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Unit 2 – Task 3

Language acquisition

Submitted by:

Dainer William Bonilla Tovar 93380055

Kathleen Michel Ramos 1120387380

Luis Carlos Rodríguez 1018472826

Mario Fernando Tarache Cabarte 1118569850

Passy Katerine Mosquera Ayala 1112763210

Submitted to:

Yohom Fredy Sánchez

First and Second Language Acquisition and Learning - 551018_28

National Open University and Distance – UNAD

Sciences and Education School – ECEDU

April, 2019
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Language acquisition

Dainer William Bonilla Tovar.

1. Learning process descriptions and information on age as a factor for language

acquisition as presented in tasks 1A and 1B.

http://30handsweb.com.s3.amazonaws.com/presentation/4546/video.mp4

(Task 1B). The relevance of age for language learning:

Many people think that age is a fundamental factor when learning English as a foreign

language and me too. Although I personally consider that this does not always make a difference.

According to Nejadansari and Nasrollahzadeh (2011) “The process of acquiring a second

language grammar is not substantially affected by age, but that of acquiring pronunciation may

be”.

It’s seen that the context and the interaction has a high influence on the English learning

process, so in this case the age doesn’t play a main role, because the difference will be notorious

when comparing a person (young or adult) who’s been all the time exposed to the English

language spoken by native speakers, with one who hasn’t been exposed to the same conditions.

According to my experience through my English learning process, I could state that age is not so

relevant at the moment of learning English because it’s complemented with other different

factors, including emotional factors. The difference lies in the way in which learning English is

conceived, children, for example, conceive learning English as a game, therefore they’re always

motivated and make of this process something fun and a little bit easier. On the other hand,

adults use to take this learning process more seriously and in consequence, they’re exposed to be

unmotivated more easily and therefore end up abandoning the process.

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2. Critical review of Kathleen’s reflection:

I've watched your 30-hands presentation and I have to say that I agree with you when you

say that “learning can be achieved at any age of life”, but it's obvious that it can’t be

conceived at the same speed, especially when it comes to learning a second language.

Besides, a new language learning process is influenced not only by age but other factors such

as culture, environment, social context, etc. many authors think that a second language

learning process is more effective in children due to the flexibility of the brain, which allows

them to acquire knowledge in an easier way, but this only covers certain characteristics of

language and let apart some others that will have to be acquired in the future, such as

grammatical structures, for example. Furthermore, children are not exposed to pressure as

adults are, which influence his learning process, which means that favorable conditions play a

key role in the learning process too.

Kathleen Michel Ramos.

1. Learning process descriptions and information on age as a factor for language

acquisition as presented in tasks 1A and 1B.

https://30handsweb.com/presentations/4531/play

2. Critical review of Dainer’s reflection:

I just watched your video and I believe it's clear.

I think the following:

It's true what you said about Nejadansari and Nasrollahzadeh (2011) "The process of

acquiring a second language grammar is not affected by age, but that of acquiring

pronunciation may be". It is a process that takes place according to time. For example: Human
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beings usually use commands that we use in our daily life, getting up, closing the door,

opening the computer, among others. If you use these commands or elementary words to

children such as "bring me that red chair" pointing to the object the child will understand the

message you want to give and without realizing your brain stores that information to such an

extent that in the next opportunity There will be no need to point to the object. Some clear

examples of what Krashen says:

-All of us perform the digestion process in the same way.

- The visual system in all is the same.

And why not, we all learn in the same way.

With different resources, but at the end the result must be the same.

But I think In the first ages (childhood) children absorb much more knowledge than when

they are adults, in addition, learning another language helps their attention and improves their

memory since they acquire learning naturally, there are four stages that help their learning to

be more productive as it is to listen, to understand, to speak, to read and to write.

In conclusion the learning can be achieved at any age of life but in the child's age is more

fast this learning.

Luis Carlos Rodríguez.

1. Learning process descriptions and information on age as a factor for language

acquisition as presented in tasks 1A and 1B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=d1Yfn-ddnvM

2. Critical review of Dainer’s reflection:

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I watched you video and I think you do an amazing job, also I think that the hypothesis

that you mentioned is very accurate, I think that when the emotions that you feel, the mood

that you have and how things are going through your life, influence a lot in the way you learn,

not only other language, but everything, so, like you said, sometimes we can study a lot what

we need to study, but our mind gets blocked and we can’t hold any of what we study, that’s

because our mood, so stress and anxiety are very influent in our learning process.

