presentation on language acquisition

Language Acquisition Theory

Henna Lemetyinen

Postdoctoral Researcher

BSc (Hons), Psychology, PhD, Developmental Psychology

Henna Lemetyinen is a postdoctoral research associate at the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH).

Learn about our Editorial Process

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, Ph.D., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years experience of working in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Language is a cognition that truly makes us human. Whereas other species do communicate with an innate ability to produce a limited number of meaningful vocalizations (e.g., bonobos) or even with partially learned systems (e.g., bird songs), there is no other species known to date that can express infinite ideas (sentences) with a limited set of symbols (speech sounds and words).

This ability is remarkable in itself. What makes it even more remarkable is that researchers are finding evidence for mastery of this complex skill in increasingly younger children.

Infants as young as 12 months are reported to have sensitivity to the grammar needed to understand causative sentences (who did what to whom; e.g., the bunny pushed the frog (Rowland & Noble, 2010).

After more than 60 years of research into child language development, the mechanism that enables children to segment syllables and words out of the strings of sounds they hear and to acquire grammar to understand and produce language is still quite an enigma.

Behaviorist Theory of Language Acquisition

One of the earliest scientific explanations of language acquisition was provided by Skinner (1957). As one of the pioneers of behaviorism , he accounted for language development using environmental influence, through imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning.

In this view, children learn words and grammar primarily by mimicking the speech they hear and receiving positive feedback for correct usage.

Skinner argued that children learn language based on behaviorist reinforcement principles by associating words with meanings. Correct utterances are positively reinforced when the child realizes the communicative value of words and phrases.

For example, when the child says ‘milk’ and the mother smiles and gives her some. As a result, the child will find this outcome rewarding, enhancing the child’s language development (Ambridge & Lieven, 2011).

Over time, through repetition and reinforcement, they refine their linguistic abilities. Critics argue this theory doesn’t fully explain the rapid pace of language acquisition nor the creation of novel sentences.

Chomsky Theory of Language Development

However, Skinner’s account was soon heavily criticized by Noam Chomsky, the world’s most famous linguist to date.

In the spirit of the cognitive revolution in the 1950s, Chomsky argued that children would never acquire the tools needed for processing an infinite number of sentences if the language acquisition mechanism was dependent on language input alone.

Noam Chomsky introduced the nativist theory of language development, emphasizing the role of innate structures and mechanisms in the human brain. Key points of Chomsky’s theory include:

Language Acquisition Device (LAD): Chomsky proposed that humans have an inborn biological capacity for language, often termed the LAD, which predisposes them to acquire language.

Universal Grammar: He suggested that all human languages share a deep structure rooted in a set of grammatical rules and categories. This “universal grammar” is understood intuitively by all humans.

Poverty of the Stimulus: Chomsky argued that the linguistic input received by young children is often insufficient (or “impoverished”) for them to learn the complexities of their native language solely through imitation or reinforcement. Yet, children rapidly and consistently master their native language, pointing to inherent cognitive structures.

Critical Period: Chomsky, along with other linguists, posited a critical period for language acquisition, during which the brain is particularly receptive to linguistic input, making language learning more efficient.

Critics of Chomsky’s theory argue that it’s too innatist and doesn’t give enough weight to social interaction and other factors in language acquisition.

Universal Grammar

Consequently, he proposed the theory of Universal Grammar: an idea of innate, biological grammatical categories, such as a noun category and a verb category, that facilitate the entire language development in children and overall language processing in adults.

Universal Grammar contains all the grammatical information needed to combine these categories, e.g., nouns and verbs, into phrases. The child’s task is just to learn the words of her language (Ambridge & Lieven).

For example, according to the Universal Grammar account, children instinctively know how to combine a noun (e.g., a boy) and a verb (to eat) into a meaningful, correct phrase (A boy eats).

This Chomskian (1965) approach to language acquisition has inspired hundreds of scholars to investigate the nature of these assumed grammatical categories, and the research is still ongoing.

Contemporary Research

A decade or two later, some psycho-linguists began to question the existence of Universal Grammar. They argued that categories like nouns and verbs are biologically, evolutionarily, and psychologically implausible and that the field called for an account that can explain the acquisition process without innate categories.

Researchers started to suggest that instead of having a language-specific mechanism for language processing, children might utilize general cognitive and learning principles.

Whereas researchers approaching the language acquisition problem from the perspective of Universal Grammar argue for early full productivity, i.e., early adult-like knowledge of the language, the opposing constructivist investigators argue for a more gradual developmental process. It is suggested that children are sensitive to patterns in language which enables the acquisition process.

An example of this gradual pattern learning is morphology acquisition. Morphemes are the smallest grammatical markers, or units, in language that alter words. In English, regular plurals are marked with an –s morpheme (e.g., dog+s).

Similarly, English third singular verb forms (she eat+s, a boy kick+s) are marked with the –s morpheme. Children are considered to acquire their first instances of third singular forms as entire phrasal chunks (Daddy kicks, a girl eats, a dog barks) without the ability to tease the finest grammatical components apart.

When the child hears a sufficient number of instances of a linguistic construction (i.e., the third singular verb form), she will detect patterns across the utterances she has heard. In this case, the repeated pattern is the –s marker in this particular verb form.

As a result of many repetitions and examples of the –s marker in different verbs, the child will acquire sophisticated knowledge that, in English, verbs must be marked with an –s morpheme in the third singular form (Ambridge & Lieven, 2011; Pine, Conti-Ramsden, Joseph, Lieven & Serratrice, 2008; Theakson & Lieven, 2005).

Approaching language acquisition from the perspective of general cognitive processing is an economic account of how children can learn their first language without an excessive biolinguistic mechanism.

However, finding a solid answer to the problem of language acquisition is far from being over. Our current understanding of the developmental process is still immature.

Investigators of Universal Grammar are still trying to convince that language is a task too demanding to acquire without specific innate equipment, whereas constructivist researchers are fiercely arguing for the importance of linguistic input.

The biggest questions, however, are yet unanswered. What is the exact process that transforms the child’s utterances into grammatically correct, adult-like speech? How much does the child need to be exposed to language to achieve the adult-like state?

What account can explain variation between languages and the language acquisition process in children acquiring very different languages to English? The mystery of language acquisition is granted to keep psychologists and linguists alike astonished decade after decade.

What is language acquisition?

Language acquisition refers to the process by which individuals learn and develop their native or second language.

It involves the acquisition of grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills through exposure, interaction, and cognitive development. This process typically occurs in childhood but can continue throughout life.

What is Skinner’s theory of language development?

Skinner’s theory of language development, also known as behaviorist theory, suggests that language is acquired through operant conditioning. According to Skinner, children learn language by imitating and being reinforced for correct responses.

He argued that language is a result of external stimuli and reinforcement, emphasizing the role of the environment in shaping linguistic behavior.

What is Chomsky’s theory of language acquisition?

Chomsky’s theory of language acquisition, known as Universal Grammar, posits that language is an innate capacity of humans.

According to Chomsky, children are born with a language acquisition device (LAD), a biological ability that enables them to acquire language rules and structures effortlessly.

He argues that there are universal grammar principles that guide language development across cultures and languages, suggesting that language acquisition is driven by innate linguistic knowledge rather than solely by environmental factors.

Ambridge, B., & Lieven, E.V.M. (2011). Language Acquisition: Contrasting theoretical approaches . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of Syntax . MIT Press.

Pine, J.M., Conti-Ramsden, G., Joseph, K.L., Lieven, E.V.M., & Serratrice, L. (2008). Tense over time: testing the Agreement/Tense Omission Model as an account of the pattern of tense-marking provision in early child English. Journal of Child Language , 35(1): 55-75.

Rowland, C. F.; & Noble, C. L. (2010). The role of syntactic structure in children’s sentence comprehension: Evidence from the dative. Language Learning and Development , 7(1): 55-75.

Skinner, B.F. (1957). Verbal behavior . Acton, MA: Copley Publishing Group.

Theakston, A.L., & Lieven, E.V.M. (2005). The acquisition of auxiliaries BE and HAVE: an elicitation study. Journal of Child Language , 32(2): 587-616.

