Six Dimensions of language acquisition By Klein

Through this chapter we are moving along a sort of organization of the structure of language acquisition and how it is influenced by factors through six dimensions which are: Propensity, Language Faculty, Access, and The Structure of the Process, Tempo of Acquisition, and the End State.

1.- Propensity: (Inner force) The learner feels the need, the urge of acquiring a language. Propensity has four components: Social Integration, Communicative Needs, Attitude and Education.

1.a.- Social Integration: Need of a learner to be integrated to others. Then they can communicate. It has a negative aspect; students stop talking when they think they are losing their culture (that is why we have to be careful to the children’s background).

1.b.- Communicative Needs: It is related to the context. In other words, it has to do with where or When I’m going to say something.

1.c.- Attitude: Children learn because language is there to be learned, adults are in will. Attitude can be conscious or unconscious.

1.d.- Education: This factor is the weakest of all because it depends on the outside and not on the inside of the learner. It may be effective only if it is combined with the other three propensity factors.

2.- Language Faculty: Is a natural capacity of communicate and the functioning of the language processor (in terms of Biological Determinants of Language Processor and the Knowledge Available to the speaker at any one time).

2.a.- Biological Determinants of Language Processor: This represents only a fraction of our language skills. It deals with process in some parts of the central system (brain) according to perception, memory and higher cognitive functions.

2.b.- Available Knowledge: It deals with conscious knowledge acquired from books, school, others; and tacit knowledge which is unconscious.

3.- Access (to Language): The processor previously mentioned cannot work if it is not exposed to raw material. Access covers some components which are: Input and the Range of Opportunities of Communication-

3.1.- Input: It is the social interaction. The information we receive while we are in contact with others

3.2.- Access to Language: This range talks about the amount of exposure to language. The acquisition process comes to an end as soon as the learner stop being aware of the differences between his/her speech production and the one of his/her environment.

4.- The Structure of the process:  The text talks about two important aspects: Synchronization among various skills and elements of knowledge that make up a language, and Variations observed across learners and learners categories in the acquisition process.

4.1.- Synchronization of Elements in a Language: It refers to the acquisition of all linguistically knowledge. If a speaker wants to know a language, he/she must be able to make a proper use of several types of information, such as phonetically knowledge, inflection and so on.

4.2.- Variability (in learners): The structure and the way of acquisition varies depending on the learners. This variability is caused by many factors which include propensity components, the biological aspects of the learner his/her knowledge, a good input and so on.

5.- Tempo of Acquisition: According to three groups of factors; Heading propensity, language processor and Access.

6.- End State: Dealing with Fossilization and Backsliding.

Workshop 3: Second Language acquisiton by Yule

I. Answer the following question based on the presentation

1. Why is motivation important for L2 stds?

the motivation is important for L2 stds, because it is related with the necessity to motivation to learn something. Also it is an important part  of that opportunity is the availability of input.

2. Why might foreign talk be beneficial?

Because, it is a variety of speech which is simpler in structure and vocabulary.

3. What is communicative competence?

This classification is divided into three components:

Grammatical competence:   This involves the accurate use of words and                                                  structures in the L2.

Sociolinguistics competence: It enables the learner to discriminate the social                                                     context.

Strategic competence:  This is the ability to organize a message effectively and to compensate, via strategies, for any   difficulties.

4. What is the difference between the terms ACQUISITION and LEARNING?

There is a great difference between these two words. Acquisition when used a language, means the gradual develop of a language in a natural way, which means using it in different communicative situations. Learning on its side, refers to the act of find out about a language looking for information about its grammar rules and vocabulary. If the student is exposed to develop the L2 by using it and not only accumulating knowledge about it makes a big difference in the proficiency of him in the L2.

 The exposition to the L2 benefits the student though; there is one difficulty that can not resolve by all the adults. The study of grammar and vocabulary can reach the native level by the student, but sound as a native person is a goal that can be got only for a few adults’ learners of a L2.

Second Language Acquisition / Learning by Yule

There is a big question about how a learner can be as proficient in a L2 as he o she is in his o her mother tongue, there are some proposals which can help to achieve that goal.

Acquisition Barriers

Most people try learning a L2 during just a few hours a week, and then, the rest of the time use their mother tongue in all the other aspects of their life for communication, meanwhile babies has almost nothing else to do when they are acquiring a L1.

