First language acquisition

Language Acquisition

Dr. K. Lakehal-AyatMentouri University Constantine

Concerned with the relationship between language and the mind.

Different from sociolinguistics (focus on the social dimension of language).

It explores the psychological processes involved in using the language.

It asks how we store words and syntactic structures in the brain, what processes of memory are involved and how we understand and produce speech.

These are all of great importance when it comes to understanding language disorders.

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Psycholinguistics

Two developments shook psychologists out of their indifference:

Psychologists felt that they had to join with linguists in resolving the conflict between our genetic and our social heritage. Psycholinguists are interested in the acquisition of language: with how children learn (the learning of a child's first language, learning a second language, etc.).

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

The scientific description provided by linguists claiming that language was rule-governed,

The increasing awareness of universals

To what extent are humans programmed from birth to

acquire language?

Is there such a thing as a language gene?

Or do we have a general cognitive, or mental, ability

that enables us to pick a language quickly?

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

QUESTIONS RAISED BY LINGUISTS

We know that all children learn the language of the community they live in.

But they do that in a remarkably short period of time.

They arrive at the same grammar, even though the sample of language that each child is exposed to is necessarily different, and regardless of how much teaching or training they get from their parents.

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

How do children acquire their Language?

How do children acquire their language in such a short time?

What course does this activity take? What is the role of the environment in

language acquisition? Is the child pre-disposed to language

learning? This has given rise to a number of theories

to account for language acquisition.

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

How do children acquire their Language?

But although these theories exhibit a wide range of differences, the facts of language acquisition remain the same. It takes place largely before the child is 5 years old; no child fails to learn a language; and language acquisition is carried out in much the same way.

Cooing and Babbling

First Words

Two-Word Stage

The Hierarchical Stage

Stages of Language Development

/u/, /i/, ba-ba-baga-ga-ga

Cat, milk, cup, cookieBaby chair/

Bye Daddy/ Cat bad/ Baby

sleepMommy eat

cookie

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Negations

One Word Stage

Early Multi-word Stage

Later Multi-word Stage

No/allgone

No eat/no sit down

There no milk/he not big

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Yes/no Questions One-Word Stage Early Multi-word

Stage Later Multi-Word

Stage 1 Later Multi-Word

Stage 2

Wh-questions One-Word Stage Early Multi-word

Stage Later Multi-Word

Stage 1 Later Multi-Word

Stage 2

Questions

Intonation and/or Context

That mine? See baby?

Where Daddy go? What dat?

She not play? Dolly go boom?

Why Mommy go? Why kitty sleep?

Can’t you get it? Did you see him?

Why doggie run? What he can do?

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Phonology

Morphology

Syntax

Semantics

The Acquisition Process

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Phonology

Early age

10-12 months

Later

Babbling (trying various sounds)

Sounds the baby hears from

the adults around him

On-going process of simplification

Comprehension ≠

Production

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Acquisition starts early. Overgeneralization

Child: I taked a cookieFather: You mean you took a cookieChild: Yes, I taked a cookie

Morphology Affixes and function

words are lacking

-ing before -s

Mans/goed/

breaked

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

HolophrasesWord order (semantic relation)

Syntax

One- word sentences

One sentence

Baby sleepSit chair

Mommy bookDaddy hat

Kick ballTeddy bed

Car redThis shoe

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Starts around 1 year Never ending process 6 years → 14000 words Semantic overgeneralization or overextension

Semantics

Doggie

Dogs

Cows

Sheep

Horses

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

The Brain

LANGUAGE

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Hemishperes

Left side of the body

Right side of the body

Left Hemisphere

Broca’s Area Wernicke’s

Area

Damage to this specific part of the brain was related to extreme difficulty

in producing speech

Damage to this part of the brain was found among patients who had speech

comprehension difficulties

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

That the two brain hemispheres are responsible for different cognitive functions and that they do not copy each other.

The Lateralization Theory

Lateralization is the specialization of the two hemispheres for different functions.

People suffering from some damage to the left hemisphere experience aphasia.

Acquired inability to speak, perceive,

or process language

This and other pieces of evidence support the hypothesis that language is lateralized.

I eggs and eat and drink coffee

breakfast

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

The Critical Period

Language acquisition takes place at the same period of development of the brain lateralization and ends when lateralization is complete.It becomes more difficult to learn a language after one passes this critical period.

Controversy: for some that it is connected with the cognitive development and maturation of the child, whereas others suggest different factors that make it easier for children to learn a language at an early age.

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010

Lenneberg situates this period from the age of 2 to puberty. Krashen suggested a much earlier stage: 5.

Children should be

exposed to language

If not, impossib

le to learn a

language later

Genie

Conclusion

Dr. K. Lakehal-Ayat M.U.C. 2010