WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
LNG 508 (PSYCHO-SOCIOLINGUISTICS)
DR. FINA FELISA L. ALCUDIA
Course Facilitator
1. What does the lateralization of the brain imply about language learning?
Lateralization of the brain poses an idea that the human brain is divided into specific
regions or hemispheres with their own special function which is very much opposite to a man’s
common perception that the brain is taken as one part organ. Thus, if a person meets an
accident resulting to severe head injury, people would then conclude that every function of the
victim’s brain is affected resulting to one’s inability especially when it comes to memory and
language production.
Upon reading the topic, I came to realize that through the brain’s lateralization which is
proven by some studies, each part of the brain has its specific function. For example, the
Broca’s area is for speech production and Wernicke’s area is for understanding of speech.
Therefore, it is through these parts that language learning or language acquisition takes place;
specifically, there is really that certain part of our brain which specializes on language learning
and language production. Hence, for example, when one meets an accident and the Broca’s
area is affected, it doesn’t mean that understanding of speech in Wernicke’s area is affected.
2. What is UG? What is LAD?
UG stands for Universal Grammar which is a linguistic theory proposed by Noam
Chomsky. This theory argues that one’s ability to learn a language is innate among humans;
thus, one’s ability to learn grammar is not taught. On the other hand, LAD stands for Language
Acquisition Device (also known or described as the black box; found somewhere in the brain) of
which Chomsky asserted that in one’s brain exists an innate device to acquire languages which
allows a person to learn and use the language instinctively.
3. Give situations that will exemplify the first language learning theories.
There were two common opposing ideas of how language is learned among children. It
is said that language is learned through a person’s environment; specifically one’s parents are
his or her teacher or from people in his or her environment. Although some scholars would
argue that language learning is one’s innate ability as a human.
RHEDAMEI A. PALMES MA Ed LANGUAGE TEACHING (ENGLISH)
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
LNG 508 (PSYCHO-SOCIOLINGUISTICS)
DR. FINA FELISA L. ALCUDIA
Course Facilitator
The following are the first language learning theories:
o Behaviourist Learning Theory- behaviourists believed that a child learns a language
through imitation and habit formation.
For example: The mother wants her child to utter the word ‘mama’, so what she does is to
utter the words repeatedly until such time that the child follows the way she uttered the
words. Later on, the child learns to say the word ‘mama’ whenever he or she sees his or
her mother.
o Linguistic Innatist Theory- devised by Noam Chomsky which poses the idea that
children have the innate capacity to learn the language.
For example: The thought that a child learns to walk on his own in time is same as through
with language. When a child is exposed to language through exposing him to multimedia or
even just around the environment surrounded by speaking individuals, later on the child
may sort out the words and ideas and learn to speak the language as well.
o Social Interactionist Theory-language develops as a result of the social interaction of
the child to other individuals who speak the language.
For example: Child A lives in a home that fails to communicate often due to some
instances while Child B lives in a home where there is an open constant communication
among the family members using the language. If you would assess if who can learn and
use the language easily, certainly, it’s Child B because the child is directly exposed to the
language through the help of interaction and communication with the language speakers.
4. What consists the early grammar of children?
Pre-Language Stages
Pre-linguistic sounds were produced which were called as ‘cooing and babbling’. Cooing
is described as the first recognizable sound while babbling is said to be the sound production
stage which may contain syllable type sounds.
RHEDAMEI A. PALMES MA Ed LANGUAGE TEACHING (ENGLISH)
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
LNG 508 (PSYCHO-SOCIOLINGUISTICS)
DR. FINA FELISA L. ALCUDIA
Course Facilitator
Holophrastic Stage and The two-word Stage
This period is characterized by a speech production wherein a single term is usually
uttered by the child. It is believed that the child uses a single term to mean as phrases or
sentences. Later on, the child starts to utter two separate words which could somehow be
comprehensive.
Telegraphic Stage
This is characterized by strings of lexical morphemes in phrases; it is said that in this
stage, the child has already developed the capacity to form sentences using the language.
Morphology
Inflectional morphemes were used to indicate the grammatical function of the nouns
and verbs used. The most common is the use of the –ing form in expressions like eating
bananas and drinking milk. Another is the noun forms, specifically plural form which is being
generalized by the child oftentimes, tending to say boyses and footses as plural form as they
compare it with houses and trees.
Syntax
The children tend to develop the pattern of asking questions by simply adding
interrogative pronouns before their question. Take for example, who eat? Or where kitty? As
soon as the stages of development progresses, the child also learns how to structure his or her
question in a more structured way, rather than having inversion of subject and verb or simply
putting words together just to express something.
Semantics
At an early stage the child has a limited vocabulary and that to them one word has
several meanings. The dominant process is called overextension which poses an idea that to a
child one word may have extended meanings or many meanings. For example, the word ball
does not only mean a toy but sometimes they anchor it to all the round objects that they see.
They have been also familiar with the concepts of hyponym and antonym whenever they were
asked to classify objects that they see. At the age of five, the child has completed the language
acquisition process.
