THE DEFINITIONS AND TERMS OF
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
A. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
1. Native Language & Target Language
NL is the first language a child learns. It is also called the primary language or the mother tongue.
Ex: The first language a child learns is Japanese. Japanese is his native language.
Target language: TL refers to the language being learned.
Ex: a person is learning English. English is his target language.
2. Foreign Language & Second Language
Both refer to the language that is learned after the native language has been learned. FL is usually learned in the environment of one’s native language while SL is usually learned in the environment in which that language is spoken. Sometimes L2 refers to third, fourth, and fifth l;anguage.
Ex: FL: Japanese learned by French people in France
SL: Japanese learned by French in Japan.
3. Positive transfer & Negative transfer
Positive transfer:
Also known as facilitation: transfer results in something correct
EX:
Negative transfer:
Also known a interference: transfer results in something incorrect.
Ex:
4. Retroactive inhibition & proactive inhibition
Both are referred to interference. Retroactive inhibition refers to where learning acts back on previous learned material, causing someone to forget (language loss ). Proactive inhibition refers to where a series of response already learned tends to appear in situations where a new set is required.
5. Strong view & weak view of CAH(Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis)
(predictive versus explanatory views; priori versus posteriori views)
Strong view: one could make predictions about learning and about the success of language-teaching materials based on the comparisons between two languages.
Weak view: Starts with the analysis of learners’ recurring errors. It came to be part of error analysis and gained credence largely due to the failure of predictive contrastive analysis.
6. Contrastive Analysis & Error analysis
Unlike contrastive analysis, the comparisons made is between the errors a learner makes in producing the TL and the TL form itself.
Similar to the weak contrastive analysis, both start from the learner production data.
7. Interlingual and intralingual error analysis
Interlingual errors are those that can be attributed to the NL (they involve cross-linguistic comparison)
Intralinguistic errors are those that are due to the language being learned, independent of the native language.
8. Naturalistic setting & Formal setting
a natural setting for L2 acquisition is one where the L2 is used normally for every day communication purpose.(ex, in the street or the work place.) In formal environments, L2 learners are encouraged to focus on the specific properties of L2 so that they will learn them.
(i.e. this types of learning takes place in the classroom)
9. Simplification & Overgeneralization
10. Overpredicts & Underpredicts
Overprediction and underprediction are two empirical problems with CAH. Overpredictsion mentions predicts of learner difficulties where none appear. Underprediction means not predicting many errors that do happen.
11. Mistake & Error
Mistake:
Random performance slip caused by fatigue, excitement, etc. Readily-self-corrected.
Error:
Systematic deviation by learners who haven’t yet mastered the rules. Difficult to correct.
B. IDENTIFICATION
1. Interlanguage:
The systematic knowledge of linguistic rules underlying L2 comprehension and production. Interlanguage is independent of the learner’s L1 and the target language.
It is developed in reaction to CAH
2. Fossilization:
The process whereby language development ceases despite continuous exposure and practice. Learners internalise grammatical rules which are different form those of the target language. They fail to reach native-like competence. Fossilization does not happen in L1.
3. Language transfer:
Language transfer refers to a psychological process whereby prior learning is carried over into a new learning situation. The learning of Task A will affect the subsequent learning of task B.
is the way of comparing similarities and differences among languages to determine potential errors. This helps decide what needs to be learned and what does not need to be learned in a second language learning situation.
5. Error analysis:
Is a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors learners make and attempts to explain them. The comparison is between the errors a learner makes in producing the TL and the TL form itself.
is interpreted as evidence for a “natural order” in SLA. It attempts to understand the nature of developmental sequences and claims that second language learners acquire in the same natural way as children learning their native language.
According to creative construction, SLA is “recreation”. The learners “create” the L2 in a manner analogous to the L1. Children gradually reconstruct rules for speech they hear to formulate certain hypotheses about L2
8. Bilingualism:
Ability to speak two languages; the habitual use of two languages colloquially.