Further Reading

An excellent article by Steven Pinker on Language Acquisition

Pinker, S. (1995). The New Science of Language and Mind . Penguin.

Tomasello, M. (2005). Constructing A Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition . Harvard University Press.

• Professional Development UPCOMING PROGRAMS Summer Institutes for Teachers Upcoming Conferences Presentations & Workshops PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Advanced Practices Certificate CARLA Fellow Program RESOURCES & ARCHIVES Conference Organizing & Publishing Resources Presentation Recordings Conference Archives
• Publications CARLA Publications & Working Papers CARLA Bibliography Literacies in Language Education
• About CARLA CENTER INFORMATION Mission A Language Resource Center Funding History CARLA Update CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Us Mailing List Subscription CARLA Staff & Faculty OTHER INFORMATION Employment Opportunities Request Copyright Permission Document Use of CARLA Material
• UPCOMING PROGRAMS
• Summer Institutes for Teachers
• Upcoming Conferences
• Presentations, Workshops, and Special Events
• PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
• Advanced Practices Certificate
• CARLA Fellow Program
• RESOURCES & ARCHIVES
• Conference Organizing & Publishing Resources
• Presentation Recordings and Slides
• Photo Archives
• Conference Archives

Presentations and Workshops

CARLA sponsors a series of presentations and workshops during the academic year that are targeted at language educators. See the presentations below and click on the workshops tab to see what is currently offered.

• Presentations

CARLA Presentation Series

The Winter/Spring 2024 presentations can be found below.

All presentations and webinars are offered online unless otherwise noted. Times listed are in the U.S. Central Time Zone. Please note that the start times vary.

• Adopting Scenarios as a Mechanism for Measuring L2 Fluency Thursday, March 28, 2024 12:00–1:00 p.m.
• Student Experiences of Gender-Inclusive Language in the Spanish Undergraduate Classroom Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:00–1:00 p.m.

CARLA FELLOW PRESENTATION

Adopting Scenarios as a Mechanism for Measuring L2 Fluency

Thursday, March 28, 2024 12:00–1:00 p.m. ( Central Time ) Register for the Zoom link

Fluency is a crucial aspect of foreign and second language (L2) oral proficiency, often assessed through speaking examinations, playing a vital role in determining an L2 user's competence. However, there is a disparity in defining fluency, ranging from narrow to broad perspectives, influencing how oral proficiency is evaluated. Most tests employ presentational tasks, lacking authenticity and deemed insufficient for realistic assessments, leading to a call for alternatives. Scenarios (Di Pietro, 1994), conceptualized as situations fostering strategic interaction for language learning, emerge as an alternative for fluency assessment, providing a realistic evaluation method. This proposed mechanism aligns with the need for oral tests adhering to authenticity, interactivity, and practicality, as suggested by Bachman and Palmer (1996), offering a more accurate performance evaluation for language users in authentic situations.

Presenter Leiry Warren is a PhD student in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies where she teaches undergraduate Spanish courses. Her research interests include second language acquisition, oral fluency assessments, sociocultural theory, metacognition in language learning, the use of scenarios (Di Pietro, 1994), and language policy. She was selected to be a CARLA Fellow for 2023–2024.

Student Experiences of Gender-Inclusive Language in the Spanish Undergraduate Classroom

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:00–1:00 p.m. ( Central Time ) Register for the Zoom link

Even though Spanish conventionally has a binary grammatical gender system (i.e., masculine and feminine), various approaches have been taken in recent years to achieve a more equal linguistic representation of all genders (e.g., using both male and feminine at once such as “todos y todas” or adopting a new morpheme that is not associated with the traditional binary genders, as in “latinx” or “todes” instead of “latino” or “todos”). However, the gender-inclusive forms are yet to be accepted by many native speakers. Not unexpectedly, students who study Spanish as a foreign language are still unlikely to be exposed to gender-inclusive varieties (Morales-Vidal & Cassany 2020).

The Inclusive Language Instruction Research Group (LangIn) surveyed and interviewed undergraduate students of Spanish at the University of Minnesota about their experiences with and opinions of gender-inclusive language to examine how students learn and understand gender expressions and inclusivity in the language classroom. Furthermore, the study seeks to contribute to the creation of gender-inclusive classroom environments by articulating what kind of gender-related topics, materials, and pedagogy are desired by students themselves.

Presenters Camille Braun is a PhD candidate in Hispanic Literature and Culture in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Minnesota. Her research explores artistic narratives which center the voices and expertise of people who use drugs in contemporary Spain. Fernando González Lesniak is a Ph.D candidate in Curriculum and Instruction specializing in Second Language Education at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include acoustic phonetics, teacher education, translanguaging, social justice and gender-just pedagogies. Yoko Hama is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Minnesota. Their research interests include sociolinguistics, translanguaging, language and identity, especially in the context of Asian diaspora communities in Spanish-speaking countries. Jacky James is a graduate student in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Minnesota. Their research interests include language contact and language change, specifically involving inclusive language. James Ramsburg is a PhD candidate in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on identifying and explaining dialectal variation, especially in the lexicon and morphosyntax. Alejandra Takahira is a PhD student in Spanish and Portuguese literature at the University of Minnesota. She researches contemporary women authors of Asian ancestry in Latin America, and also works with contemporary cinema, feminist theory and race in Latin America.

This study was funded by a Gender Equity Grant from the Women's Center at the University of Minnesota.

Past Presentations

• Many of CARLA's past presentations have been recorded and posted on the Presentation Recordings webpage.
• Browse the full list of previous talks offered through the CARLA Presentation Series.

Please note: We encourage you to submit ideas for topics and speakers; email Karin Larson at [email protected] . Thank you for your support of this program!

Workshops For Teachers

Please note: Online workshop registration will be turned off at 4 p.m. on the Thursday before the Saturday of each workshop.  Register early!

CARLA offers a series of online Saturday workshops for language educators each fall and spring. The Winter/Spring 2024 workshops can be found below.

These low-cost workshops are designed with the practitioner in mind. All presentations and webinars are offered online unless otherwise noted. Times listed are in the U.S. Central Time Zone. Please make sure to read the target audience description before registering and review CARLA's refund policy below.

• Youth Participatory Action Research Saturday, March 2, 2024 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Youth Participatory Action Research

Saturday, March 2, 2024 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ( Central Time ) Cost $30 Register with a credit card

In this workshop participants will explore Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and learn how YPAR can create an environment for empowering student language use while connecting learners to transformation and change in their own communities. Using examples from Spanish and Hmong heritage language classrooms, participants will be introduced to the basic framework of doing YPAR, and things to consider when doing YPAR in classrooms and schools. The presenters will also share stories and examples of doing YPAR from start to finish, highlighting language objectives, intercultural communication strategies, and key things to consider along the way. 

After this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe the key components of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) ;
• Identify whether YPAR is a good fit for their context of language teaching, learning, and reclamation ;
• Find and adapt lesson plans and materials for doing YPAR with learners ; and
• W ork with others to design YPAR into their language teaching and relationships with young people.

Instructors Jenna Cushing-Leubner is an Associate Professor of Heritage/World Language, Bilingual/Bicultural Education, and TESOL at the Universities of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She has been collaborating with heritage language educators and families to design curriculum, texts, and instructional practices for over a decade. She is the creator and coordinator of UW-Whitewater’s online heritage language education professional development programming , and the co-convener of Lub Zej Zog’s Hmong Language Reclamation Project . J. Eik Diggs is a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona and a licensed Spanish language and ESL teacher with over a decade of experience with heritage language curriculum design and teaching. Her language teaching weaves together ethnic studies, the arts, identity work, and youth participatory action research.

Target Audience: This workshop is designed for heritage language, Indigenous and Ancestral language, bilingual, and ESL educators at the late elementary through secondary level. Early elementary, postsecondary, and world language teachers are welcome to attend, but they will need to adapt the presented materials for their contexts.

CARLA Workshop Registration and Refund Information

Registration Details: Registration closes at noon (Central Time) on the Thursday prior to the workshop–or as soon as the workshop fills. Space is limited–register early!

