TEYL 1

THEORIES ON CHILD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

MYTHS ABOUT YOUNG LEARNERS AND TEYL
 Myths or Facts

 Children who learn a language before adolescence are much more likely to have
native-like pronunciation.
 Children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates.
 Children only need to learn simple language and simple topics.
 Young children learn languages better.
 Foreign language learning at school should start early.
 Children and adults learn a foreign/ second language in the same way.
 Adults have a longer concentration span compared to children.
 It is easier to motivate children.
 Teachers of young learners need less training.

While discussing whether these statements are myths or facts,

keep in mind the difference between ESL and EFL contexts, and
that between acquisition and instructional learning.
 Myths or Facts

Statements Myth Fact

1- Children who learn a language before adolescence are much more

likely to have native-like pronunciation.
2- Children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates.

3- Children only need to learn simple language and simple topics.

4- Young children learn languages better.
5- Foreign language learning at school should start early.
6- Children and adults learn a foreign/ second language in the same
way.
7- Adults have a longer concentration span compared to children.
8- It is easier to motivate children.
9- Teachers of young learners need less training.
Theories on Child Language Acquisition
Child Language Acquisition

 Babies are born into the

world unable to linguistically
articulate specific desires,
needs, feelings or intentions.
 crying, cooing, other sounds,
and by using physical
movements and gestures.
 by 12 months of age  their
first words
 Child Language Acquisition

 Chomsky  learning to walk & learning to talk

 No deliberate teaching

 Prewired- innateness –genetic predisposition – preferance for human

voice -3 days old
 Following facial expressions, mouth movements

 Sound discrimination ability – until 10-12 months

 Babies all over the world appear to go through similar
linguistic stages, at similar ages – prewired
 Cooing
 Babbling
 Words
 Phrases
 Sentences
Child Language Acquisition

 How do we teach these structures?

 Child Language Acquisition

 Wug test – plural

markers, past tense
marker  morpeheme
generalization
 U-shaped development –
irregular past form verb
 Child Language Acquisition Theories

 Behaviorist View
 Environment is essential

 Stimulus-response

 Universal Grammar
 Environment is trigger

 Logical problem of language

acquisition
 Poverty of stimulus
 Child Language Acquisition Theories

 Inteactionist Approach
 Environment +innate
capacity +interaction
 Negotiation of meaning

 Language is for
communication
 Motherese – care giver talk

 Emergentism
 Emergence of language
abilities over time
 No UG- just neuron network

 Connectiosim –exposure to L1
L1 vs L2 Acquisition/Learning
 Initial State

 The very beginning of language learning

 Underlying knowledge of langauge structures and
principles
 L1 vs L2 acquisition?
 What do the learners know?
 Intermediate State

 Language learning process

 L1  child grammar
 L2  Learner language/ interlanguage (IL)

 positive transfer, when an L1 structure or rule is

used in an L2 utterance and that use is appropriate
or “correct” in the L2
 negative transfer (or interference), when an L1
structure or rule is used in an L2 utterance and that
use is inappropriate and considered an “error.”
 Error vs mistake

1.Can I assist to your class?

2. I have been always to class on time. Although last

week I needed to go to hospital and I had to come to
class a little bit late. But other than that I have
always been to class on time.

 Which one is error? Which one is mistake?

 Why errors are important?
  Feedback
 L1 vs L2 LEARNING

 Language input to the learner is absolutely necessary for

either L1 or L2 learning to take place.
 Children additionally require interaction with other
people for L1 learning to occur. In contrast, while
reciprocal social interaction generally facilitates SLA, it is
not a necessary condition.
 It is possible for some individuals to reach a fairly high
level of proficiency in L2 even if they have input only
from such generally non-reciprocal sources as radio,
television, or written text.
 L1 vs L2 LEARNING

 L1 learning by children occurs without instruction, and the

rate of L1 development is not significantly influenced by
correction of immature forms or by degree of motivation to
speak,

 The following help SLA process:

 feedback, including correction of L2 learners’ errors;
 aptitude, including memory capacity and analytic ability;
 motivation, or need and desire to learn;
 instruction, or explicit teaching in school settings.
 Final State

 Outcome of L1 and L2 learning

 Linguistic competence
 Different registers (written/
spoken, formal/ informal etc.)
 L1  Native competence
 L2  near-native / native-like
competence
 L2 never native competence
 L2 fossilization
New Research!
13.10.2022
 Implications for TEYL

 L1 an L2 learning processes have some differences &

similarities
 Listening & speaking first
 Morpheme order - same
 Providing meaningful context
 Creating a communicative environment
 Using body language, gestures, and physical
activities (TPR)
 Reference List

 Hummel, K. M. (2014). First language acquisition. In

Introducing second language acquisition:
Perspectives and practices (pp. 5–33). essay, Wiley
Blackwell.
 Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young
learners. Cambridge University Press.
 Linse, T. C. (2005). Practical English language
teaching: Young Learners. McGraw Hill: NY.
 Ur, P. (1996). A course in language teaching.
Cambridge University Press.