Running head: LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AUTOBIOGRAPHY 1

Language Acquisition Autobiography

Rachel L. Marichi
Los Angeles Pacific University
English 420: Principles of Language
Professor Crystal Gentry
March 19, 2023
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My very first recollections about the spoken and written language are special to me. I

don’t remember a lot before I was 4 years old, however, I do remember telling my mom that I

was a “big girl now.” I do remember my parents talking to me and singing songs in the car. As a

child, my dad would ask me to tell him how to get home. It was a game we would play. I do

know that my mom told me that as a toddler, I was very fussy until I learned how to talk, then I

was much better.

My family prioritized reading a lot. I remember my mom reading to my brother and I

every night before bed. I remember that my mom had bought a vocabulary book that had

pronunciations in it. It would describe the difference between, er, ir, and ur. It had long columns

of words that sound alike and we would practice saying those words. I also remember that my

parents bought me a toy that was a pen that had books that belonged to it, and as I guided the pen

on the book, it would say the word for me. It was to help me read. Also at home, my parents

bought us workbooks to help with our reading. I also had a Teddy Ruxpin doll that had books

and videos that belonged to it. For the books, Teddy Ruxpin would read the book to you.

At school, I remember my Kindergarten teacher sitting us at the back table to take turns

reading. I also remember in school that we had spelling tests and would practice reading out

loud in class as whole classroom. I remember being nervous to read out loud and the teacher

would correct you if you said a word wrong, or she would guide you in how to read better (by

telling you to pause at periods, the end of a sentence, etc.).

As for language, I grew up speaking English at home. My mom taught us words like

cooperate and precious that I knew that people wondered how we knew those words as little

children. My mom told me that my first word was “Da da” and I was under a year old. She
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really wanted me to learn to say “ma ma,” but it was easier for me to say “da da.” George Yule,

the author of The Study of Language says that

In the later babbling stage, around nine to ten months, there are recognizable intonation

patterns to the consonant and vowel combinations being produced, as well as variation in

the combinations such as ba-ba-da-da. Nasal sounds also become more common and

certain syllable sequences such as ma-ma-ma and da-da-da are inevitably interpreted by

parents as versions of “mama” and “dada” and repeated back to the child. (Yule, 2023).

These experiences have helped me as an adult. For work, I work as an Instructional Assistant and

I have helped 1st-5th graders learn how to read. What I remember is my vocabulary book that my

parents bought for me and how it taught me the differences in the “er” words. It also taught me

the “th “words. Which is something I had to tell my students. I also remember how reading out

loud was an important part of school for me. Even though I would get nervous reading out loud

and risk being embarrassed, it helped to have the teacher correct me.

I believe that English Language Acquisition is not how it used to be when I was in

school. I worked for an elementary school recently and I worked for the RSP teacher. The

students I helped needed a lot of help in ELA. Some didn’t know how to spell and so getting

them to where they should be was an ongoing process. I had a third grader that was very low in

reading and she started to cry because she was aware that she didn’t know how to read. I worked

with her a lot and when I left, I would like to think that she was getting better. I did tell her it

would be an ongoing process.

After working at the elementary school, I saw how they don’t really give spelling tests

anymore and they don’t practice reading out loud as a class, like they used to. I believe that those
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are foundational. A lot of the reading was done on their own and they took quizzes online. I

believe that, especially after reading this textbook by George Yule, that language acquisition is

important. It’s important that children grasp vocabulary and learn the alphabet’s sounds. A lot of

the time, I would tell the kids to sound out the word. I would place my finger on the word, and

sound out each letter. Sounding out words is an important part of reading. As for the higher

grades, like 5th grade, reading comprehension was more important.

I believe that K-5th are the foundational ages to learn ELA to be successful. My early

experiences have taught me this. I see that not every kid has a parent that will read to them. So,

in those cases, sometimes, I will read to them and have them follow along. I believe that being

read to, is also an important part of learning how to read. Just like babies learn to say a word.

My career path has inspired my feeling on ELA because I have seen it first hand as an

Instructional Assistant. I have seen kids who could read really well and be terrible spellers. I

have seen kids who were good at spelling and reading, but need help in reading comprehension. I

have worked with 1st graders who were just learning the basics of the alphabet and beginning

their journey on learning the language.

When I compare my experience with learning the language to some of the kids I have

worked with, I feel that it is important to help them get a good solid foundation. The third grader

that I worked with that had trouble reading, would love to go over the alphabet. So, every day we

would go over the alphabet. I also realized that the sounds of the alphabet were just as important.

I also had beginner workbook pages for her to help her get a good foundation. I believe that

when my parents bought me workbooks to go beyond my schooling that it helped me to be a

good reader. My mom was always a big reader, so I think it was important to her. As a future

educator, I feel like my own school experience has helped me to be a good teacher.
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I believe that a person’s first experience with language and literacy will help them in life.

I had a positive experience. I wish that for my students as well. When the third grader that started

crying to me happened, I consoled her and told her how English is a language that takes many

years to master. I told her how I was in college and in college you still have to learn English. She

wasn’t expected to get it overnight. She was actually my best student because she really wanted

to learn.

In an article titled Importance of Early Literacy says that

Children who are read to, sung to, and talked to from a young age develop bigger

vocabularies, become better readers, and are more likely to succeed in school.

Research indicates that when children are reached with high quality early learning

experiences, they are 40% less likely to fall behind in school .

(MakeWayforBooks.com, 2023)

This helps me as an educator know how to handle it when a child doesn’t know how to read. I

know from my own experiences that reading out loud to a child can help them grasp words that

they do not know.

What I have learned about the theories of literacy and language acquisition is helpful

because I see how it can impact kids if they don’t reach those milestones. I know that,

personally, as a student, I feel bad if I procrastinate and don’t get my work done on time. This

helps me to relate to children who have fallen behind. As an educator, it is my job to help those

students stay on track and to have positive self -talk regarding ELA. Right now I am working at

the high school level and I see how it can become a problem if not tacked at a younger age.
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In conclusion, ELA has a big impact on a child’s self-confidence, social skills, and

grades. It is important for us as educators to be encouraging and to go above and beyond with the

students that are falling behind. Just simple things like reading to the student, practicing ABCs,

and having word games can help a child find the fun in learning how to read.
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References
MakeWayforBooks.com (2023). Importance of early literacy. Retrieved from:
https://makewayforbooks.org/early-
literacy/#:~:text=Children%20who%20are%20read%20to,to%20fall%20behind%20in%2
0school.
Yule, G. (2023). The study of language, 8th edition. Cambridge University Press.