Reflections: My Reflection Towards Second Language Acquisition

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 time of acquisition, as well as the comprehensible input and output with the use of scaffolding play a major role in second language acquisition. Let us also not forget the importance of written expression as well as reading comprehension with these L2 learners. Each play a role in language development. However, I believe that in acquiring a language, one must use a variety of techniques that work together to create a balance within the learning environment. Furthermore, all L2 learners learn differently and so a variety of resources will need to be used based on the ability of each student. There are many theories that have been developed by highly qualified experts in the field on linguistics. However, I will address those areas that I agree with as I present my personal theories on second language acquisition.

Age, Rate and Eventual Attainment in Second Language Acquisition Author(s): Stephen D. Krashen, Michael A. Long and Robin C. Scarcella Reviewed work(s): Source: TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Dec., 1979), pp. 573-582 Published by: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3586451 . Accessed: 09/01/2013 08:48

Becoming a second English language learner is something I along with many Hispanics had to face. Learning was something that I was always interested in, but in order to start it was necessary to overcome my ignorance and learn English. My first memories of learning English include watching morning cartoons. It almost became instinct for me to mimic the words that I heard. To be honest Dora the Explorer, Barney, and the Sesame Street bunch were my first teachers. It is funny sometimes to ask my mom about my first day of school. Even in the face of an unknown and my lack of English I still ran with excitement into the classroom. My mom stood at the doorway with tears in her eyes as I when up to some students without ever turning back to look

Language is the primary way to communicate, learn and express identity. Some language learners are successful by virtue of their sheer determination, hard work and diligence. However, there are other crucial factors influencing success that are largely beyond the control of learners. ' 'Second language is any language other than the learner 's native language or mother tongue ' '(Mitchell pg 5). To be successful in second language acquisition, there are various factors which act as barrier in the process of learning English as a second language.

A vocabulary is the set of words that make up a language. The acquisition of a vocabulary is a process that usually happens subconsciously and we usually are not aware that it is happening. Vocabulary can be classified as receptive or productive, i.e. what we understand and what we produce. But acquiring a vocabulary is a different process when it is a first language from when it is a second or a foreign language. Acquiring a first language is a natural process while acquiring a second language requires effort and hard work on the learner’s part. In first language acquisition, the basis for learning is universal grammar alone, but in second language acquisition, knowledge of the first language serves as groundwork for learning the second language

Like any average person, I’ve accomplished many things in my life from learning how to walk to learning algebra in the eighth grade. However one of my greatest accomplishments has always been learning a new language. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to the United States from Mexico. Naturally, I was very excited and eager to experience something new but because of the major differences, the move to a new country with a different language proved to be more difficult than I originally thought.

My struggle with the learning of a foreign language started in middle school. At my middle school, I was required to take a language so I began Spanish 1 in the 7th grade. I can still remember the difficulty I had with the memorizing of vocabulary and the understanding of elementary Spanish grammar. I was consistently behind my fellow peers in my class struggling on homework and exams. That was when I first realized my difficulty with grasping a foreign language. In 8th grade, I took the second part of Spanish 1 and faced a very similar struggle. After completing Spanish 1 in middle school, I should have continued on to Spanish 2 my freshman year of high school, the normal progression for all the students in my class, but after a conversation with my middle school Spanish teacher we decided it was best to not move on to the next level because it was challenging for me to grasp Spanish language. My high school required the minimum completion of Spanish 2, so I knew I had a long road in front of me. The next two years of Spanish were very difficult and included many flash cards and extra help before and after class with my teacher. At the end of my sophomore year, I was relieved to

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.

When I was six years old my parents decided to move to the U.S. I was placed in first grade after taking two placement exams. For approximately six months, I attended the Newcomer Center in White Plains, NY. I remember sitting on a red carpet and spending a lot of time listening to the teacher read stories. I also remember doing phonics every morning. I excelled in math, but struggled in language acquisition. After several evaluations I was assigned to a public elementary school within the school district. In second grade, I was placed in a monolingual classroom. I was later assigned to a pull-out ESL program, which I benefited from immensely. I started to enjoy reading in English when I was with my ESL teacher, Ms. Cello. Learning a new language

Acquiring second language is different with first language development. These differences are the learning environment, learning development, interlanguage, learning goal, knowledge transfer and others.

These last few weeks I have gained some knowledge into the importance of language development and the functions that contribute to a child developing communication skills that will benefit them as the grow and develop as mature adults. I have also gained further knowledge about language being evolved from the moment a child is born and how we as parents, carers and educators can enhance the child's ability to grow and foster, progressive knowledge to flourish to become sound in speech and sentencing.

Learning a second language is beneficial at all ages. Once you have been fluent in a second language, you can grab numerous of opportunities and benefits in it. Whatever your age, learning a second language can give lots of advantages especially in today’s global society. You can have the opportunity to get better job prospects, improved your understanding from all over the world and experience new culture. However, you have to learn second a second language in a best way in order to make you to easily understand what you have leant. Acquisition method is a best way to learn second language. Acquiring means learn or develop a skill, habit or quality in an informal way and the process of learning second language through experience instead of remembering, memorizing and understanding the rules of the language. Indeed, learning second language through acquisition is the best because it is more exciting, can learn new word without being forced, and learners can learn a second

In our everyday lives, the origin of our ability to communicate is usually not often taken into consideration. One doesn't think about how every person has, or rather had at one time, an innate ability to learn a language to total fluency without a conscious effort – a feat that is seen by the scientific community "as one of the many utterly unexplainable mysteries that beset us in our daily lives" (3).. Other such mysteries include our body's ability to pump blood and take in oxygen constantly seemingly without thought, and a new mother's ability to unconsciously raise her body temperature when her infant is placed on her chest. But a child's first language acquisition is different from these

Little did I know that years later I would move to the United States of America. My husband an American with not much Spanish language saw in a local paper about the English Second Language (ESL) classes. He took me to the college where I took a test. The test to my surprise placed me at the intermediate level class. I started taking ESL classes 4 times a week.

For me, learning a language is a complicated process. It is different from learning other subjects. It involves a lot of practices and follow up. When I talk about my personal experience, I would say that I have a rich experience in learning English as a second language. English was taught to me for ten years starting from grade seven till graduation from university. After graduation, I felt that I should improve my language skills. Therefore, I did a lot of efforts personally to increase my fluency. Until now I still learn the language. Indeed, learning a language takes a lifetime.