Confirmation and Zoom Link:

• Registrants will be sent a system-generated confirmation receipt immediately upon registering. Check your SPAM folder if you don't see it right away.
• The Zoom link will be sent by the CARLA office by the Thursday prior to the workshop. If you have not received the email with the link from CARLA by Thursday, please check your SPAM folder.
• Questions? Email [email protected] by noon (Central Time) on the Friday before the workshop.

Refund Policy: The CARLA workshop registration fee is non-refundable. The University of Minnesota reserves the right to cancel the workshop if necessary and will grant a full refund if the workshop is not held.

Note: Registered participants who are not able to attend may transfer their registration to a colleague, provided that they email the CARLA office two days prior to the event: [email protected].

Please note: If you have ideas for topics and speakers, contact Karin Larson at [email protected] .

• Twin Cities Campus:
• Parking & Transportation
• Maps & Directions
•       Directories
• Contact U of M
•       Privacy

• Subject List
• Take a Tour
• For Authors
• Subscriber Services
• Publications
• African American Studies
• African Studies
• American Literature
• Anthropology
• Architecture Planning and Preservation
• Art History
• Atlantic History
• Biblical Studies
• British and Irish Literature
• Childhood Studies
• Chinese Studies
• Cinema and Media Studies
• Communication
• Criminology
• Environmental Science
• Evolutionary Biology
• International Law
• International Relations
• Islamic Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Latino Studies

Linguistics

• Literary and Critical Theory
• Medieval Studies
• Military History
• Political Science
• Public Health
• Renaissance and Reformation
• Social Work
• Urban Studies
• Victorian Literature
• Browse All Subjects

How to Subscribe

• Free Trials

In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Language Acquisition

Introduction, introductory works.

• Edited Collections
• Data Sources
• Design and Analysis Tools
• First Words
• Speech Perception
• Speech Production
• Inflectional Morphology
• Word Formation
• Simple Syntactic Forms
• Complex Syntax
• Semantics and Lexical Meaning
• Pragmatic Inference and Meaning
• Narrative Skill
• Language Play
• Infant- and Child-Directed Speech
• Interaction and Acquisition
• Language and Gesture
• Early Bilingualism
• Sensitive Periods
• Some Studies of Non-Indo-European Languages
• Generative Approaches
• Modeling Process in Acquisition

Related Articles Expand or collapse the "related articles" section about

About related articles close popup.

Lorem Ipsum Sit Dolor Amet

Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Aliquam ligula odio, euismod ut aliquam et, vestibulum nec risus. Nulla viverra, arcu et iaculis consequat, justo diam ornare tellus, semper ultrices tellus nunc eu tellus.

• Acquisition of Pragmatics
• Adpositions
• Analogy in Language and Linguistics
• Artificial Languages
• Complementation
• Computational Phonology
• Connectionism
• Critical Periods
• Cross-Language Speech Perception and Production
• Derivational Morphology
• Determiners
• Developmental Pragmatics
• Early Child Phonology
• Educational Linguistics
• Exemplar-Based Models in Linguistics
• Experimental Pragmatics
• First Language Attrition
• Francoprovençal
• Information Structure
• Interface Between Phonology and Phonetics
• Jan Baudouin de Courtenay
• Japanese Word Accent
• Language in Mental Health Disorders
• Language Nests
• Learnability
• Mass-Count Distinction
• Morphological Change
• Noam Chomsky
• Politeness in Language
• Psycholinguistics
• Reflexives and Reflexivity
• Representation and Processing of Multi-Word Expressions in First and Second Language Speakers
• Roman Jakobson
• Second Language Listening
• Sign Language Linguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Specific Language Impairment
• The Prague Linguistic Circle
• Tone Sandhi
• Visual Word Recognition
• Word Classes

Other Subject Areas

Forthcoming articles expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section.

• Cognitive Grammar
• Edward Sapir
• Teaching Pragmatics
• Find more forthcoming articles...
• Export Citations
• Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Language Acquisition by Eve V. Clark LAST REVIEWED: 30 August 2022 LAST MODIFIED: 30 August 2016 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199772810-0002

First language acquisition—the study of how children acquire their first language(s)—is the branch of psycholinguistics that deals with the process of acquisition. This field is variously called “first language acquisition,” “language acquisition,” or “language development.” Researchers have taken two main approaches in studies of children’s language: on the one hand, research that stems from Chomsky’s proposal that language—in particular, syntax—is innate, so children’s knowledge simply has to be triggered through exposure to the ambient language; on the other is research that assumes that general learning mechanisms apply to language as well as other aspects of development.

The earliest observations of children’s language probably date from the 7th century  BCE ( Campbell 2006 ), but systematic study began with the foundation of institutes to study child development in the late 18th century. Current research was stimulated by Noam Chomsky’s 1965 claims about the innateness of syntax, and the field itself has steadily become more interdisciplinary as researchers have collected more empirical data on children’s first language acquisition and have also begun to model the various processes involved. Early studies of children’s language focused primarily on the forms produced by young children––their pronunciations (and mispronunciations), their early uses and misuses of words, and, to a lesser extent, their increasing mastery of syntactic constructions. While early diary studies considered children’s language in relation to perceptual, cognitive, and moral development, it is only recently that researchers have begun to examine communicative interactions between adult and child as a locus of language development. Wootton 2005 examines early nonlinguistic as well as linguistic interactions, while McTear 1985 focuses on conversations between parent and child. This in turn has led to more interdisciplinary research between linguistics and psychology and to closer consideration of gestural as well as linguistic choices for communicating. Gestures serve a number of functions in adult-child interactions ( Gullberg and de Bot 2011 ) and also appear as antecedents to linguistic communications ( Volterra and Erting 1998 ).

Campbell, Robin N. 2006. Language development: Pre-scientific studies. In Encyclopedia of languages and linguistics . 2d ed. Edited by K. Brown, 391–394. Oxford: Elsevier.

A good overview of very early attempts to study language acquisition.

Gullberg, Marianne, and Kees de Bot, eds. 2011. Gestures in language development . Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Articles that examine the place of gestures in communication as children develop language.

McTear, Michael F. 1985. Children’s conversation . Oxford: Blackwell.

This book gives an excellent account of children’s conversational skill and the range of functions children master as their language develops.

Volterra, Virginia, and Carol J. Erting, eds. 1998. From gesture to language in hearing and deaf children . Washington, DC: Gallaudet Univ. Press.

These articles compare gestures used in hearing versus deaf children as they each acquire a first language.

Wootton, Anthony J. 2005. Interaction and the development of mind . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.

An ethnographic case study of early interactions, both verbal and nonverbal.

back to top

Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on this page. Please subscribe or login .

Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here .