Acquisition and Learning

There is a great difference between these two words. Acquisition when used a language, means the gradual develop of a language in a natural way, which means using it in different communicative situations. Learning on its side, refers to the act of find out about a language looking for information about its grammar rules and vocabulary. If the student is exposed to develop the L2 by using it and not only accumulating knowledge about it makes a big difference in the proficiency of him in the L2.

The exposition to the L2 benefits the student though; there is one difficulty that can not resolve by all the adults. The study of grammar and vocabulary can reach the native level by the student, but sound as a native person is a goal that can be got only for a few adults’ learners of a L2.

Affective Filter

There is, also, another factor which can affect the acquisition of a language in teenagers, their self-consciousness and embarrassment when pronouncing a sound of another language could spoil their interest, even, when there is a natural ability for doing it.

 Also bad experiences about the language or dull activity books can support this refuse.

 Adults can also overcome their self-consciousness by having a little of alcohol, but after some cups their ability to pronounce rapidly desapear.

Methods

There are some methods for acquire a L2.

Grammar-translation method

It consists in memorizing the grammatical rules and a set of words as vocabulary giving more significance to the written language than the spoken one, and as a result this method lacks of speakers interaction.

Audio-lingual method

It deals with the spoken language, but not by using as a tool for communication, instead of that works in a mechanical way by the repetition of different words aiming to get “Habits” which could be developed with a lot of practice.

Communicative Approache

To know grammar not necessarily means to know how to use a language. The creation of communicative experiences in the L2 should be emphasized in functions of language (i.e. “asking for things”) rather than the forms of the language (i.e. “correct grammatical or phonological structure”).

Focus on the learner

Time ago when the acquisition of L2 was consider mechanic, in terms of teaching and learning, the method using by the Teachers was to correct every error on grammar which could appear in the student’s speech. Nowadays the errors are consider ways for developing the L2 by the learner.

Also there some errors which are transfer from our mother tongue, when we try to apply, unconsciously or consciously, its grammar to the L2 but, when our L1 has similar structures with L2 those rules could be applied, that phenomenon is called Positive transfer, but if our L1 is not similar and, anyway, we apply those structures and make mistakes that is called Negative transfer.

Interlanguage

This is a system of common errors which seem to have no connection with either L1 or L2. The errors though, are not meant to be fossilized like, for example, the errors of pronunciation which produce foreign accent.

Motivation

This is factor that can make the difference between a successful student and one who is not. The more motivated the student is, the more interested in using the L2 will be.

Input and Output

These terms refer to two different point of one thing, first “input” refers to the language that the learner is exposed to, and “output” deals with the fact, how the learner use that language on its own in communicative situations, like a conversation. The interaction produces a kind of “negotiated input” which is come L2 material that can be acquired by the learner trough requests for clarifications and focusing in what is said.

Communicative competencE

This classification is divided into three components:

Grammatical competence:   This involves the accurate use of words and  structures in the L2.

Sociolinguistics competence: It enables the learner to discriminate the social context.

Strategic competence: This is the ability to organize a message effectively and to compensate,via strategies,for any difficulties.

Applied linguistics

The intention of investigate the complex L2 acquisition; we can not be only focused on ideas of linguistic analysis, but in other fields of study like communication studies, education, psychology and sociology. This great scale of contents is called applied linguistics.

HOW LANGUAGE IS SHAPED: An interview (Noam Chomsky)

       WORSHOP 2

I) Indicate if the following sentences are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F). Justify the false sentences.

Chomsky said:

1) We have a predisposition to speak. T

2) We haven’t been genetically programmed with mental structures. F we are genetically programmed.

3) Nouns, adjective and adverb are not used in our universal grammar. F they are used in our universal grammar.

4)   We are able to learn an Alien’s language F we are not able to learn an Alien’s Language.

5)   Skinner, Chomsky and Piaget agreed the same theories. F each author talk about his own theory.

6)   Skinner believes that a language organ can develop it with our Environment. F Also training and experiences.

II)  Match these pictures with the names to the author.

1)

1)

2)

3)

a)      Piaget ___1_____

b)      Chomsky ___3__

c)      Skinner ____2___

The Innateness Hypothesis ( Workshop and Summary)

Workshop 1: The Innateness Hypothesis

I. - Complete the following comparative table.

Mains Researchers	Lenneberg	Yule	Chomsky
Point of view	“species-specific” Behaviour Ability to distinguish speech sounds. Ability to organize linguistic data. Ability to engaging constant  evolution	Physically capable of sending and receiving sounds signal.	It is a biological schedule maduration of the brain as any other organ.

