Assignment 1

“Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning”

Subject: Applied Linguistic

Submitted to: Madam Kiran

Submitted by: Areeba Aftab

Bs English (semester6)
 Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning

Through language we can communicate and connect with other people. There are two
fundamental ways through which one can develop competence in second language:

Second Language Acquisition

Language Acquisition is the process by which human acquire the capacity to perceive and
comprehend language through the usage of words and sentences. Second language acquisition is
about the achievement of additional languages in both children and adults. According to Stephen
Krashen: “Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in target language -natural
communication -in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with
the messages they are conveying and understanding.”

Examples:
 People can acquire language through TV shows. Korean singer Namjoon stated in his
various interviews that he acquired English through the TV show: “Friends”.
 Movies can be used for similar purpose as well. Vardit Ringvald, a professor at
Middlebury developed competence in Spanish by watching: “Andrea Celeste.”
 Most Pakhtoon children often acquire Urdu when they interact with other children at
school level.
 Many immigrants often acquire the targeted language through communication with the
natives of that language.
 Many traders and travelers often acquire the targeted language through communication
with the natives.

Second Language Learning

Second Language Learning is a conscious process where the learning of another language
other than first language takes place. It is the result of direct instruction in the rules of
language. It is not age appropriate for young children as learning presupposes that learners
have a conscious knowledge of the new language and can talk about that knowledge. It often
taken place in a more formal setting, for example: any language learning institute or school.
 Examples:
 Pakistani children start learning second language that is English at school level.
 In Russia, children start learning their second language in Grade5 which is often
English or German.
 Some people learn a second language for job purposes, for example: translator and
interpreter.
 Some people learn a new language for fun, to understand movies and songs in that
language or read books written in that language. For example, many people learn
Spanish for this purpose.
 Many students learn a new language for scoring better grades in their GCSEs.

Difference:

Second Language Acquisition Second Language Learning

The Broca’s area of the brain is the one Whereas, the Wernicke’s area of the brain is
actively involved during the process of active in the language learning process.
acquisition.
It is the unconscious learning of the language. It is the conscious learning of the language.
It depends upon the aptitude of the learner. It depends upon the attitude of the learner.
Learners are unaware of grammatical rules It is the result of direct instructions in the
and regulations. rules of language.
Learners both young and adults can acquire a It is not an age appropriate activity for young
second language. learners.
The learners obtain implicit knowledge about The learners obtain explicit knowledge about
a language, the linguistic skills and still need a language and have competency both
correctness. grammatically and linguistically.