• About Linguistics »
• Meet the Editorial Board »
• Acceptability Judgments
• Acquisition, Second Language, and Bilingualism, Psycholin...
• African Linguistics
• Afroasiatic Languages
• Algonquian Linguistics
• Altaic Languages
• Ambiguity, Lexical
• Animal Communication
• Applicatives
• Applied Linguistics, Critical
• Arawak Languages
• Argument Structure
• Australian Languages
• Austronesian Linguistics
• Auxiliaries
• Balkans, The Languages of the
• Baudouin de Courtenay, Jan
• Berber Languages and Linguistics
• Bilingualism and Multilingualism
• Biology of Language
• Borrowing, Structural
• Caddoan Languages
• Caucasian Languages
• Celtic Languages
• Celtic Mutations
• Chomsky, Noam
• Chumashan Languages
• Classifiers
• Clauses, Relative
• Clinical Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Colonial Place Names
• Comparative Reconstruction in Linguistics
• Comparative-Historical Linguistics
• Complexity, Linguistic
• Compositionality
• Compounding
• Computational Linguistics
• Conditionals
• Conjunctions
• Consonant Epenthesis
• Constructions, Verb-Particle
• Contrastive Analysis in Linguistics
• Conversation Analysis
• Conversation, Maxims of
• Conversational Implicature
• Cooperative Principle
• Coordination
• Creoles, Grammatical Categories in
• Cyberpragmatics
• Default Semantics
• Definiteness
• Dementia and Language
• Dene (Athabaskan) Languages
• Dené-Yeniseian Hypothesis, The
• Dependencies
• Dependencies, Long Distance
• Dialectology
• Distinctive Features
• Dravidian Languages
• Endangered Languages
• English as a Lingua Franca
• English, Early Modern
• English, Old
• Eskimo-Aleut
• Euphemisms and Dysphemisms
• Evidentials
• Existential
• Existential Wh-Constructions
• Experimental Linguistics
• Fieldwork, Sociolinguistic
• Finite State Languages
• Formulaic Language
• French Grammars
• Gabelentz, Georg von der
• Genealogical Classification
• Generative Syntax
• Genetics and Language
• Grammar, Categorial
• Grammar, Construction
• Grammar, Descriptive
• Grammar, Functional Discourse
• Grammars, Phrase Structure
• Grammaticalization
• Harris, Zellig
• Heritage Languages
• History of Linguistics
• History of the English Language
• Hmong-Mien Languages
• Hokan Languages
• Humor in Language
• Hungarian Vowel Harmony
• Idiom and Phraseology
• Imperatives
• Indefiniteness
• Indo-European Etymology
• Inflected Infinitives
• Interjections
• Iroquoian Languages
• Isolates, Language
• Jakobson, Roman
• Jones, Daniel
• Juncture and Boundary
• Khoisan Languages
• Kiowa-Tanoan Languages
• Kra-Dai Languages
• Labov, William
• Language Acquisition
• Language and Law
• Language Contact
• Language Documentation
• Language, Embodiment and
• Language for Specific Purposes/Specialized Communication
• Language, Gender, and Sexuality
• Language Geography
• Language Ideologies and Language Attitudes
• Language in Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Language Revitalization
• Language Shift
• Language Standardization
• Language, Synesthesia and
• Languages of Africa
• Languages of the Americas, Indigenous
• Languages of the World
• Lexical Access, Cognitive Mechanisms for
• Lexical Semantics
• Lexical-Functional Grammar
• Lexicography
• Lexicography, Bilingual
• Linguistic Accommodation
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Linguistic Areas
• Linguistic Landscapes
• Linguistic Prescriptivism
• Linguistic Profiling and Language-Based Discrimination
• Linguistic Relativity
• Linguistics, Educational
• Listening, Second Language
• Literature and Linguistics
• Machine Translation
• Maintenance, Language
• Mande Languages
• Mathematical Linguistics
• Mayan Languages
• Mental Health Disorders, Language in
• Mental Lexicon, The
• Mesoamerican Languages
• Minority Languages
• Mixed Languages
• Mixe-Zoquean Languages
• Modification
• Mon-Khmer Languages
• Morphology, Blending in
• Morphology, Subtractive
• Munda Languages
• Muskogean Languages
• Nasals and Nasalization
• Niger-Congo Languages
• Non-Pama-Nyungan Languages
• Northeast Caucasian Languages
• Oceanic Languages
• Papuan Languages
• Penutian Languages
• Philosophy of Language
• Phonetics, Acoustic
• Phonetics, Articulatory
• Phonological Research, Psycholinguistic Methodology in
• Phonology, Computational
• Phonology, Early Child
• Policy and Planning, Language
• Positive Discourse Analysis
• Possessives, Acquisition of
• Pragmatics, Acquisition of
• Pragmatics, Cognitive
• Pragmatics, Computational
• Pragmatics, Cross-Cultural
• Pragmatics, Developmental
• Pragmatics, Experimental
• Pragmatics, Game Theory in
• Pragmatics, Historical
• Pragmatics, Institutional
• Pragmatics, Second Language
• Prague Linguistic Circle, The
• Presupposition
• Quechuan and Aymaran Languages
• Reading, Second-Language
• Reciprocals
• Reduplication
• Register and Register Variation
• Relevance Theory
• Representation and Processing of Multi-Word Expressions in...
• Salish Languages
• Sapir, Edward
• Saussure, Ferdinand de
• Second Language Acquisition, Anaphora Resolution in
• Semantic Maps
• Semantic Roles
• Semantic-Pragmatic Change
• Semantics, Cognitive
• Sentence Processing in Monolingual and Bilingual Speakers
• Sociolinguistics, Variationist
• Sociopragmatics
• Sound Change
• South American Indian Languages
• Speech, Deceptive
• Speech Synthesis
• Switch-Reference
• Syntactic Change
• Syntactic Knowledge, Children’s Acquisition of
• Tense, Aspect, and Mood
• Text Mining
• Transcription
• Transitivity and Voice
• Translanguaging
• Translation
• Trubetzkoy, Nikolai
• Tucanoan Languages
• Tupian Languages
• Usage-Based Linguistics
• Uto-Aztecan Languages
• Valency Theory
• Verbs, Serial
• Vocabulary, Second Language
• Voice and Voice Quality
• Vowel Harmony
• Whitney, William Dwight
• Word Formation in Japanese
• Word Recognition, Spoken
• Word Recognition, Visual
• Word Stress
• Writing, Second Language
• Writing Systems
• Zapotecan Languages
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Legal Notice
• Accessibility

Powered by:

• [66.249.64.20|185.80.151.9]
• 185.80.151.9

From Syntax to Discourse pp 1–19 Cite as

Introduction to Language Acquisition

• Cornelia Hamann 5 , 6  

183 Accesses

Part of the book series: Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics ((SITP,volume 29))

In the generative tradition, the study of language acquisition is of great importance for linguistic theory. There are two principal reasons for such a role. First, there is the assumption that the language faculty is innate which is central to generative linguistics and which obviously has to reflect in the properties of language development in the child. Second, there is the notion of ‘explanatory adequacy’ which should oblige any theoretical linguist to show that his or her proposal for an analysis of a particular structure can be learnt. However, the field of language acquisition has long led a life in the shadows of linguistic theory. Fortunately this has changed in the last two decades so that for an introduction to language acquisition I would like to give some background about what was the status quo up to the eighties, what caused the change, and what sort of results have been achieved since then.

• Language Development
• Language Acquisition
• Linguistic Theory
• Language Faculty
• Subordinate Clause

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution .

Buying options

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Unable to display preview.  Download preview PDF.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

University of Tübingen, Tübingen;, Germany

Cornelia Hamann

University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter.

Hamann, C. (2002). Introduction to Language Acquisition. In: From Syntax to Discourse. Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics, vol 29. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0432-9_1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0432-9_1

Publisher Name : Springer, Dordrecht

Print ISBN : 978-1-4020-0440-7

Online ISBN : 978-94-010-0432-9

eBook Packages : Springer Book Archive

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

CogniFit Blog: Brain Health News

Brain Training, Mental Health, and Wellness

What is Language Acquisition Theory? 3 Top Theories of How We Learn to Communicate

Language is what makes us human- it’s what sets us apart from so much of the animal kingdom. But how do we acquire language? What is language acquisition theory, what are the stages of learning a language, and what neurocognitive research is available on language acquisition theory? 

How does language work in the brain ? How do our brains develop a second language or sign language? How does artificial intelligence develop language abilities? How can you help your child improve language acquisition?

What is Language Acquisition Theory?

Language acquisition is the process by which we are able to develop and learn a language. This generally includes speaking, listening, writing, and overall communication. Our ability to acquire language is a uniquely human trait because although bonobos, a species of primate, can produce vocalizations with meaning, birds can produce songs, and whales have their own version of a language, no species on Earth that we know of can express an unlimited amount of abstract ideas with a limited set of symbols (gestures, words, and sounds).  

The term language acquisition often refers to the first-language acquisition , which simply means that it’s the first language learned as an infant (unless the child learns two or more languages at the same time). However, there is also the term second-language acquisition , which refers to the process in both children and adults when they learn additional languages apart from their native one. Each of these terms has at least one language acquisition theory behind them which seeks to answer the big question of “how do we learn a language?”

The History of Language Acquisition Theory

As with much of history, it all begins with some philosophers in ancient societies who were interested in how the world worked—in this case, how humans were able to develop language. 

Using “armchair psychology” (sitting and thinking about the problem), these philosophers came to the conclusion that we were able to learn languages due to the subset of a human’s ability to gain knowledge and learn concepts. They believed that language was an innate ability that we were born with. Plato, for example, felt that word-meaning mapping was also innate in one way or another.