In age of learning I think you are right, but I think age does make the difference, because age

is fundamental at the point of get easier or harder the learning of a second language, because it

has been proved that at younger ages, people can learn a language in an easier and more

proficient way, so I think that's the only thing that I have to say to you according your video.

Critical review on Kathleen’s reflection:

I saw Your video And I think you have done a really good job, you mentioned something

that is very important in the way I see things, You Quote Krashen, He said that language is

"acquired according to the space in which it is", I think that affirmation is fundamental to

understand the Basic form of language, because our environment determines our way to

communicate and to express ourselves to others, and to supply our needs of communication

and expression, for example, when a little boy is learning how to talk, he has the necessity of

communicate, and based on that necessity hi start to speak according the space that he is

placed, so he start to ask for food when his parents are with him in that space, but when his

brothers are with him he ask for toys instead, because he learned that his parents are

occupying a different space than his brothers.

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Based in what you said about the age in learning process, I agree with you, people is

prone to learn a second language when they are in childhood, it gets easier and faster the

learning because it is proved that in childhood children are in a learning stage which allows

them to absorb in an easier way all the concepts and information that is given to them, so I'm

not saying that an adult can’t learn a second language but the process in easier with children.

Mario Fernando Tarache Cabarte.

1. Learning process descriptions and information on age as a factor for language

acquisition as presented in tasks 1A and 1B.

http://30handsweb.com.s3.amazonaws.com/presentations/4618/video.mp4

2. Critical review of Passy´s reflection:

I have watched your presentation and I realize that four of us selected the same

hypothesis (The acquisition language distinction). It is not a coincidence that researchers

conceive this hypothesis as one of the most widely known among language learners. On the

other hand, you mentioned "this hypothesis considers different strategies for learning", I

would say we have all learned that way, acquiring knowledge from different resources such as

social media, social interaction, watching movies, listening podcasts, etc... Which is

commonly known as informal learning.

We also have learned through formal instruction, being conscious about the learning

process, especially from our school experiences.

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Passy Katerine Mosquera Ayala.

1. Learning process descriptions and information on age as a factor for language

acquisition as presented in tasks 1A and 1B.

http://30handsweb.com.s3.amazonaws.com/presentations/4642/video.mp4

2. Critical review of Luis Carlos’ reflection:

I was watching your video and I think that the approach you make to learning methods is

very interesting.

You, according to the hypothesis, propose two ways of learning a second language,

starting with communication from the subconscious, which allows us to have a great approach

to new knowledge, because as you say, the subconscious is related to learning and allows us

to focus on what we want indirectly; on the other hand, you set out the form of learning from

the conscious, which is where, in fact, we focus on the knowledge we are acquiring, leading

to the improvement and correction of errors we may have.

According to the above, I share the analysis you make of the hypothesis and I consider

that it has a good approach, relating it to the methods we apply to learn a second language.

Also, I share your opinion about the age to learn a language, since all you can learn, but the

youngest ones, by their conditions and pro-activity can learn it faster than an adult.
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References

Ellis, R. (2003). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 11-

40. Retrieved from https://drive.uqu.edu.sa/_/malehyani/files/Rod-Ellis-The-Study-of-

Second-Language-A.pdf

Krashen, S. (2009). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. University of

Southern California.9-45. Retrieved from

http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

Mendoza, R. (s.f.). The parenting process. Lev Vygotsky and teaching in early development.
Retrieved from https://robeymendoza.wordpress.com/about/
Muñoz, C. (2010). On how age affects foreign language learning. University of Barcelona. 1-11.
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Nejadansari, D. & Nasrollahzadeh, J. (2011). Effects of age on second language acquisition.

Studies in literature and language, 3(3), 19-24. Retrieved from-

http://cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/viewFile/j.sll.1923156320110303.059/2145

Oliveira, M. (2007). Reflexiones sobre el modelo de adquisición de segundas lenguas de Stephen

Krashen – un puente entre la teoría y la práctica. E/LE Brasil, 5. Retrieved from

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