II. - Vocabulary

Complete with the correct meaning in the following words.

Isolation:       To be in a place or situation separate from others.

Innateness:   Belonging to the essential nature of something.

Sleep spindle:           Represent periods when the brain is inhibiting processing to keep the sleeper in a tranquil state.

III. - Complete the sentences.

1. - Genie explored her new    environment.

2. - Genie could not speak because she had all ready past her   critical period.

3. - With Genie case what   Chomsky    hold is refuse.

Summary about The Innateness Hypothesis File 9.3

The innateness hypothesis and Language & Theories of language acquisition

a) The Innateness Hypothesis:

·  The human being has the ability for to understand and speaking language this is innate.

B) Language:

·     Humans are genetically predisposed to learn and use language.

·    Concept of noun and verb are characterizes common to all language that is Linguistics Universal.

Universal Grammar: These are a set of characteristics shares by all language.

The biologist Eric Lenneberg says all humans have linguistics ability because it is innate them.

He had studied some animals and their behavior and characteristics, so  he did a list about the concept “behaviorism”.

1.The  behavior  emerges before it is necessary

2.Its appearance is not the result of a conscious decision.

3.Its emergence  is not triggered by external events (though the surrounding environment must be sufficiently “rich “ for it to develop----- quietly

4.Direct teaching and intensive practice have been related little effect.

5.There is regular sequence of “milestones” as the behavior develops, and these can usually be correlated with age and other aspect of development.

6.There is likely to be a “critical period” for the acquisition of the behavior.

These points only consider the concept behaviorism but it is not totally owner in the human being.

What is Critical Period?

This is a period of time in an individual`s life during which a behavior. There are 2 types of periods.

0-2 years:  The Child needs to be exposure to language in order to develop the brain structures and they are necessary for acquisition and acquiring native speaker competence.

10-16 years: the child can obtain a language but he/she cannot acquire native competence.

The critical period claims that If a child doesn`t have these period he/she cannot development his/her language skills or acquire them.

There are at least two sources of information available to linguistics which support the claims that there a critical periods for acquisition language.

SUMMARY First Language acquisition by Brown D. Ch 2

Competence and Perfomance:

Competence is our underlying knowledge of the system of language, rules of grammar, vocabulary, and pieces of language and how those pieces fit together.   

Performance is actual production (speaking, writing) or the comprehension (listening, reading) of linguistic events. 

Performance reflects in some way our linguistic competence. Competence increases by being exposed to different linguistic contexts, by interacting with others, by using the language. It cannot decrease, what seems to decrease is performance.

1.       The Nativist Approach. 

They mainly propose that language is innately predetermined, that we are endowed with a genetic capacity that predisposes us to acquire a language. 

Comprehension and Production:

A willful Act in Sausseran terms, refers to the notion that comprehension is equated to performance.

In Child language, one has to acknowledge the prominence of comprehension over production

we can surely state the comprehension competence runs ahead production competence.

For example: 

A girl told the man her name was Litha, when he said oh, Litha, she replied saying, No, Litha, then he said ah! Lisa, and she replied then Yes, Litha. It shows she was able to understand her name well, and even identify a mistake, but she wasn’t able to produce it.

Brown's chapter says that Language is systematic.

Children make hypotheses permanently, based on the input they have received, and they also test these hypotheses by using them. These hypotheses are changed, reshaped, revised and abandoned.

Sistematicity and Variability:

The process of language acquisition denotes remarkable stages that exhibit children anilities to identify regualrities of the language system. However, there is a great deal of variability in the process of acquisition.

In some cases children are not able to notice commonalities of the system, such as categories of verbs to describe past tense.

The relationship between Language and Thought:

Language affects thought in such a way that it imposes a particular worldview on the speaker. In other words, we see the world in a specific way depending on the language we speak.

SUMMARY First Language acquisition by Yule

Basic requeriments: a child growing up in the first two or three years interaction with other-languge –user in order to bring the language faculty into operation with a particular language, such as English.

Genre case: a child that does not hear,or is not allowed to use language will learn no language.

Cultural transmition:Tha language a child learns is not genetically inherited but is acquired in a particular language-using enviroment. “ The child must also be physically capable of sending and receiving sound signals in a language” By itself, however, hearing language sounds is not enough.Thecnicial requeriment appears to be the opportunity to interact with other via language.