Scholars who studied Sanskrit—an ancient language used over 3,000 years ago in what is now India—debated for over 12 centuries about whether or not a human’s ability to recognize and use the correct meaning of words in Sanskrit was something passed down by generations and learned from pre-established conventions (for example, a child learns the word for horse because he hears older speakers talking about horses) or whether it was innate (“God-given”). Later, philosophers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes got in on the language party and argued that knowledge (and language, in Locke’s case) come from abstracted sense impressions. What does that mean? They argue that language comes from a sensory experience.

Behaviorists, people who believe that everything is acquired through conditioning, argued that language is learned through operant conditioning—a form of conditioning that happens through rewards and punishments, which makes someone associate between a particular behavior and its consequence. In essence, that a child learns that a specific combination of words or sounds stands for a specific concept or idea through successfully repeated associations.

For example, a child would learn that their house animal, Whiskers, is a cat while their other house animal, Fido, is a dog. He would do so because when the child would call Whiskers his dog, his parents would say that no, Whiskers is a cat, not a dog. 

One of the leading proponents for this theory of language acquisition is B.F. Skinner, one of the founders of the Behaviorist movement.

However, Noam Chomsky, one of the world’s greatest linguists to date strongly criticized Skinner’s theory. Chomsky argued that kids often ignore their parents’ corrections and would not likely learn that actual, proper use of the word or phrase and end up using it incorrectly, by means of Skinner’s conditioning theory . Chomsky’s language acquisition theory involved a more mathematical approach to language development based on a syntax (the meaning of a word) study.

Learn about Dyslexia , a problem with language development.

3 Popular Language Acquisition Theories

Language acquisition theory: the nativist theory.

One of the most well-known and most scientifically accurate theories yet, the Nativist Theory suggests that we are born with genes that allow us to learn language.

This language acquisition theory argues that there is a theoretical device known as the language acquisition device (LAD) that is somewhere in our brain . This “device” is in charge of our learning a language the same way the hypothalamus, for example, is in charge of regulating our body temperature.

This theory also suggests that there is a universal grammar (a theory by Noam Chomsky) that is shared across every language in the world because universal grammar is part of our genetic makeup. Essentially, almost all languages around the world all have nouns and verbs and similar ways to structure thoughts. All languages have a finite amount of rules from which we can build an infinite amount of phrases. The core concepts from these finite rules are built into our brains (according to Universal Grammar and the Nativist Theory).

This language acquisition theory explains well how humans seem to have a far more complicated and complex set of communication patterns than any other species in the world. It also is a working theory for how children are able to learn so quickly so many complicated ideas. This language acquisition theory is comparable to how we think of numbers—everyone in the world knows what “4 apples” look like regardless if we say that there are four, cuatro, vier, or dört apples.

Language acquisition theory:  The Sociocultural Theory

The sociocultural theory, also known as the interactionist approach , takes ideas from both biology and sociology to interpret our language acquisition.

This language acquisition theory states that children are able to learn language out of a desire to communicate with their surrounding environment and world. Language thus is dependent upon and emerges from social interaction. The theory argues that due to our language developing out of a desire to communicate, our language is dependent upon whom we hang around and with whom we want to communicate.

Essentially, the theory says that our environment when we grow up has a heavy influence on how quickly and how well we learn to talk. For example, an infant who is raised by a single dad will develop the word “dada” or “baba” before developing “mama”.

Language acquisition theory:  The Learning Theory

The learning theory is a language acquisition theory that looks at language learning as learning a new skill and that we learn language much in the same way that we learn how to count or how to tie shoes via repetition and reinforcement. When babies babble, adults coo and praise them for “talking” (and also because it’s pretty adorable).

When the kids grow older, they often are praised for speaking properly and corrected when they don’t. From this correction and praise comes the learning theory that language comes from stimulus and stimulus-response. However, this language acquisition theory, logical as it may be, fails to explain how new phrases and new words form since it’s all about repeating and mimicking what people hear from others.

Stages of Language Acquisition Theory

The first few years of a child’s life are critical for language learning. Between 10-18 months, a child will say their first words and before they reach two-years-old, they will be able to say some simple, short phrases (for example, “water, please”). Studies have shown that an 18-month old can actually tell the difference between correct verbs and incorrect verb pairs. For example, they should know that “is jumping” is correct while “will jumping” isn’t. Between the ages of four and seven, kids become more and more able to tell understandable stories. Normally, everyone goes through five stages of acquiring a language.

Stage 1- Pre-production

This first stage is also known as the silent period. Although a child may have up to 500 words in their receptive vocabulary (words they’ve learned from watching and listening as babies do), they aren’t able to speak yet. Some kids try to mimic and “parrot you” by repeating everything you say. However, they aren’t producing any real words yet. This is the stage when kids listen attentively and they respond to visual and auditory stimuli. They are able to understand and duplicate movements and gestures in order to show their comprehension. However, at this stage, repetition is critical for their phonemic awareness .

Stage 2- Early Production

Stage 2 can last up to six months. During this stage, kids will develop a vocabulary of about 1,000 words and can say one or two phrases. They use short bits of language that they have memorized, but these bits might not be used correctly.

Stage 3- Speech Emergence

In this stage, kids have about a 3,000-word vocabulary and can use simple sentences and phrases. They should be able to sound out stories phonetically and match vocabulary words to definitions. Kids are also able to ask simple questions such as “may I go to bathroom?”—though the grammar may not always be 100% correct.

Stage 4- Intermediate Fluency

Kids in Stage 4 have roughly 6,000 active words in their vocabulary. They are able to start using more complex sentences and should be able to express basic thoughts and opinions (both in speaking and writing). For English as a Second Language learners, this is the stage when the child begins to use strategies from their native language to learn content in English and may also translate assignments from their native language.

Stage 5- Advanced Fluency

It can take 4-10 years to achieve academic cognitive fluency for a second language learner. It also means that all language learners (native or not) are fluent (for their age) in this stage.

Language acquisition theory and the brain

There are as many as 50 regions in the brain that are involved in language from translating the vibrations in the air into neural activity so our brain can hear it to controlling the complex and complicated physical movements needed to produce speech and communicate to manipulating and using symbols to help make up ideas and thoughts.

Around the same time President Lincoln was giving his Gettysburg Address speech, the French neurologist, Pierre Paul Broca, found what is now called today as Broca’s Area —an area in the brain that handles language processing , speech production, comprehension, and controls facial functions. It’s located in the posterior frontal gyrus .

When damage occurs in Broca’s Area, the person will probably experience Broca’s Aphasia and have language issues. Pierre Paul Broca was the first person to associate the left brain hemisphere with language. The majority of us control our language via the left hemisphere except for 30% of left-handers and 10% of right-handers.

Behind Broca’s area is the Pars Triangularis which is involved in the semantics of a language. It’s used when you stop to think about what someone said—such as a complex sentence.

A few years after Broca, a German neurologist, Carl Wernicke, found the counterpart of Broca’s Area in the superior posterior temporal lobe —a place now known as Wernicke’s Area. This area handles the language that we hear and the process known as receptive language. Wernicke was the first person to map out the language process in the brain—cognition-to-speech, writing-to-reading, and speech-to-comprehension. It was later adopted by Norman Geschwind and is now a map known as the Wernicke-Geschwind model. However, it’s rather outdated by now.

The same man, Norman Geschwind, found in the 1960s that the inferior parietal lobule is important in language processing. This is the part of the brain that is all about language development and acquisition as well as the abstract use of language. It’s the place in the brain where we collect and consider written and spoken words, phrases, and ideas.

It’s such a complex area and process that it’s where we not only are able to understand the meaning of a word but also how they sound and their function in grammar. The inferior parietal lobule is where the brain classifies and orders our sensory, visual, and auditory intake which is why it’s thought that kids who don’t learn to read or write until they are around age five is due to a late maturation of the lobule.

Still within the frontal lobe is the fusiform gyrus , a part of the brain that helps us classify and recognize words into categories. For example, “cat” and “dog” are both classified as nouns and are both animals whereas “jump” and “sit” are both action verbs.