RHEDAMEI A. PALMES MA Ed LANGUAGE TEACHING (ENGLISH)
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
LNG 508 (PSYCHO-SOCIOLINGUISTICS)
DR. FINA FELISA L. ALCUDIA
Course Facilitator
5. Give situations that will illustrate the second language learning theories.
o Behaviourist Learning Theory- behaviourists believed that a child learns a language
through habit formation.
Example: If a Filipino is trying to learn a second language, for example English; the Filipino
would tend to expose himself to English materials and converse with English speakers often to
imitate the words that he sees and hears often since it would be hard on his part to construct
a structured sentence using the second language since the word order in the first language is
far more different from the subject-verb-object order of the sentence in English. Yet through
constant imitation and habit formation, he may learn to use and speak the language as well.
o Cognitive Theory- psychologists tend to see language acquisition as the building up of
knowledge systems that can eventually be called on automatically for speaking and
understanding.
For example: When a child is exposed to multimedia or viewing materials with the second
language as its medium (videos like learning the alphabet, how to count in English or
cartoons in English including nursery rhymes) little by little as the child absorbs and processes
the received information, later on, the child will unconsciously or freely use the second
language that he or she acquired.
o Creative Construction Theory- learners are thought to construct internal representations
of the language being learned.
For example: When a child learns about the alphabet in the second language, he may as well
associate each letter with the things that may represent each. Take for example, if A is for
apple and E is for elephant therefore later on, when a picture is being shown which can be
represented in the second language, the child may anchor this representation to how he or
she will learn the language and use it otherwise.
RHEDAMEI A. PALMES MA Ed LANGUAGE TEACHING (ENGLISH)
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
LNG 508 (PSYCHO-SOCIOLINGUISTICS)
DR. FINA FELISA L. ALCUDIA
Course Facilitator
o Acquisition Learning Hypothesis- second language may be acquired or learned
For example: When a child interacts with second language speakers, tendency is he may
acquire the language as well. Another example is in school formal discussions wherein the use
of the second language is observed.
o Monitor Hypothesis- every second language learner has a monitor that he uses to refine his
language.
For example: When a student learns a second language, there is the teacher who corrects or
polishes the student’s utterances and use of language.
o Natural Order Hypothesis- acquisition of grammatical structures follows a natural order
which is predictable
For example: A second language learner learns to construct a sentence or express his thoughts
orally following the correct subject-verb agreement.
o Input Hypothesis- we acquire language only in one way- by receiving comprehensible input
For example: When a child learns a second language through comprehensive learning materials
like magazines, multimedia and other means of learning in his level of understanding there is a
possibility that the child will learn and use the language easily.
o Affective Filter Hypothesis- an imaginary barrier is present which prevents learners from
using the input
For example: A learner who doesn’t really have the motive or motivation to learn the language
would really find it hard to learn the second language since according to this theory, language
learning depends on the learner’s personality.
RHEDAMEI A. PALMES MA Ed LANGUAGE TEACHING (ENGLISH)
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
LNG 508 (PSYCHO-SOCIOLINGUISTICS)
DR. FINA FELISA L. ALCUDIA
Course Facilitator
6. State your position on the influence of learner characteristics on second language
learning? (age, intelligence, personality, learning styles)
Language learning undeniably varies among individuals. We tend to be happy when a
child easily utters a word for the first time or we tend to wonder why at a certain age an
individual can’t master the language yet. Certainly, some factors affect the second language
acquisition of an individual.
When it comes to age, I believe that young learners learn faster than the older ones.
Aside from having a sharp memory, they have the ability to easily adapt to their environment
especially its language since they still have the time to focus and thoroughly immerse
themselves to the language used by many. On the other hand, although the older ones would
tend to learn the language, there is still that notion that there accent is a bit different and that
there are misfits in their choice of words.
Intelligence has a direct link in learning a second language. It has been proven in some
studies that when one has a higher intelligence level, he or she can easily learn a language
especially in formal settings like inside the classroom discussions. Upon observation, I can really
attest that this is true because upon assessing the ability of my students in using the second
language through oral discussions and written tests in grammar, smart students have higher
results than those who are not.
There is no distinct evidence that personality directly affects second language learning
but I guess it does affect the learning process somehow. Take for example, if one has the
attitude and motivation to really learn a language, he or she would really exert effort just to
learn it and later on use it, while those who are not really interested at all, finds it hard to learn
a language easily. Same as through with the thought that not all good speakers of a second
language have fully mastered it since sometimes it is only their fluency that makes the use of
the language sounds good but the structure, the use of words and the grammar to be exact has
numerous errors. Therefore, we can never say that introvert or extrovert language learners may
be one step ahead of the other.
With regards to the relation of the different learning styles in learning a language, I
believe that each individual have varied learning styles and that one approach may not be
applicable to others. Certainly, one should have the freedom to choose the kind of approach
that he or she should use to learn a second language because there is no one best strategy that
would be effective to all.
RHEDAMEI A. PALMES MA Ed LANGUAGE TEACHING (ENGLISH)
