Child Language Acquisition

The study of how children learn their first language.

The study of how people learn a language other than their native tongue.

The idea that children are born with an innate ability to learn language.

The theory that children learn language by imitating the adults around them.

Mistakes made by children learning language that are not due to simple imitation but rather reflect the child's own developing understanding of language rules.

The idea that children's language is a system in its own right, rather than just a flawed version of adult language.

The stage of language development where babies make sounds but do not yet have meaningful words.

The stage of language development where babies use single words to express a variety of meanings.

A child uses a word too broadly, applying it to objects that share a similar feature but are not actually the same.

A child uses a word too narrowly, only applying it to a specific instance or object.

The first stage of language development, where children use intonation to convey meaning. They may use single words, two-word phrases, or simple sentences.

The third stage of language development, where children start to use word order to form questions. They may still have some errors in word order.

The fourth stage of language development, where children master the use of auxiliary verbs (e.g., can, do, will) and proper word order in questions.

A study by Brown (1973) that observed the acquisition of grammatical morphemes in English by three children. The study found a predictable order in which children learn these morphemes.

The tendency for children to overgeneralize grammatical rules, applying them to cases where they don't apply. For example, using 'goed' instead of 'went' for the past tense.

A method used to assess children's understanding of grammatical morphemes, like the plural marker '-s'. It involves presenting children with novel words and asking them to pluralize them. This is a test to see whether a child can apply learned grammatical rules to new words.

The ability to use more than one language effectively and fluently.

The period in early childhood when language acquisition is most efficient and natural.

The study of how children acquire a second language after already acquiring their first language.

The idea that children learn their native language (L1) and a second language (L2) through similar underlying processes.

The theory that language learning is primarily based on imitation and reinforcement.

The idea that language learning is driven by innate cognitive abilities, particularly in syntax.

The quality and quantity of language input a learner receives has a significant impact on their language learning outcome.

The idea that language learning is not solely determined by intelligence, but influenced by a combination of factors.

The idea that language acquisition is a subconscious process, happening naturally like a child learning their first language, while language learning is a conscious process involving studying rules and grammar.

Krashen's theory that language is acquired in a predictable order, regardless of the learner's background.

The role of conscious grammar knowledge in language production. The 'monitor' checks the language output based on learned rules, but only effective when time, focus, and knowledge are available.

The input hypothesis emphasizes the importance of comprehensible input, slightly above the learner's current level, for language acquisition.

The influence of emotions and attitudes on language learning. Low filter allows input to flow freely for acquisition, while a high filter blocks input and hinders learning.

The theory explaining how people acquire a second language, based on five key hypotheses.

The idea that first language (L1) has a limited impact on second language (L2) acquisition.

The Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) suggests that learners' first language (L1) influences their second language (L2) acquisition. It predicts that similarities between L1 and L2 would lead to easier learning, while differences would result in difficulties. However, critics argue that CAH is primarily theoretical and doesn't accurately predict L2 learning outcomes, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of language acquisition.

The Creative Construction Theory, proposed by Dulay and Burt, asserts that children learning a second language (L2) construct their own rules for the language based on their inherent language acquisition ability. This process involves reconstructing the rules from the speech they hear, suggesting that L2 learners are actively constructing language structures, not simply copying them.

The Morpheme Order Studies emerged as a way to investigate whether there were similarities in the acquisition patterns between first language (L1) and second language (L2) learning. This research was motivated by the hypotheses of Brown and Dulay and Burt, who suggested a universal pattern of development in language acquisition.

The Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM) is a standardized test designed to assess the morphological knowledge of children learning a second language (L2). It's a valuable tool for understanding how children develop grammatical skills in their new language.

The Morpheme Order Studies, while insightful, suffered from several limitations that impacted their conclusions. These issues included biased test design, a diverse learner pool making it difficult to isolate L1 influence, focus on only morphemes neglecting the broader language acquisition picture, disregard for individual differences among learners, potential data collection issues, and a limited scope focusing on a few morphemes.

The results of Morpheme Order Studies, while initially suggesting similar development patterns between native and non-native language learners, revealed significant differences in the acquisition of specific morphemes across different language groups. These differences are attributed to the learners' first language (L1) influence on their second language (L2) acquisition.

Despite the differences observed between native and non-native language learners, researchers like Dulay and Burt argued that the similarities in language acquisition patterns strongly suggest the presence of universal developmental factors. They minimized the role of first language (L1) influence, emphasizing the innate mechanisms and learning processes common to all human languages.

The Morpheme Order Studies, while valuable for understanding the initial phases of language acquisition, faced several limitations, including biased test design, a heterogeneous learner population, narrow focus on morphemes, disregard for individual differences, potential data collection issues, and a limited scope. These factors highlight the need for further research employing more sophisticated methodologies and addressing diverse learner characteristics to gain a more comprehensive understanding of second language acquisition.