershaveconsciousknowledgeofthenewlanguageandcantalkaboutthatknowledge.Acquisitionisoftenpreferredtolearningbecausethelatterissometimesconnectedtoabehavioristtheoryoflearning.AbehavioristviewofchildlanguageacquisitionB.F.Skinners(1904–1990):anAmericanpsychologist,behaviorist,author,inventor,andsocialphilosopherBehaviorism;imitationandpracticeHabitformingBehaviourism(mostinfluentialbeforethe1960s):Languagelearningislikeanyotherformofhumanbehavior,beingaprocessofhabit-formationcharacterizedbystimulus-responseandimitation-reinforcementrelationship.TheroleofimitationcorrectionandreinforcementForexample,(1)Child:Itakedacookie.Parent:Oh,youmeanyoutookacookie.Child:Yes,that’sright.Itakedit.(2)Child:Nobodydon’tlikeme.Mother:No,say“Nobodylikesme”.Child:Nobodydon’tlikeme.(Thistypeofexchangeisrepeatedeighttimes.)Mother:No,now,listencarefully,say“Nobodylikesme”.Child:Oh!Nobodydon’tLIKESme.imitationAninnatistviewofchildlanguageacquisitionN.Chomsky(1928-):anAmericanlinguist,philosopher,cognitivescientist,logician,historian,politicalcritic,andactivistLAD:LanguageAcquisitionDeviceUniversalGrammarInnatenessapproach(fromthe1960sonwards):Theabilitytoacquireahumanlanguageisbornandbiologicallybuiltinthehumanbrain,linkedinsomemannertophysiologicalmaturation,withsomedegreeofweakeningafterthetimeofpuberty(e.g.,alongwiththeprocessoflateralization).Wearenotbornspeaking!Languagemustbeacquired.WhatDoesaBabyHear?Languageinstinct?Languageisinnate–onlysurfacedetailsneedbelearned?Humanbrainpre-programmedforlanguage?Language,aresultofgeneralcognitiveabilitiesofthebrain?Neithertellsuswhatspecificlanguagetolearnorparticularstructurestomemorize.LanguageUniversalsWhatevidenceisthereforinnateknowledgeofcertainbasiclanguagefeaturespresentinallhumanlanguages?LINGUISTICUNIVERSALSUNIVERSALGRAMMARAlllanguageshave:AgrammarBasicwordorder(intermsofSOV,etc.)NounsandverbsSubjectsandobjectsConsonantsandvowels“UniversalGrammar”Humansthenlearntospecializethis“universalgrammar”(UG)fortheparticularsoftheirlanguage.Wordorder,syntacticrulepreferencesPhoneticandphonologicalconstraintsLexiconSemanticinterpretationsPragmaticwaystoconverseInnatenessoflanguage?Evidenceforinnatenessoflanguage?ThebiologistEricLennebergdefinedalistofcharacteristicsthataretypicalofinnate(pre-programmed)behaviorsinanimals.Innatebehaviors...1.Maturationallycontrolled,emergingbeforetheyarecriticallyneeded2.Donotappearastheresultofaconsciousdecision.3.Donotappearduetoatriggerfromexternalevents.4.Arerelativelyunaffectedbydirectteachingandintensivepractice.5.Followaregularsequenceof“milestones”intheirdevelopment.6.GenerallyobserveacriticalperiodfortheiracquisitionAninteractionistviewofchildlanguageacquisitionLanguageinput,“hereandnowenvironment”Caretakertalk/caretakerspeechInteractionhypothesis(alsocalleda“weak”innatehypothesis):Childrenarebornnotwithspecificknowledgeofgrammaticalrulesbutwithapotentialityfororganizingexperiencesincertainways,decidingcertainkindsofrelationshipandcomprehendingsymbols,whichreliesoninteractionwiththeenvironmenttofunction.DiscussionBehaviourism;Innatenessapproach;Interactionhypothesis.So,whichapproachdoyoupreferandwhy?Myview?1.Emergebeforenecessary,cannotbeforcedbeforescheduledWhenislanguagenecessary?Whendochildrenusuallybeginspeaking/usinglanguagecoherently?2.ArenotconsciousDoesachilddecidetoconsciouslypursuecertainskills?(e.g.,walking)Dobabiesmakeaconsciousdecisiontostartlearningalanguage?3.ArenottriggeredWhatwouldpromptachildtotakeupsoccer?Whatwouldpromptachildtobeginspeaking?4.CannotbetaughtWeCANteachprescriptiverulesoflanguage.Butwe’renottalkingaboutthathere.Wecorrectchildren’serrorssometimes.Doesithelp?Infact,“coaching”seemstohurtratherthanhelplanguageabilityinchildren.5.FollowmilestonesInspiteofdifferentbackgrounds,differentlocations,anddifferentupbringings,mostchildrenfollowtheverysamemilestonesinacquiringlanguage.6.ObserveacriticalperiodWhatisacriticalperiod?Forfirstlanguageacquisition,thereseemstobeacriticalperiodofthefirstfiveyears,duringwhichchildrenmustbeexposedtoric