Second language acquisition theory

When learning a second language (an additional language to your native language), the development of meaning is one of, if not the , most important part. There are many types of meaning such as grammatical (morphology of a word, tenses, possession, etc.), semantic (word meaning), lexical (meaning that comes from our mental lexicon), and pragmatic (meaning that depends on context). Mastery of each of these is necessary when acquiring a second language. The stages of second-language acquisition are much like those of a first-language acquisition. However, people and kids learning a second language will take longer than they did with their first-language to come to full fluency in their second language.

Kids who grow up bilingual have been proven to usually take longer to begin speaking because their brains are trying to sort out the grammar between the two (or more) language systems. 

Sign Language & Language Acquisition Theory

When the child begins to learn sign language as a native speaker from birth, they do so in the same way that a child who can hear learns languages. Signed languages and spoken languages are different in the most basic manner- spoken relies on auditory/oral skills, while signed relies on visual/manual abilities. As a result, it could be thought that sign language acquisition differs from spoken language acquisition theory. However, there really aren’t any extreme or noteworthy differences between acquiring the two because they are both parts of the natural (human) language group.

Roughly 10% of deaf signers are born into already signing families which makes it easier to learn since the whole family signs and the child from birth is surrounded by sign language. Parents who communicate with their kids (whether or not the kid can hear) by way of sign language help the child naturally acquire sign language in the same way that non-deaf parents teach their children their native language.

Both hearing and deaf children use gestures and physical symbolizing to show something when they’re young. However, in deaf children, these gestures appear around the same time that a hearing child produces their first spoken words (study here ).

According to a research paper, “deaf children move from prelinguistic gesturing to performing manual syllabic babbling which occurs at 7-10 months of age. This is an activity which differs from other hand activity of the child because it “possess (1.) a restricted set of phonetic units (unique to signed languages), (2.) syllabic organization, and it was (3.) used without meaning or reference”

Language Acquisition Theory & Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) can now create their own language, use language, and evolve that language- just like humans! Researchers have noted that A.I. has the ability to exchange a set of symbols that are capable of serving as signs in a generated language. The A.I. languages can either begin from a human language, known as a natural language or be created from scratch by programmers and code.

When A.I. translates between two languages, it can create its own language known as an interlingua language . Essentially, it can create its own form of creole or “Spanglish.”

Google Translate decided in 2016 to take an A.I. designed specifically to translate between 103 human languages, including languages that had never before been translated between each other, and they found that the A.I. was able to encode semantics (the meaning of a word, phrase, idea) within its structures while translating. The researchers concluded that a new interlingua that evolved from human languages exists within the Google Translate network. You can look at their study here.

As some may know, in 2017, Facebook’s A.I. created its own language. Scary as it may be, it’s important to ask, “how did that happen?” Facebook researchers trained chatbots (A.I. that have a conversation via text or audio in order to “chat”) using a series of English text conversations that involved humans playing trading games between hats, balls, and books. The chatbots were programmed to use English to communicate and given tasks to trade the aforementioned items. However, the chatbots developed a reworked version of English in order to solve their task better. Many of the exchanges in the reworked English were nonsensical and didn’t make much sense to the average reader. For example:

“ Bob: “I can can I I everything else.”

Alice: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to.”

You can check out more details here !     

Neuro cognitive Research on Language Acquisition Theory

For the process of language acquisition—especially when acquiring more than one language—the younger, the better. Studies have shown that learning new languages helps fight against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s . However, there are a multitude of reasons, and numerous studies that show how healthy for our brain it is to be bilingual. 

Scientists have found brain mechanisms that assist in early language development. Phonemic awareness (one’s ability to understand sound in language such as the difference between “bed” and “bad”) is essential to language development.

The study found that the way an infant’s brain responds to phonetic stimuli (such as hearing someone talking ) reflects their language ability, as well as their pre-reading abilities. This can be used as a predictor of how well they will be able to read and speak at age three and age five.

Adults who learn a second language later in life have more to offer to their language development, although they may be slower than a child at learning it. Being able to maintain your first language (as an adult) after having learned a second language is determined by being able to informally use both the first and second language in daily life, as well as education levels, according to this study.

Music plays a huge role in language development, too! Whether it’s in the womb, as a child, or learning a second language as an adult, music is useful for learning any and all languages. Music incorporates speech, writing (if you’re reading lyrics, for example), and rhythms. Music learning actually matches the speed and effort put into language acquisition.

How to Improve Your Child’s Language Acquisition

• Delayed Speech . If your child is learning a second language or having lots of trouble with the first/native language, a speech pathologist may be able to help straighten out some of the underlying issues that are going on cognitively with the child’s brain .
• Read! It’s never too early to begin reading to a baby- science has proven that babies can learn words while in the womb! Even starting with simple picture books (and describing what’s going on on the page) can help a baby or child.
• Talk! Just like reading, talking to a baby, whether it’s in the womb or not, can help them develop language. Narrate the day. For instance, “We are going to cook dinner. Do you like the Macaroni & Cheese we are going to have? Let’s wash our hands and sit down to eat.” You can even prep a baby for second-language and foreign language learning in the womb!
• Tell stories! Like talking, telling stories (especially elaborate ones) can help a child develop vocabulary.
• Listen to music! Music has been proven by a multitude of sources, such as this one,  that it aides in language learning. A simple song such as Old McDonald Had a Farm helps a child learn rhythm, vocabulary, and reinforces happy learning.
• Use the television but at a minimal level. Many people around the world have learned foreign languages by watching TV. Have your child watch cartoons in a foreign language for a small amount of time daily to help aid their foreign learning development.
• Try using a program , such as Cognifit’s, to help your child ramp up his language skills!
• Go on field trips to fun places such as an interactive or interesting museum (for kids) , the aquarium, or the zoo and help them learn the names of their surroundings (animals, plants, and how the world works).

Let us know what you think about Language acquisition theory   in the comments below!

• Category: For Babies
• Tag: 2-3 year old , language , Language acquisition , Language acquisition theory

• Overcoming Anxiety At Work: Steps to Promote Wellness Towards Successful Career

• 6 Strategies to Enhance and Maintain Your Mental Well-Being

Pin It on Pinterest

Share this post with your friends!

• Language Acquisition

Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the ability to comprehend and produce language, either as their first or second (third, etc.) language. The study of language acquisition provides evidence for theoretical linguistics and has practical applications in language pedagogy.

Language and literacy socialization, Language ideology, Language policy

Language Acquisition, Bilingualism, Clinical Linguistics, Chinese Linguistics

Syntax, Second language acquisition, Romance languages

Second language acquisition in adolescents and adults, Literacy and academic instruction for language minority students, Role of culture and identity in second language learning, Qualitative research methods in SLA

Second/foreign language acquisition and instructed learning, Computer-assisted language learning and teaching, Language and cognition, Learner corpus analysis.

Syntax, Language acquisition, Germanic languages

Language acquisition, Historical linguistics, Hispanic linguistics

Second language acquisition, Discourse analysis

Yoruba language and linguistics, Applied linguistics and language teaching, Language, culture and society

Historical Indo-European linguistics, Prepositional semantics, Slavic linguistics and folklore, Acquisition of Russian by foreign and heritage language learners

• Computational Linguistics
• Corpus Methods
• Historical Linguistics
• Language Documentation
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis
• Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics
• Sociolinguistics and Language Variation
• Syntax and Morphology

Support Linguistics at UGA

Your donations to the Department of Linguistics will support research and travel opportunities for students and faculty and other initiatives to enhance students' education in linguistics. Please consider joining other friends and alumni who have shown their support by making a gift to our fund . We greatly appreciate your contributions to the success of our programs!   

EVERY DOLLAR CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEPARTMENT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY.

Second Language Acquisition

Mar 22, 2019

1.34k likes | 3.22k Views

Second Language Acquisition. Sarah Cole Robin Stafford. Definitions. Native Language (NL or L1) – the language first learned as a child Target Language (TL) – the language being learned

Share Presentation

• language learning
• access hypothesis
• native language
• guides language learning
• l2 language learning process

Presentation Transcript

Second Language Acquisition Sarah Cole Robin Stafford

Definitions • Native Language (NL or L1) – the language first learned as a child • Target Language (TL) – the language being learned • Second Language Acquisition – the process of learning another language after the native language has been learned. Also called L2 regardless if it is the third, fourth or fifth language learned. • Foreign Language learning- learning of a nonnative language in the environment of one’s native language.