The acquisition calendar:

The biological calendar,it depends very much to the motivation of the infant’s brain and the lateralization process. If there is some general biological program underlying language acquisition. It is certainly depend on an interplay with social factors in the child enviroment.

Caretaker speech: ( motherese) there are frequent questions, often using exagerated intonation. In theseearly stages, this type of  speech also incorporates a lot of forms associated with “ baby talk”

Also, It is characterized by simple sentences structures and lot of repetion.

Pre-languages stages: the period from about 3-10 months is usually characterized by three stages of sound production in the infant’s developing repertoire.

3 months: the first recognizable sounds are descrbed as cooing with  velar sounds [k] ; [g]

6 months : the sound production at this stage is described as babbling and may contain syllable types sound such as mu-da

9 months: there are recognizable intonation patterns to the consonant and vowel combination being produced.

The one – word holophrastic stage ( 12-15 months) children begin to produce a variety of recognizable single unit utterances this period is called the one-word stage is characterized by speech in which single terms are uttered for everyday objects such as : milk,cat,cup.

The term holophrastic ( a single form functioning as a phrase or sentences)

The two word stage: the child intences to communicate with expressions. By the stage of 2 wether the child is producing 200-400 distinctics words, he or she will be capable of understanding five times as many, and will typically be treated as an entertaining conversational partner by the principal carataker.

Telegraphic speech: 2 and 3 years old, the children will begin producing a large number of utterances which could be classified as multiple-word utterances.  An particular interest is the sequence of inflectional morphemes which ocurrs.

This is characterized by strings of lexical morphemes in phrases such as andrew want ball, cat drink milk.

By the age of two and a half, vocabulary is expanding rapidly and the child is initiating more talk.

By three, the vocabulary has grown to hundreds of words and pronunciation has become closer to the form of the adult language.

The acquisition process:

The child’s linguistic production, is mostly a matter of trying out constructions and testing whether they work or not.

The child can be heard to repeat versions of what adults say and is in the process of adopting a lot of vocabulary from their speech.

Nor does adult correction seem to be as very effective determiner of how the child speaks.

Even when the correction is attempted in a more subtle manner, the child will continue to use a personally construted form.

One factor which seems to be crucial in the child’s acquisition process is the actual use of sound and word combinations, either in interaction with others or in word – play, alone.

Morphology

By the age of 3, the child is going to beyond telegraphic speech forms and incorporating aome of the inflectional morphemes which indicate the grammatical function of the nouns and verbs uses. The first to appear is usually the – ing form in expressions such as cat sitting and mommy reading book. The acquisition of this form is often accompanied by a process of overgenaralization.

Syntax:

Similar evidence against imitation as the basis f child’s speech production has been found in studies of the syntactic structures used by children.

In the formation of questions ans the use of negatives, there appear to be three identifiable stages:Stage 1 ocurrs between 18 and 26 months, stage 2 between 22 and 30 months, and stage 3 between 24 and 40 months.

Questions:

In forming questions,the first stage has two procedures. Symple add a wh-form ( where, who) to the beginning of the expression or utter the expression with a rise in intonation towards the end.

In the second stage, more complex expressions can be formed intonation strategy continues to be used.

In the third stage, the required inversion of subject and verb in English questions has appeared, but the wh- forms do not always undergo the required inversion.

Negatives:

In the case of negatives stage 1 seem to have  simple strategy which says that no or not should be stuck on the beginning of any expression.

In the second stage, the additional negative forms don’t and can’t are used and with no and not, begin to be placed in front of he verb rather than at the beginning of the sentence.

The third stage sees the incorporation of other auxiliary forms such as didn’t and won’t, and the disappearance of the stage 1 forms.

Semantics:

It seems that during the holophrastic stage many children use their limited vocabulary to refer to a large number of unrelated objects.

For example a child used bow-wow to refer to a dog and then to a fur piece with glass eyes,  a set cufflinks and even a bath thermometer. But other child often extend bow-wow to refer to cats, horses, and cows. This process is called overextension and the most common pattern is for the child to overextend the meaning of word on the basis of similarities of shape, sound and size.

Despite the fact that the child is still acquiring aspects of his or her native language through the later years of childhood, it is normally assumed that, by the age of five, the child has completed the greater part of the basic language acquisition process. According to some, the child is then in a good position to start learning a second ( or foreign) language.