Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of Lecture Series 1 in the course ENG 316-Second Language Acquisition?
What is the primary focus of Lecture Series 1 in the course ENG 316-Second Language Acquisition?
- The role of grammar in second language acquisition
- Language disorders and delays in adult learners
- Bilingualism and its effects on cognitive development
- Exploring the phenomenon of first language development in young children (correct)
What is the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) in relation to language acquisition?
What is the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) in relation to language acquisition?
- A theory that suggests children can learn language at any age with equal ease
- A theory that suggests adults are better language learners than children
- A theory that suggests there is a limited period in which language acquisition is easier and more successful (correct)
- A theory that suggests language acquisition is solely dependent on cognitive development
What is the primary focus of the Interactionist/Developmental Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
What is the primary focus of the Interactionist/Developmental Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
- The role of grammar in language acquisition
- The importance of social interaction and cognitive development in language acquisition (correct)
- The role of environment and stimulus-response interactions
- The innate ability of children to acquire language
What is the primary tenet of the Behaviourist Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
What is the primary tenet of the Behaviourist Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
What is the primary difference between acquisition and learning in language development?
What is the primary difference between acquisition and learning in language development?
Which of the following cognitive developmental stages is associated with the pre-school years?
Which of the following cognitive developmental stages is associated with the pre-school years?
What is the primary focus of the Innatist Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
What is the primary focus of the Innatist Perspective in explaining first language acquisition?
Which of the following is a key idea in the research on first language acquisition?
Which of the following is a key idea in the research on first language acquisition?
What is the primary idea behind Usage-Based Learning?
What is the primary idea behind Usage-Based Learning?
What is the primary focus of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research?
What is the primary focus of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research?
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)
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
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.