What is SLA? • A multidisciplinary field that studies: • Interlangauge (IL) • L2 Language Learning process • Learner variation • L2 language in the mind

What do native speakers know? • We have knowledge of: • Phonology • Syntax • Morphology and lexicon • Semantics • Pragmatics

Phonology • What is Phonology? • The sound system of a language

Phonology (cont) • Possible sounds • Fast vs. slow speech • Example: Did you go to the store? Didja go to the store? • How and when to combine words • Example: want to wanna • Possible combinations of sounds. • Example: [b] and [n] cannot be combined to make *bnick, but [b] and [r] can be combined to make brick.

Syntax • What is Syntax? • the sentence structure of a language, sometimes called grammar.

Syntax (cont) • Sentence grammaticality • Word order • Sentences that are equivalent in meaning • Meaning change when move elements in a sentence • When to use different grammatical patterns • Ex: passive voice vs. active voice • Set of rules to produce infinite sentences

Morphology • What is morphology? • The study of word formation . • In many cases a single word is made up more than one part. • Example: unforeseen • Un (not, has negative function) • Fore (Noun, earlier in time) • Seen (Verb, to visualize)

Morphology (cont) • We know how to form words using affixes (prefixes, suffixes) • We also know what words can go with other words. • Example: • Mt. Everest is a high mountain. • *The Empire State Building is a high building.

Semantics • What is semantics? • The study of sentence meaning • However, does not correspond to grammaticality. • Example: • (1-19) *That woman beautiful is my mother. • (1-20) *I’ll happy if I can get your paper.

Semantics (cont) • Our knowledge of semantics entails knowledge of the reference of words. • We also are able to distinguish between words that sound the same • Example: • Table: flat top with three or four legs • Leaf: part of a tree • Vs. leaf of a table.

Semantics (cont) • We know that the way we combine words in a sentence affects meaning. • Example: • The dog bit the man. • The man bit the dog. • Thus, we know the extent to which syntax and semantics are interrelated

Pragmatics • What is pragmatics? • The way in which we use language in context.

①Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis • Used as a way to describe variations in languages. • “ a way of comparing languages in order to determine potential errors for the ultimate purpose of isolating what needs to be learned what does not need to be learned”

CAH (cont) • Why should one learn only differing structures? • Positive transfer • Same structure in L1 and L2 • Negative transfer • Different structure in L1 and L2 • All errors made in learning the L2 are due to the L1.

Problems with CAH • Research in the 1960s/70s showed learners language was systematic (showed routes of development). • independent of the L1 and context of learning (classroom vs. natural environment). • Learners developmental stage

②Universal Grammar • Uniformly and speedy acquisition of a first language • Learning is innate • Principles and parameters constrain language

UG and SLA • Innate mechanism that guides language learning • The question then is, do we have access to this when learning the second language? • If yes, how is it available?

UG and SLA (cont) • Four different views on Universal Grammar access in regards to SLA. • Partial access hypothesis • Full access hypothesis • Indirect access hypothesis • No access hypothesis

Partial Access Hypothesis • UG less available with age and therefore is not available to adult learners. • UG can be used for some things but not others • Adults use more problem solving skills • Problem solving skills and UG in competition

Full Access Hypothesis • L1 and L2 acquisition are similar • Universal grammar both L1 and L2 acquisition concurrently • Variation in learners is accounted for by differences in cognitive maturity and in the learners needs.

Indirect Access Hypothesis • UG is not directly involved in L2 learning • The learner can use what he or she knows of UG in their L1 to help them in learning L2

No Access Hypothesis • Only available for first language acquisition • L2 learners have to use other ways of learning

Problems with UG • Only looks at the acquisition of syntax and morphology • Only looks at how language is represented in the mind, not the process of learning • There are many viewpoints and each has empirical evidence • no verdict

③Monitor Model • This model is made up of 5 different hypotheses: • Learning vs. acquisition • Learning and acquiring are different processes • Natural order hypothesis • Systemacity, predictable patterns of acquisition • The monitor hypothesis • Use learned knowledge to alter output towards grammatically correct utterances • The input hypothesis • Importance of comprehensible input (i +1) • The affective filter hypothesis • Affects of sociolinguistic factors such as age, motivation, aptitude.

Teaching Implications • Talking is not acquisition • Adults and adolescents can acquire language • L2 learners language is systematic • One must practice using language and receive extensive input. • Knowing a rule doesn’t equal usage

Communicative Language Teaching • Seven basic functions of communication: • To get things • To control behavior of others • To create interaction • To express personal feelings and meanings • To learn and discover • To create a world of imagination • To communicate information

Communicative Language Teaching • Example Activities: • Role plays • Interviews • Information gaps • Games • Language exchanges • Surveys • Pair work • Learning by teaching

Task-based Learning • authentic language and meaningful tasks using the target language. • Assessment based on task outcome not accuracy of language forms • Examples: • Puzzles, riddles • Completing a family tree • Leaving a message on someone’s answering machine

Form-focused instruction • Language learning is systematic • Should linguistic form be a focus of language instruction?

Further Reading • Presentation is based on: • Gass, Susan M. and Selinker, Larry. Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. 2nd Edition, 2004 • ISBN: 0-8058-3528-8 • Also available: 3rd Edition, 2008 • ISBN: 0-8058-5498-3

Websites • Second Language Acquisition Topics (Vivian Cook, 2003) • http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/SLA/ • Second Language Acquisition Bibliography • (Vivian Cook, 2003) • http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/SLA/SLABIB/index.htm • Task based teaching website/article: • www.eltworld.net/howto/2008/04/task-based-learning-for-dummies

Krashen’s theory further reading • Stephen D. Krashen’s book: • Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning (1981). • Or visit website: www.sdkrashen.com • Other books by Krashen (not totally related to SLA, but still interesting and informative) • Krashen, Stephen D. The Power of Reading: Insights from Research (2004, 2nd ed.) • ISBN: 978-1591581697

Linguistics • If you are interested in learning more about linguistics and want to self study I recommend: • Anouschka Bergmann, Kathleen Currie Hall, and Sharon Miriam Ross. Language Files: Materials for an introduction to Language and Linguistics. Ohio State University Press, 10th ed. • ISBN: 978-0814251638

• More by User

Second Language Acquisition. SS 2007. Topics. How do adult speakers acquire a second language? What characterizes the process of second language acquisition? How do we account for the development? What are the factors determining the process of second language acquisition?

632 views • 8 slides

581 views • 25 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Chapter 1 Introduction. Preliminary. (1)Why study the course?. (1)  About SLA/L2A 1) definition : the study of how people learn a language other than their mother tongue. 2)a multidisciplinary field:

367 views • 9 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Prepared By: Dr. Emma Alicia Garza Assistant Professor Texas A&M University-Kingsville. What is Second Language Acquisition?. In second language learning, language plays an institutional and social role in the community. It

4.55k views • 49 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Preproduction Early Production Speech Emergence Intermediate Fluency Continued Language Development. Second Language Acquisition. The process of language acquisition is lengthy. Students move through five stages while developing English language proficiency.

729 views • 10 slides

Second Language Acquisition. 4A1C0035 黃渝絜 4A1C0044 黃毓婷 4A1C0046 許力心 4A1C0065 林佩君 4A1C0080 陳瑩慈. Affective Considerations.

529 views • 11 slides

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

English Department Post Graduate Program Semarang State University 2012 . by: Fiqih Nindya Palupi. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. www.themegallery.com. Introduction. Three crucial issues in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) identified by Rice (1986):. 1.

1.87k views • 30 slides

Second Language acquisition

Second Language acquisition . Nina Spada : OISE/University of Toronto Patsy M. Lightbown : Concordia University. Interactionist Perspective.

368 views • 14 slides

Stages of. Dr. Jeffra Flaitz Saint Leo University. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. If you remember nothing else . . . . SOCIAL LANGUAGE B ASIC I NTERPERSONAL C OMMUNICATION S KILLS. ACADEMIC LANGUAGE C OGNITIVE A CADEMIC L ANGUAGE P ROFICIENCY.

