Age and Acquisition

1. In your opinion which 3 of the 7 myths are of importance to dispel? Why?

• Imitation: It tells that a child imitates everything. I think this is important to dispel because if a child would learn by imitation he only would learn simply speech.

• Speech development: It is related to the natural order myth; it tells that a child first develops listening, then speaking, then reading, then writing. I think this is a myth because people can learn according to their skills. They can read first and then listen.

• Translation: It tells that children shouldn’t translate words. This isn’t true because children do not know many words in their first language, it is more complicated to understand a second language if they do not relate it to their first language.

2. Refer and explain 3 out of the 5 topics from the cognitive psychologist Ausubel.

·         Adult learning a foreign language could, with their full cognitive capacities, benefit from deductive presentations of grammar: It means that an adult has the mental capacity of think about the rules and make his own conclusions.

·         The native language of the learner is not just an interfering factor-it can facilitate learning a second language: It means that if the L1 and L2 are similar the learner would be benefit by those rules or sounds (Positive transfer)

·         Students could be overwhelmed by language spoken at its “natural speed”, and they, like children, could benefit from more deliberative speech from the teacher: It means that for students it is difficult to understand a language by its native speakers because they speak so fast. In the other hand, the teacher always uses simply forms, and provides the students comprehensible input.

3. Explain the possible comparisons and contrasts between children and adult acquisition.

There are three types of comparisons and contrast:

1.       - First and second language acquisition in children, holding age constant: One is manipulating the language variable. However it is important to remember that a 2 year old and an 11 year old exhibit vast cognitive, affective and physical differences.

2. - Second language acquisition in children and adults, holding second language acquisition constant: One is holding language constant and manipulating the differences between children and adults. Some comparisons are the most fruitful in yielding analogies for adult second language classroom instructions.

3. - Firsts language acquisition in children and second language acquisition in adults: This comparison manipulates both variables. _Such comparison must be made only with extreme caution because of the enormous cognitive, affective and physical differences between children and adults.

4. Refer to the CPH according to: Lenneberg (1967) and Bickerton (1981) “The over the hill possibility”

Lenneberg (1967) and Bickerton (1981) made strong statements in favor of a critical period before which and after which certain abilities do not develop. They claimed that the critical period is such a biological timetable. They also argued that it is a period of life when language can be acquired more easily. By the age of 12 or 13 you are “over the hill” when it comes to the possibility of successful second language learning (the role of accents as a component of success)

5. Discuss three points about the hemispheric lateralization.

Left hemisphere seems to control intellectual, logical and analytic functions including language functions, while right hemisphere controls functions related to emotional and social needs. According to Thomas Scovel, this lateralization can be applied to the second language acquisition.

6. What do we mean by biological accent-related 

Thomas Scovel cited evidence for a sociobiological critical period in various species of mammals and birds. He concluded that human beings’ native accents may be genetics left-over just like animals.  Walsh and Diller concluded that different aspects of a second language and learned optimally at different ages: Lower-order processes are dependent on early maturing and less adaptive macro neural circuits, while higher-order language functions are more dependent on late mature neural circuits. 

7. What is the role of the right hemisphere in learning a L2? 

Olbers noted in second language learning, there is significant right hemisphere participation especially at early stages. Genesee concluded that there may be greater right hemisphere involvement in language processing in bilinguals who acquire their language late relative to their first language and in bilinguals.

Interlanguage

1. - Explain the five central processes with your own words.

•  Language transfer: This process occur in our IL performance and it is modified by our NL, the fossilizable items, rules and subsystems

•  Transfer of training: They are the result of identifiable items in training procedures

• Strategies of second language learning: If they are the result of an identifiable approach by the learner to the material to be learned.

•  Strategies of second language communication: They are the result of identifiable approach of the learner to communication with native speakers of TL.

•  Overgeneralization of TL linguistics material: They are a result of a clear overgeneralization of TL rules and semantic features.

2.- Which of these processes can be apply to you in terms of your L2 acquisition?.

The two process that can be apply in our L2 acquisition are Language transfer and Transfer of training.

3.-Which aspects have you fossilized?.

Grammatical aspects (rules, false cognates).

True or false (justify the false)

a)     __F__ Unsuccessful second language learning refers to the generalization problem.

The generalization problem is found not only in second language but first language too.

b)     __F__Storage refers to the process of recalling information that is stored in memory. 

 Retrieval In psychology, retrieval refers to the process of recalling information that is stored in memory, and storage refers to the process of storing information in the brain, those are mental processes.

c)      __T__Some conditions that affect in the process of learning a new language are anxiety, shifting attention and second language performance. 

d)     __T__Fossilization can not be reversible.

Input, Interaction and Second Language Acquisition

1.- How exactly does acquisition take place?

Acquisition takes place through exposure. Krashen also proposes that comprehensible input helps acquisition to take place.

2.- Which conversational tactics are used in a Native Speaker – Non Native speaker talks?

The Native Speaker-Non Native Speaker was much more likely to make use conversational tactics such as repetitions, confirmation checks, comprehension checks or clarification request.

 

3.Why is output  important  in  second language acquisition?

  Swain proposes three further functions for learner output: 

1.- The ‘noticing/triggering’ function, or what might be referred to as the consciousness-raising role. 

 2.-The hypothesis-testing function. 

 3.-The metalinguistic function, or what might be referred to as its ‘reflective role.’

 

4.Why is the reflective role of output important? 

The reflective role of output is important because the speaker realizes about the mistakes and corrects himself. 


Match the teacher’s behaviour with the proper correction technique:

žA: Ignore the mistake.

žB: Use finger correction.

žC: Draw a time line on the board.

1.- You are working with a class of ten-year-old who are doing a fluency activity. One of the learners is talking to the class about her pet. She says: ‘My rabbit eat lettuce.’ You let her continue talking.

___A___

2.- You are doing a controlled practise activity. One of the learners says: ‘I have been working last week.’ You show her a diagram.

___C___

3.- You are focusing on spoken language and the use of contractions. A learner says: ‘I’m going swimming tomorrow.’ You want to show him where the mistake is. You use your hand.

___B___

Second Language Acquisition by Yule

1. What is the difference between the terms ACQUISITION and LEARNING?

• ACQUISITION: Subconscious process, implicit, informal, natural learning; “picking-up a language”

• LEARNING: Conscious knowledge of a second language; knowing the rules; “knowing about” a language; explicit learning, grammar. 

2. Why is motivation important for L2 students?

Motivation is important because it is related to the affective filter hypothesis; that helps students to be interested in the L2, and thus they would acquire it. It also activates the Language acquisition device.

3. Why might foreign talk be beneficial?

Foreign talk is a variety of speech which is simpler in structure and vocabulary. It might be beneficial because we receive comprehensible input.

4. What is communicative competence?

Communicative Competence is the level of proficiency en second language acquisition

There are three types of communicative competence:

• ·Grammatical competence:  It evolves the accurate use of words and structures in the L2

• ·Sociolinguistic Competence: It enables the learner to discriminate the social context.

• · Strategic competence: This is the ability to organize a message affectively and to compensate via strategies, for any difficulties (monitor)

5. What is Positive and Negative Transfer?

Positive transfer: If L1 and L2 have similar characteristics, the learner may be able to benefit from the positive transfer of L1 knowledge.

Negative transfer: L1 and L2 are too different, and it is not affective for L2 communication.

Grammar Translation Method	Audio-lingual Method	Communicative  Competence
Grammatical rules	Spoken language	Creation of communicative experience