First and Second Language Acquisition Term Paper by Nicky

A discussion and critique of this writer's course on both first and second language acquisition.
# 150340 | 772 words | 3 sources | APA | 2012 | US
Published on Jan 31, 2012 in Communication (Language and Speech) , Linguistics (General) , Language (General)


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Description:

The writer explains the primary difference between first language acquisition and second language acquisition and how psychological, physical and social factors all contribute to both children's and adults' acquisition of language. The writer then offers a personal viewpoint on the ideas offered in his/her course, and points out that there is still a lot of learning left--both for himself and in the field as a whole--before a complete understanding of language acquisition can be achieved.

From the Paper:

"There are several essential factors in both first and second language acquisition. Psychological, physical, and social factors all contribute to both children's and adults' acquisition of language. The psychological factors surrounding first language acquisition are still a large part of the mystery surrounding how a native language is absorbed; grammar is understood to be something that human brains innately grasp, but the how of this grasping has yet to be explained (Freeman & Freeman 2004; Wilson 2000). The psychology of second language acquisition is somewhat better understood but still quite complex; using the first language as a monitor for the second almost always happens and can lead to difficulties in the learning process (Galasso 2003). Social immersion in a language--or isolation from it--also has a huge effect on both first and second language acquisition, and the physical movements of the mouth and tongue that are used to produce the phonemes in one language can assist or make difficult the physical creation of sounds during second language acquisition (Freeman & Freeman 2004; Wilson 2000).
"The environment that language acquisition occurs in, whether it is a first or a second language being acquired, is also hugely influential on the development of that language. It is only in context that a language with inherent ambiguities can be understood at a level of fluency, and if the environment surrounding the language learner does not help to reinforce the rules and/or vocabulary of that language, then language acquisition becomes more difficult (Freeman & Freeman 2004; Wilson 2000)."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Freeman, D. & Freeman, Y. (2004). Essential Linguistics: What You Need to Know to Teach Reading, ESL, Spelling, Phonics, and Grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
  • Galasso, J. (2003). "First and second language acquisition." Techni Studios. Accessed 17 September 2009. http://www.csun.edu/~galasso/lang1.htm
  • Wilson, R. (2000). "A Summary of Stephen Krashen's "Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition." Language impact. http://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

First and Second Language Acquisition (2012, January 31) Retrieved June 07, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/first-and-second-language-acquisition-150340/

MLA Format

"First and Second Language Acquisition" 31 January 2012. Web. 07 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/first-and-second-language-acquisition-150340/>

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