First and Second Language Acquisition

First Language Acquisition

Language development and acquisition begins at a very young age in children. A person begins learning language by mimicry, as it is spoken, then later moves from simple to complex. All of us start life without language, but by the time we are four months old most babies discriminate speech sounds. Baby talk, or babbling, might not sound like language to us, but it is the way we learn to speak.

Language usually begins by simple words associated with things or faces, but as babies grow into toddlers the words gain meaning and they are connected with the words formed. As we grow we create new associations to words and vocabulary increases as we learn new words.

It is said that babies can distinguish speech patterns of their mothers voice even before they are born. Pre-verbal vocalizations are used after birth, and that leads to learning their first language from parents or caretakers without conscious instruction. 

Not all linguists agree on the exact way language is learned but most agree that biological, environmental, and social influences affect language acquisition and it is unique to humans. To speak requires a vocal apparatus as well as a nervous system with specific capabilities. Some say that the slow development of the prefrontal cortex in humans allows us to learn language. Social interaction with people who vocalize is crucial for developing language.

Second Language Acquisition

This is a process where people learn a second language not their native language.  The term bilingual usually refers to someone speaking more than one language, but some experts say it is only achieved by growing up naturally speaking both languages even if one is dominant. Not many who learn to speak a second language speak as a true native speaker. Heritage speakers learn two languages as they grow and even if not completely fluent in one language, they still have an advantage over monolinguals or second language speakers as far as language acquisition goes. This is a big argument in teaching a child a second language at the earliest age possible.

The order in which a second language is acquired is roughly similar to that of a first language although not as stable, due in part to the mental process or language transfer. This is the process of using what you know of your first language and applying the rules to a second or third language. At all levels, transfer is an important factor in learning another language. Receiving input, interacting, and meaningful output allows the learner to begin the process of acquiring a new language.  How a person analyses or connects sentences for meaning plays a roll in how they learn another language. A gradual process of learning is similar to learning other cognitive skills. 

Storage of a second language influences how it is learned.  In other words if a person has a good short-term memory they are better at learning and organizing a new language quickly. This helps to show why some people have more aptitude for learning second languages than others, but does not mean the others con not learn.

There are also learning and communicating strategies in learning a second language. Communicative strategies may not affect the learning strategies, but the learning strategies do seem to affect the way we communicate in a second language.  If the process of learning a second language is a positive one, it motivates a learner to use it more often and in turn they acquire a second language quicker and with more proficiency.