Applied linguistics first language acquisition

EDUC. 564 Applied LinguisticsDr. Philip Murray Finley

Similar among children all over the world(predicable patterns in the L1 development)

1.Pretalking Stage (0-6 months) :crying, cooing, grunts, laughter Example: http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kuOt4kZUn0

2.Babbling (6-8 yells, squeals, repeated consonant + vowel sequences

(bababa, nanana)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJzVZvMPkAI

3. Holophrastic (9-18 months) : one word communication Example: “up!” (pick me up) http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2EertzeHjM

4. Two word (18-24 months) “mini-sentences" with simple semantic relations Example: “Mommy work” (Mommy is at work) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJzVZvMPkAI

5. Telegraphic Stage (24- 30 months)early multiword stage Example: http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrRKLHq25UA

6. Later Multiword Stageage 5 - utterances 4.6 words per sentence age 6 - about 13,000 words.age 8 -about 28,300 words

Audio lingual Method

Information Processing

Stephen Krashen’sHypothesis

Language learning is the result of 1) imitation (word-for-word repetition), 2) practice (repetitive manipulation of form), 3) feedback on success (positive reinforcement), and 4) habit formation.

Goal- acquisition of structures and patterns in dialogue

Characteristics:◦ Drills are used to teach structural patterns◦ Set phrases are memorized with a focus on intonation◦ Grammatical explanations are kept to a minimum◦ Vocabulary is taught in context◦ Audio-visual aids are used◦ Focus is on pronunciation◦ Correct responses are positively reinforced immediately

Chomsky language acquisition is an innate structure of the human brain◦ Environment contributes◦ Language Acquisition Device –LAD (neurological

wiring) allows a child to listen to a language decipher the

rules create with the language

Universal grammar- principles which are universal to all human languages

Brain-the basic structures to learn any language

contains

Piaget Language is dependent upon cognitive development.◦ “children’s cognitive development determines their

language development”

Vygotsky Language develops primarily from social interaction

o Zone of proximal development (ZPD): a supportive interactive environment permits children to reach a higher level of knowledge than s/he would be able to do independently

Information processing theories focus on how people:

◦ attend to environmental events◦ encode information to be learned and relate

it to knowledge in memory◦ store new knowledge in memory◦ retrieve it as needed

retrievalencoding

attention

sensory input

responses

HypothesisHypothesis

Language Learning in Early Childhood◦ www2.nkfust.edu.tw/.../SLA/ppt/1_Learning_a_First_Language

_new.ppt Module 5 Lesson 5.3 First Language Acquisition◦ http://

emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/hurley/Ling102web/mod5_Llearning/5mod5.3_acquisition.htm Escamilla, Kathy & Grassi, Elizabeth. A Brief

Description of Second Language Acquisition (2000). ◦ http://

www.wce.wwu.edu/Resources/CIRCLE/Articles/SLA%20Escamilla%2BGrassi.pdf