947 views • 21 slides

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. MEIDIANA INSANIA A. 2201410062 Rombel 403-404. Chapter 1 : Introduction. Describing and Explaining L2 Acquisition. What is ‘second language acquisition’?. In this context ‘second’ can refer to any language that is learned subsequent to the mother tongue.

601 views • 19 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Yodha Mahatva 2201410058. Introduction. What is ‘second language acquisition’? ‘Second language acquisition’ can be defined as the way in which people learn a language other than their mother tongue, inside or outside of a classroom. SLA goals.

508 views • 15 slides

Second Language Acquisition . Lec s . 4 & 5. Linguistics, Psychological Theories, & SLA . Second language acquisition (SAL) Second language acquisition research focuses on the developing knowledge and use of a language by children & adults who know at least one language.

1.14k views • 28 slides

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. Ellis 2003, Chapter 1. Nabiella Syifarani 2201410090. What is Second Language Acquisition ? . The language plays an institutional and social in community or any language learned later in life. .

509 views • 16 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Yueh-chiu Wang National Penghu University. What is a language? .

2.43k views • 196 slides

Second language acquisition

Second language acquisition. Nina Spada : OISE/University of Toronto Patsy M. Lightbown : Concordia University. What is Second Language Acquisition?.

2.3k views • 21 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Think about a baby acquiring his first language. Think about a person acquiring a second language. What similarities and differences are there in the two processes?. 1 st & 2 nd Language Acquisition. Characteristics L1 Learner L2 Learner

1.7k views • 24 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Yueh-chiu Helen Wang National Penghu University. The Definition of Language.

1.14k views • 40 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Education 286. Today: Introduction. What is the nature of the interdisciplinary field of research (linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology) that comprise second language acquisition?

222 views • 9 slides

CdL Scienze della Formazione Primaria , 4°anno A.A.2015/2016 Dott.ssa Barbara Meloni. Second Language Acquisition. Second Language Acquisition. 1.What is SLA ?

414 views • 12 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Agenda. Class introductions and syllabus Second Language Acquisition (SLA) quiz?!?! What is SLA? And other definitions Languages I know Who is a “good” language learner? What are the characteristics needed to be a good language learner? Was/Am I a good learner?.

526 views • 14 slides

Second Language Acquisition. Teaching the ESOL Student in the Mainstream Classroom Module 2 – Part 1. Contents:. Language Acquisition Theory Noam Chomsky Stephen Krashen Jim Cummins. Language Acquisition Theory:.

538 views • 20 slides

Second Language Acquisition. What is Second Language Acquisition?. In second language learning, language plays an institutional and social role in the community. It functions as a recognized means of communication

943 views • 48 slides

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Noam Chomsky theories on Language Acquisition.pptx

Related Papers

Mary Ojebisi

In second language acquisition, acquiring English as a second language at an early stage in a bilingual or multilingual environment like Nigeria, has posited quite a number of difficulties over the years. It is even complicated when children with parents from different ethnic groups have to decipher which language is acceptable for communication in the home, school and environment. To determine if the environment influences children's acquisition of English as a second language, certain environmental variables were considered. Children between the ages of four and six who were already in school were selected. Data was collected by administering questionnaires to the teachers of the pupils and recording sessions with the children was observed. The result indicated that the level of competence or performance of a child’s acquisition of English as a second language, is hinged upon the child (if he/she is not mentally deformed or has speech deficiency), the peer group or play mate, the home and the school environment.

i love english language 4.1 child language acquisition theory – chomsky, crystal, Aitchison & piaget

Bukunmi Oyemade

shan shanthini

Praca dyplomowa Paulina Woźniak

Paulina Klaudia Woźniak

The aim of this paper is to present and analyse different strategies and techniques used for translating Spanish idioms. The translation of idioms is not an easy task for a translator, thus this paper will focus on the most common translating difficulties and different ways of dealing with them. In the first two parts, the definition of an idiom and its classification will be presented. Then, possible problems and difficulties in the translation of idioms, accompanied by their causes and their cultural background, will be described. Finally, four strategies for translating idioms will be discussed, supported by examples from Spanish to English translations.

Siham BOUZAR

joseph galasso

(Note: These lectures include the 'Four-Sentences'). The chapters contained in this e-book derive from a series of accumulative course lectures given across several semesters to my graduate students of theoretical syntax, as well as to my many undergraduate students of child language acquisition, both at California State University Northridge, as well as Cal State Long Beach where I have lectured as an adjunct professor over the past twenty years. I’d like to thank all my students over the years that have helped shape these lectures. Our collective class discussions have better sharpened my own understanding of these issues. If these lectures in linguistics have improved at all since their first incarnation, it is only because they have benefited from the many discussions, multifaceted argumentation, and the steadfast persistence on seeking-out diverting points of departure on given topics—all respectively instigated by you, my students, over those years. The lectures are immensely Chomskyan in spirit, recursive-syntactic in nature, and are tethered to a framework which takes as the null hypothesis the notion that language is an innate, pre-determined biological system—a system which by definition is multi-complex, human-specific, and analogous to a philosophy highly commensurate of Descartes’ great proverbial adage which announces the calling for a ‘ghost-in-the-machine’. And for those today who wish-way Descartes’ Mind-body dualism as no longer tenable, Chomsky turns the table and suggests that all we have achieved thus far is exorcise the machine (via Newtonian mechanics), we have left the ghost intact. Hence, while philosophical dualism may be no longer tenable, it is not for the typical reasons assigned to the break. Rather, dispensing with a duality, all we are left with is the singular haunting ghost. (Chomsky 2002, p.53). <> Joseph Galasso is on the Linguistics Faculty at California State University, Northridge (and is an adjunct professor of linguistics at California State University, Long Beach). His main research involves issues surrounding early child language development. He is interested in pursuing certain ‘Minimalist Program’ assumptions (Chomsky 1995) which ask how such assumptions might explain observed early stages of morphosyntactic development in Children. His 2016 monograph is entitled ‘From Merge to Move: A minimalist perspective on the design of language and its role in early child syntax’. LINCOM Studies in Theoretical Linguistics, 59. His last monograph in the same theoretical series is entitled ‘Recursive Syntax’ LINCOM, 61.

Theory and Practice in Language Studies

Davood Mashhadi Heidar

Epifania Puspita

Advances in Language and Literary Studies

Jameela Hanoon Umarlebbe , Seriaznita Mat Said

The first part of this paper discusses the rationale for universal grammar (UG) theory to explain first language acquisition. It also illustrates the issues of language acquisition Chomsky argued which could not be supported by behaviourist theories and shows how Chomsky proposed a solution to this problem through his theoretical model of universal grammar. The next part outlines this theory’s key tenets, arguing that these principles must be an innate endowment of the human mind. Moreover, the study illustrates specific examples of grammatical phenomena that universal grammar seeks to explain. Lastly, it shows that certain distinct grammatical features are linked and that these connections can be explained within the Universal Grammar theoretical framework. The only reasonable explanation for the first language learning needs only limited linguistic exposure to activate them and set criteria for the language being learned for children whose minds have already been wired with essent...

RELATED PAPERS

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health

Hari Shankar 19MCA1116

Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM

Renato Contreras

Selcen Kök- PhD

Georges NAJJAR

Revista Brasileira de Entomologia

Jorge Ari Noriega, PhD

Irina Zhirova

Sunday Fadugba

Rbone Revista Brasileira De Obesidade Nutricao E Emagrecimento

Silvana Franco

Dessy Sintiani

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Ibrahim Varouqa

Italian journal of anatomy and embryology

Mariella Errede

Revista Brasileira de Coloproctologia

Ricardo Almeida

Journal of Institute of Medicine

Anita Hardon

ATZ worldwide eMagazine

carlos Terres Aboitiz

Ampera: A Research Journal on Politics and Islamic Civilization

Hatta Azzuhri

Adil Ayyash

Waste Technology

zeeshan ali

Pere Bonnin

International Journal of Computer Applications

Muhammad Ali Bhatti

Pancreatology

Nidhi Saini

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

Anuario del Instituto de Historia Argentina

Sandra Santilli

American Journal of Psychiatry

kerstin plessen

INNOVATIVE ECONOMY

VALENTYNA BYBA

See More Documents Like This

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024