Linguistics

Monday, May 14th, 2012
Maria Jose Rodas
Applied Linguistics School: 7th level
Teaching to Adolescents and Adults
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Introduction
* Second language acquisition iswhen someone acquires one or more second languages.
* Learners can acquire the second language in the context (informal way) or in a classroom (formal).
* Researchers take into account thestages learners follow, the mental processes and the environmental factors involved in the acquisition of a second language
Background
* The native language influences in the acquisition of thesecond language. So, there is interference between L1 and L2 due to errors can occur. For example: Spanish learners could confuse some words that are similar in Spanish but these words don’t have the samemeaning in English like “actually” which means “in fact” but Spanish learners could think it is “nowadays”
* These errors are known as negative transfer of the L1 rule to the L2. But when rulesare similar in both languages, positive transfer is made.
* Comparing two languages could help learners to acquire a second language
* Behaviorists believe that habits acquired byindividuals in the L1 could influence on their second language acquisition.
* According to other research, errors are part of the learning process.
* Learners pass through different stages to acquire orlearn the 2nd language. Each stage is like an interlanguage or interim language.

RESEARCH
Product-oriented research

* To learn a second language people follow some stages, process and order* Learners of a second language will tend to use some of their native structures in the second language.
* The 2nd language acquisition equals first language acquisition: in the same waychildren organize and make generalizations about rules and structures they hear in their native language, happen in the acquisition or learning of 2nd language. It means the errors made by children in...