Becoming bilingual is a way of life: A new language A new culture A new way of thinking, feeling and acting

HOW CHILDREN LEARN LANGUAGES

FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION:

Natural phenomenon Begins almost at birth (noises /cries)

By the age of 3 or 4 children master the essential language to communicate meaningfully

Oral communication characterizes all human beings (except for those suffering severe congenital disability) There arent languages that are more difficult than others Acquisition isnt linked to intelligence A favourable human environment, provided by the family, is a condition of natural acquisition of language

STAGES THROUGH WHICH CHILDREN PASS IN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING THEIR MOTHER TONGUE

THE PRELINGUISTIC STAGE From birth to around 8 months Spontaneously acquire the use of the auditory and phonatory mechanisms Can hear and produce non- symbolic noises and sounds THE PRODUCTION OF THE FIRST WORD About 11 months Symbolizes something for him/her Put names (in their own fashion) to objects and people

SECOND YEAR Genuine communication It isnt a simple process of imitation (repeat what they hear) They create sounds which are given validity by the reaction of those around them EIGHTEEN MONTHS TWO YEARS Enter a syntactic phase of acquisition Two words (groups of sounds which have meaning) are brought together in order to create a new meaning out of the union

THIRD AND FOURTH YEARS Process of acquisition develops and becomes richer Period of creativity Facility for auditory discrimination and for imitation Construct the grammatical system (with the encouragement and guidance of adults) SCHOOL Reading and writing

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION THEORIES

THE BEHAVIORIST VIEW

FLL consists of learners imitating what they hear and developing habits in the FL by routine practice. Learners relate what they know of their L1 to what they recognize in the L2.

"Positive transfer" is a result of similarities between the L1 and the L2, because habits used in the L1 easily transfer to the L2. Negative transfer is caused by differences between the L1 and the L2, because errors result from using habits from the L1 in the L2. Problems: Imitation does not help the learner in reallife situations. Learners need to form sentences they have never seen or heard. A finite number of pre-practiced sentences is not enough to carry on conversation.

THE COGNITIVE VIEW

FL learners use their skills of cognition in order to figure out the L2 on their own. They notice a pattern and construct their own rules accordingly, then go back and change the rules if they are faulty.

Learners benefit from their mistakes because they are playing an active role in the FLL process and learning first-hand how the language works. Problem: It is not always possible to deduce what the FL learner means to say, and therefore the error cannot be clearly determined.

THE CRITICAL PERIOD HYPOTHESIS There is a period in a person's life in which he must learn a language, or else language acquisition becomes impossible. The basis for this hypothesis is that by puberty the brain is already fully developed and afterwards language acquisition becomes extremely difficult. Genie a 13 1/2 years old girl was found living in conditions of extreme neglect and isolation

Since approximately two years of age until the time in which she was found she had received very little language interaction. "Genie" was eventually able to learn a limited vocabulary, but was never able to grasp on to language as a whole. However, some argue that this evidence does not necessarily support the critical period hypothesis because she may have an overall low IQ. In this case, her inability to master a L1 may reflect cognition and not language acquisition at all.

FLL should occur before puberty for best results. If there is a critical period for learning a L1 then the same would apply to acquiring a L2. Studies have shown that before the brain is fully developed a L2 can be learned more easily than afterwards. However, many people have been able to master the syntax and vocabulary of a FL after puberty. The only conclusive evidence for the critical period hypothesis with regards to FLL is phonology. Learners who have shown great ability to acquire a L2 have not been able to overcome their foreign accents.

NEUROLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Lateralization of the brain: as the human brain matures certain functions are assigned or lateralized

Left hemisphere: intellectual, logical, analytic functions Right hemisphere: emotional and social needs Language functions: controlled in the left hemisphere Lateralization: slow process that begins around the age of 2 and is completed around puberty

THE NATURAL ORDER HYPOTHESIS Language acquisition occurs in a predictable, universal order, and it is the same for the learning both a L1 and a L2. Studies have shown that different learners of English as a L2 make similar errors regardless from which linguistic background they come. Some of these errors resemble the errors most often made by children when learning their native languages.

Problems: A few grammatical errors have actually been analyzed. With all the different languages that exist in the world, only a small percentage have been, or could be, thoroughly studied.