First language acquisition

1. First language acquisition

2. The sequence of development of L1 • before the first words: listening, babbling, sounds; children can understand language before they speak it • small range of first words between 12 and 18 months • from the age of 2 - putting words together, move towards discovering the system ofL1 • early stages of L1 development - characterized by one and two-word utterances, described as telegraphic: e.g. mommy sock, more page • parents respond to telegraphic utterances: intuitively first fill out the telegraphic phraseand then address the meaning of what the child has said • by the age of 5: children have mastered basic grammar, able to use adult forms • good L1 foundation makes it easier for a child to acquire further languages

3. Children as active learners Children’s acquisition of verb inflections - evidence for their active contribution to the learning process: • before they master the regular past inflection (e.g. the ending on she walked), they produce a number of common irregular past forms, such as went and came • then comes a point where the child seems to regress: instead of the correct forms, he produces deviant utterances such as Where it goed? • at a deeper level – progress;mastery of the rule for forming the past tense, later awareness of exceptions

4. Superiority of comprehension over production Children (and also adults) understand more than they can actuallyproduce. A three-year old called herselfLitha. *Litha? *No, Litha, she maintained. Oh, Lisa. *Yes, Litha.”

5. The behaviorist approach Before the 1960s, the study of child language was dominated mainly by the behaviorist approach to language and learning (B.F. Skinner): Language is not a mental phenomenon: it is behavior. Like other forms of human behavior, it is learnt by a process of habit formation (imitation, reinforcement, repetition, conditioning).

6. Criticism of the behaviorist approach • Mistakes are seen as a faulty version of adult speech. • Language learning is seen as a mechanical activity. • Children imitate selectively. Child: Nobody don’t like me. Mother: No, say “nobody likes me”. Child: Nobody don’t like me. (repeated eight times) Mother: No, now listen carefully; say “nobody likes me”. Child: Oh! Nobody don’t likes me.

7. The nativist approach Children’s language is not simply being shaped by external forces: it is beingcreatively constructed by the children through interaction. Examples of children using language creatively: • overgeneralization: Mummy, I am hiccing up and I can’t stop. (perfectly sensible analogy to picking up/standing up … ) A Czech child (age 4y 10m): Já snáším zelenou.(opak k nesnáším) • creative use of words: Father: I’d like to propose a toast. Son, later: I’d like to propose a piece of bread. (the child is discovering the full/limited meaning of the word) A Czech child (age 4y 10m): další zítra (pozítří)

8. Task What are the implications of these ideas for the teaching of foreign languages? • sufficient exposure to the FL, allow pupils to listen before they are asked to speak • provide good models for imitation • teachers’ talk should resemble some features of parental talk: repetition, reasonable speed, expansion of simple utterances, rephrasing (= saying correctly what the child expressed incorrectly) • friendlier approach to mistakes (may be a sign of progress), lots of encouragement • use of non-verbal communication to support verbal messages

9. Assumptions about age and learning • Younger children learn languages better than older ones; children learn better than adults. • Foreign language learning in school should be started as early as possible. • Children and adults learn languages basically the same way. • Adults have a longer concentration span. • It is easier to interest and motivate children than adults.

10. 1. Younger children learn languages better than older ones. Common belief, probably based on knowing that children living in a foreign environment pick up the local language with great ease (lots of exposure and attention, “survival” motives – do not apply to formal language instruction). However, given the same amount of exposure to a FL, there is some evidence that the older children learn more effectively (with the exception of pronunciation); teenagers are probably overall the best learners (esp. better cognitive skills and self-discipline).

11. 2. Foreign language learning in schoolshould be started as early as possible. Critical period hypothesis – if you get too old and pass the age limit (approx. 13), you will have more difficulties learning a FL (no conclusive research evidence). The optimum age for starting effective L2 learning is about 10 → early L2 learning is not cost-effective, but leads to better long-term results if learning is maintained and reinforced.

12. 3. Children and adults learn languages basically the same way. Adults in a formal classroom situation: • logical thinking • developed learning skills and strategies • cooperative • disciplined • learn voluntarily, motivated

13. 4. Adults have a longer concentration span. The problem is not the concentration span itself – children will spend hours absorbed in activities which really interest them. Adults – can persevere with something of no immediate interest to them.

14. 5. It is easier to interest and motivate children than adults. Yes, in a way, e.g. by selecting interesting activities but you can also easily lose it (monotonous lessons, pointless activities). Young learner’s motivation is more likely to vary and is more susceptible to immediate surrounding influences; older learners tend to be more stable.