Personal Second Language Acquisition Theory Research Paper

Children acquire language since they were born. They communicate with their parents. Furthermore, children and parents interact with each other using a language that we often call the first language or mother tongue. At an early age, children are only learning one language that is the mother tongue. By age and speech development, children improve to acquire a second language from the school or the environment around them. In terms of speed of langgauge acquisition, children are factorized by both the child and the child’s learning environment. Therefore, it is important to understand how children acquire second language. This paper is provided

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 the time of acquisition, as well as the comprehensible input and output with the use of scaffolding play a major role in second language acquisition. Kirsten Hummel states, “The one most effective way to increase L2 competence was by exposure to ‘comprehensible input’.” (Hummel, 2014, p. 73) Let us also not forget the importance of written expression as well as reading comprehension with these L2 learners. Each plays a role in language development. However, I believe that to acquire language one must use a variety of techniques that work together to create a balance within the learning environment. Furthermore, all L2 learners acquire language differently and so using a variety of resources that are based on the ability of each student is neccesary. There are many theories that have been developed by highly qualified experts in the field of linguistics. However, I will address those areas that I agree with as I present my personal theories on second language acquisition.

Judie Haynes’ article, “Stages of Second Language Acquisition”, clearly states five stages that a new learner of English may go through. In Haynes’ theory, there are five stages in total, and they are pre-production, early production, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency. According to Haynes, new learners of English acquire language by going through the same stages. However, how much time each student spends at a particular stage may be different. Despite the different time length, the stages of people acquiring new language are worth discussing.

Since, the second language is an additional language after we acquire the first language, the L2 learning process can be influenced by the L1 learning process This essay will demonstrate the similarities and differences in L1 and L2 acquisition by discussing various theories. Then, draw a conclusion based on the evidence provided and my own experience.

Besides the acquisition-learning distinction theory by Krashen’s which differentiate the condition of second language acquisition (SLA) and second language learning (SLL), there are also other theories which explain SLL in detail. Among the earliest theory suggested in relation to SLL is the behavioural theory of language learning which initiates by Skinner in the 1950s as cited in Scarino and Liddicoat (2009). The theory suggested that human and animal learn in similar ways which are through the response to stimuli. The responses enhanced the learning of the language where the repetition and reinforcement help the input to be comprehended by the learner through time.

Over the past few decades, different theories emerged to explain how these children acquire their language such as behaviorism, nativism, and interactionism. The research on first language acquisition did not lead only to the previous theory, but it also led to the emergence of second language acquisition theories. One of these second language theories is the Monitor Model which was influenced by the nativist perspective on language acquisition. The Monitor Model also led to the emergence of different implications in second language teaching. Therefore, this research paper aims to answer the following two questions:

At its core, Vygotsky’s theory investigates the mediating role of language in the cognitive development of children, however, the “social” principles underlying his theory can be applied into L2 context. Stemming from this idea, the process of second language acquisition is understood as a meaning-making collaborative activity.

1.1,1.2 a)Theories of first and second language acquisition and learning and associated language learning approaches.

First and second language acquisition have been a topic of interest in linguistics for decades. Researchers have been approaching these topics from many points of view, angles, and models (Gass, 2013). Regarding second language acquisition, and especially English as a second language, the most researched topics include the effects of the Critical Period on second language learners, age of acquisition, age of onset, and individual differences (i.e. L1, motivation, aptitude) (Gass, 2013). Even though it is possible to find a wide variety of research on L2 acquisition, researchers are still debating on which elements affect learners more. Furthermore, while there is plenty of research on gender differences in the field of first language acquisition, there seems to be a lack of studies on said topic in regards to learning a second language. For said reason this research paper will focus on gender and first language influences on English as a second language acquisition, with the goal to comprehend whether one, both or neither of those factors contributes or hinders L2 acquisition and why. Furthermore, the current research paper is a follow up of Chiamenti (2016).

The understanding of second language acquisition has progressed from behaviorist (name theories here) to constructivist Universal Grammar (Chomsky, year?), language instinct (Pinker, 1995), Input Hypothesis (Krashen, 1985), Attention-Processing model (McLaughlin, 1990, 1987), Explicit and Implicit models (Ellis, 1994, 1997; Bialystok 1982, 1978, 1990) and, finally, to social constructivist Interaction hypothesis (Long, 1981) later expanded on by Theresa Pica (year). (and complemented by the comprehensible output hypothesis (Swain, 1995), Authenticity/Task based-instruction (Selinger)

The second language classroom is full of theories of how to get students to acquire the target language (L2). These theories have been around for many years and have been debated and revised numerous times. Theories such as the grammar translation theory, used up until the 1940’s, are no longer in favour because of their inability for learners to use the language in colloquial situations have been superseded by new innovative ideas. At the time of writing this paper, there are three main theories used in the second language classroom: Behaviorist, Innate, and Interactionist.

Numerous theories try to explain the process of language acquisition. These theories fall into one of two camps. The environmentalist (or connectionist) theory of language acquisition asserts that language is acquired through environmental factors (Halvaei et al. 811). Theorists in this camp believe that a child learns language by gaining information from the outside world and then forming associations between words and objects. The nativist (or rationalist) approach, on the other hand, asserts that it is innate factors that determine language acquisition. Noam Chomsky, often described as “the father of modern linguistics”, falls into this camp as he believes that speech is the result of hidden rules of language that are hidden somewhere in the brain (Rahmani and Abdolmanafi 2111). Steven Pinker, a colleague of Chomsky, is a renowned psychologist, cognitive scientist and linguist who discusses his own theories on language acquisition in his book Words and Rules.

Second language acquisition is a process that is extraordinarily complex and requires the cooperation of multiple learning factors. Altogether, these factors can be divided into three main domains-cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. The cognitive domain consists deals with the factors on learning, whereas the psychomotor deals with the physical aspects of learning. Although both of these domains are essential to the learning process, this paper will focus on the third domain-known as the affective domain. (the second principle). The affective domain is “the emotional side of human behavior… [and] the development of affective states or feelings involves a variety of personality factors, feelings both about ourselves and about others with whom we come into contact” (Brown 153). The factors of self-esteem, willingness, inhibition, risk taking, anxiety, and personality factors such as motivation and the tendency for extroversion or introversion are all part of the affective domain. This paper will explain all of these factors and their impact on the process of second language acquisition.

In his article, “My and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning,” published in 1992, Barry McLaughlin listed five major myths and misconceptions held by the general public, or specifically by some second language teachers, as well as some contradictory viewpoints about second language learning held by different scholars. In his five main arguments, he puts specific emphases on his suggestions for second language teachers about second language teaching and learning to dispel these five myths and misconceptions. Though diverse and comprehensive, McLaughlin’s synthesis of relevant language teaching and learning studies does not provide enough connections among the sources he mentioned, and relevant viewpoints are repeated and overlapped.

The students’ attitude towards speaking English will be discussed first. This problem will be considered in many respects. Firstly, the learners’ motivation to learn L2 and their feelings when speaking that language, the nature of using English inside the classroom, their opinions about abilities needed to be perceived as a competent L2 speaker as well as their preferences of speaking practice forms. Firstly, as reported by the students, their motivation to study English is mainly intrinsic. This means that the reason why they learn L2 is that they see many benefits, which they can obtain from studying L2. Clearly, for the students aged 16-19, personal satisfaction derived from learning L2 is more important than their parents’ encouragement to learn a foreign language.