10 Questions
What is the primary focus of Lecture Series 1 in the course ENG 316-Second Language Acquisition?
Exploring the phenomenon of first language development in young children
What is the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) in relation to language acquisition?
A theory that suggests there is a limited period in which language acquisition is easier and more successful
What is the primary focus of the Interactionist/Developmental Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
The importance of social interaction and cognitive development in language acquisition
What is the primary tenet of the Behaviourist Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
Language acquisition is a result of environment and stimulus-response interactions
What is the primary difference between acquisition and learning in language development?
Acquisition refers to the subconscious process of language development, while learning refers to the conscious process
Which of the following cognitive developmental stages is associated with the pre-school years?
Pre-operational stage
What is the primary focus of the Innatist Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
The innate ability of children to acquire language
Which of the following is a key idea in the research on first language acquisition?
Cross-cultural research on language acquisition
What is the primary idea behind Usage-Based Learning?
Language acquisition is a result of the frequency and complexity of language input
What is the primary focus of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research?
Understanding how adults and children acquire a second language
Study Notes
Cognitive Developmental Stages (Piaget)
- Sensorimotor stage (Birth to 2 years): Learning occurs through senses, such as sucking, touching, looking, and listening.
- Preoperational stage (Ages 2 to 7): Thinking becomes symbolic, using words and pictures to represent objects, but tends to be egocentric.
- Concrete operational stage (Ages 7 to 11): Egocentrism decreases, thinking becomes more logical and organized, but still concrete.
- Formal operational stage (Ages 12 and up): Thinking becomes abstract, and reasoning about hypothetical problems is possible.
Language Development (Vygotsky)
- Language develops mainly from social interaction.
- Conversations with adults and peers provide scaffolding for language development (Zone of Proximal Development, ZPD).
First Language Acquisition (L1)
- L1 acquisition is universal, with similarities across languages.
- Children use basic syntactic patterns of their L1 before reaching school age.
- Within the first three years, milestones include grammatical morphemes, negation, and question formation.
Theories Explaining First Language Acquisition
- Behaviourist Perspective
- Innatist Perspective (including the Critical Period Hypothesis)
- Interactionist/Developmental Perspective (including Piaget and Vygotsky)
This quiz covers the topics of first language development in young children, explanations of language learning, and key research ideas, based on 'How Languages are Learned' by Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. It reviews major concepts from Chapter 1 of the book.
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