Language Acquisition Overview

Language Acquisition: Overview

• Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the ability to understand and use language.
• It involves the development of linguistic skills, including phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Stages of Language Acquisition

• Pre-linguistic stage (0-6 months):
  • Cooing and babbling
  • Developing phonological awareness
• Babbling stage (6-9 months):
  • Imitating sounds and syllable structures
  • Experimenting with vocalization
• One-word stage (9-12 months):
  • Using single words to communicate
  • Understanding object permanence
• Two-word stage (12-18 months):
  • Combining two words to form simple sentences
  • Developing vocabulary
• Telegraphic stage (18-24 months):
  • Using short sentences with a focus on content words
  • Omitting function words (e.g., "the," "a")

Language Acquisition Devices (LAD)

• LAD hypothesis: humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language.
• Universal Grammar: a set of rules and principles that are common to all human languages.
• Poverty of the Stimulus: the idea that children are not exposed to enough language data to learn language solely through experience.

Factors Influencing Language Acquisition

• Environment: exposure to language, social interaction, and cultural context.
• Innateness: the idea that language acquisition is facilitated by innate abilities and predispositions.
• Cognitive abilities: memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

Theories of Language Acquisition

• Behaviorist theory: language acquisition is a result of imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning.
• Innatist theory: language acquisition is facilitated by innate abilities and Universal Grammar.
• Interactionist theory: language acquisition is a result of the interaction between environment, innateness, and cognitive abilities.

Language Acquisition in Children vs. Adults

• Children:
  • Acquire language rapidly and effortlessly
  • Possess a greater ability to learn and adapt to language rules
  • Are more likely to achieve native-like fluency
• Adults:
  • Acquire language more slowly and with greater effort
  • May experience more difficulty in learning language rules and achieving native-like fluency
  • May be influenced by their native language and learning style