Ex:
9.Multilingualism:
the ability to speak many languages; the use of many languages
10. Cognition
The action of knowing; knowledge, consciousness; acquaintance with a subject
11. SLA theory
The theory that explains the process of learning and teaching a second language, the naturalistic or formal language setting, individual differences among learners and L1 influence.
This view is developed by Skinner. According to this view, language knowledge is a set of associative links. It is learned through imitation and habit formation via general cognitive capacities.
This view is developed by Chomsky. According to this view, language knowledge is biologically programmed. Language is learned as other biologically triggered behaviours like learning to walk. Language is an innate ability,distinct from other cognitive capacities.
This view is developed by Piaget. According to this view, language is like other type of higher order, like maths and music. Language knowledge develops as the result of the complex interplay between uniquely human characteristics of a child and the environment in which the child develops.
interactive language learning
pertaining to both listening and speaking
15. Remediation
The action of remedying, esp. the giving of remedial teaching
16. Avoidance:
strategic use of alternative strategies to avoid difficult forms.Ex: japanese learners avoid the use of relative clauses in English writing.
abstract knowledge of language that constrains the shape of grammatical rules of a language. UG consists of principles and parameters that govern the form grammatical rules can take.
17. Critical period Hypothesis in L2:
This states that there is a period (normally around puberty) during which a learner can acquire L2 easily and achieve native-speaker competence. After this period, L2 acquisition becomes more difficult and is rarely entirely successful.
18. Language Acquisition Device: LAD:
a learner is credited with a language acquisition device, which directs the process of acquisition. This device contains information about the possible form that the grammar of any language can take.
Learning serves as a monitor on output that is initiated by the “acquired system”. Monitor acts as a sort of editor that is consciously controlled and make changes in the form of utterance produced by acquisition. The implication for teaching of The Monitor Hypothesis is the focus on communication, not on rule-learning. The monitor is only used when three conditions are met. 1). Enough time available.2) focus on form.3) knowledge of rule.
L2 learners acquire grammatical structures in a predictable order. This natural order is presumed to be the result of the acquired system, operating free from conscious grammar or the Monitor.
The principle source of evidence for natural order is “ morpheme order studies”.
Humans acquire language in only one way-by understanding messages or receiving comprehensible knowledge. Learners move from i, their current level to i+1, the next level along the natural order, by understanding i+1.
CI is receptive language that is slightly ahead the learner’s current state of grammatical knowledge referred to as “i＋1”. Thanks to input, learners’ speech emerges and grammatical knowledge is automatically provided by input that is comprehensible and of sufficient quantity.
23. The affective filter hypothesis:
There is an affective filter that subconsciously screens incoming language based on learners’ motives, needs, attitudes and emotional states. The AFH is outside the LAD proper. The affective filter acts as a barrier to acquisition: If the filter is “up”, the input is blocked and it doesn’t reach the LAD but If the filter is “ down”, the input reaches the LAD and become acquired competence.
The adults have two independent ways of developing competence in L2. Acquisition is unconscious process similar to Chomsky’s LAD and learning is conscious knowledge of L2, knowing , being aware, and being able to articulate the rules. Also, there are two key claims that leaning cannot become acquisition and adults can access same LAD as children.
25.Principles and parameter approach
According to this approach, UG consists of a highly structured and restrictive system of principles with certain open parameters, to be fixed by experience.
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. Formal instruction:
Attempt to focus learners’ attention on specific properties of the L2 so that they will learn them.
27. Language transfer:
is the influence resulting from similarities and differences between the target language and any other language that has been learned previously.
28. Parameter:
some universal principles that differ in the way they work form language to language. Parameters account for cross-linguistic variation.
29.C-command
A category a c-commands another category b if and only if the first branching node dominating a also dominating b.
30. Fundamental Difference Hypothesis
There are fundamental differences between child and adult language acquisition: I t assumes that the nature of differences is internal, linguistic, and qualitative. First language development is controlled by an innate language acquisition system that no longer operates adults. Adult language learning resembles general adult learning bymeans of general problem –solving acquisition system.
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