BASICS

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Language acquisition is the intricate process through which individuals,
regardless of age, learn and internalize a language system, enabling them
to communicate effectively within a particular linguistic community.

This process involves the gradual acquisition of vocabulary, grammatical

structures, and communicative skills through exposure to spoken and
written language in social contexts. Language acquisition encompasses
both first language acquisition (FLA), which occurs during infancy and
childhood, and second language acquisition (SLA), which occurs when
individuals learn additional languages beyond their native tongue.

It involves complex cognitive processes, including pattern recognition, rule

learning, and semantic understanding, as well as social interactions and
cultural immersion. Language acquisition is influenced by various factors
such as innate linguistic abilities, environmental stimuli, social interactions,
and individual learning strategies, highlighting the dynamic and
multifaceted nature of human language development.

From Latin acquisitio – to receive/get something

Humans ability to acquire and understand language, which means to learn it

and to be able to comprehend it.

Also, the ability to produce words and complete sentences in order to use
them in communication.

FLA – first language acquisition

SLA – second language acquisition

LANGUAGE
System of communication with a certain structure, with grammar and
vocabulary

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 used by humans to convey and show the meaning of something, using both
written and spoken forms

many languages have developed written forms to preserve and record

messages, sounds, signs

certain languages without written forms, but with other elements

HUMAN LANGUAGE CAPACITY

Human linguistic capacity is a biological condition inherent in humans
as species, unchanged across different human groups, and has undergone
little, if any, evolutionary change

Every language is to some extent an infinite systematized structure, where

grammar is accompanied by specific semantic elements -> issues related to
meaning in language.

Humans are able to create infinite messages, alter them or process them to
get the desired meaning.

Languages are compositional, made up of smaller and smaller units. This is

another proof that language capacity and aspects related to it must be
present in the human mind, which highlights the genetic component of
language

Human language capacity encompasses the remarkable ability of

individuals to acquire, produce, and comprehend complex linguistic
systems. At the core of this capacity lies the human brain's intricate neural
networks, specialized for processing language. Unlike other species,
humans possess a unique cognitive architecture that enables them to
acquire and use languages with unparalleled flexibility and creativity. This
capacity is evident in the diverse languages spoken worldwide, each with
its own intricate grammar, vocabulary, and phonological system.

Moreover, human language capacity extends beyond mere communication,

serving as a medium for expressing thoughts, emotions, and cultural
identities. Through language, humans can convey abstract concepts,
engage in complex reasoning, and transmit knowledge across generations.

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 LANGUAGE AS A TYPICALLY HUMAN
PHENOMENON
Animals are also able to communicate with each other in some ways, but
the ability to acquire and use language is an element that is uniquely human

Animals are able to use signals or sounds, but they cannot combine them
into new messages that will then be understood by other individuals of the
same species → productivity

Humans are not limited to one word system, but they are capable of
creating unlimited number of messages

Human language is distinct from all other known animal forms of

communication in being compositional. Human language allows speakers to
express to express thoughts in sentences comprising subjects, verbs and
objects and recognizing past, present and future tenses. Compositionality
gives human language an endless capacity for generating new sentences
as speakers combine and recombine sets of words into their subject, verb
and object roles. For instance, with just 25 different words for each role, it is
already possible to generate over 15,000 distinct sentences. Human
language is also referential, meaning speakers use it to exchange specific
information with each other about people or objects and their locations or
actions.

FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

First language acquisition, often referred to as language development, is
the remarkable process through which infants and young children acquire
their native language effortlessly and with remarkable proficiency.

Beginning from infancy, babies are immersed in a linguistic environment,

where they are exposed to the sounds, words, and grammatical structures
of their caregivers' language. Through innate cognitive abilities and social
interactions, children gradually acquire vocabulary, grasp grammar rules,
and develop communicative skills.

This process involves various stages, from babbling and single-word

utterances to complex sentence constructions, with children displaying an
impressive ability to infer linguistic patterns and meanings from their
surroundings. First language acquisition is a multifaceted phenomenon

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 influenced by biological predispositions, environmental factors, and social
interactions, highlighting the intricate interplay between nature and nurture
in shaping human linguistic development.

Language acquisition is most common in children learning their mother

tongue -> FOUR STAGES.

Language changes depending on the environmental input a child receives

from an early age.

Children must learn a language from scratch, although scientists debate

when children actually start learning a language.

Two methods - associationism and joint attention

Associationism - children learn certain meanings when two elements

overlap simultaneously, i.e. seeing an object and hearing its name.
However, the correlation between this theory and speech production is
weak.

Joint attention - two people coordinate their attention on one object (in this
case, parent and child). They also need to engage socially, such as talking,
pointing, and laughing.

FERAL CHILDREN
Feral children are individuals who have lived in isolation from human
contact or socialization during critical developmental periods of their lives,
often resulting in limited or no exposure to language, culture, or social
norms.

These children may have been abandoned, lost, or intentionally isolated

from society, leading them to grow up without the guidance and care
typically provided by adults. As a consequence, feral children often exhibit
behaviours more akin to wild animals than humans, lacking basic
communication skills, social etiquette, and understanding of societal
constructs.

The study of feral children provides invaluable insights into the critical role
of social interaction and environmental stimulation in human development,
highlighting the profound impact of early experiences on cognitive,
emotional, and social functioning.

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 SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
The process by which people learn a second language (that is, a language
other than the user's native language).

Interlanguage - an idiolect, also called an individual language (which is an

individual way of using language by each person, also applies to speech).
Interlanguage combines items from each user's L1 and L2.

Many different elements influence interlanguage, including transfer from

the first language, learning and communication strategies in L2, and
generalization of language strategies.

Different theories influence SLA - universal grammar, critical period

hypothesis, competition theory, sociocultural theory, etc.

Bilingualism, multilingualism, polyglots.

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