SECOND LANGUAGE GRAMMAR ACQUISITION

Second Language Grammar Acquisition

Table of Contents

Introduction/organization statement3

Definition of grammatical knowledge3

Relation of grammatical knowledge to phonology and vocabulary4

Relation of grammatical knowledge to the ability to use L25

Learning Development Models (Universal Grammar, Cognitive models, Interactionist / Socio-cultural models)5

Universal Grammar6

Cognitive Models6

Interactionist / Socio-cultural Models7

External conditions needed for grammatical knowledge to develop7

Role of exposure and experience in learning grammar8

Role of instruction in grammatical development9

Conclusion9

References11

Second Language Grammar Acquisition

Introduction/organization statement

Language is a tool that is widely used by humans of all ages and groups. We live life in and through our language. It builds our relationship with the world around us. It helps us in retaining presence in the universe with the help of developing our own unique ideas, opinions, and views; using nothing but, a language. Many different theorists feel the need and urgency to acquire different languages as time passes and as advancements are taking place. Learning a second language can really improve upon a person's interpretive and analytical skills and improve upon his/her efficiency in communicating to different people in all possible situations.

Definition of grammatical knowledge

The definition of grammatical knowledge in the mental lexicon of people, who teach and learn a language, is that grammar is the order of a word or word syntax. If we identify the psychological view of grammar, we come to know what grammatical knowledge is. Grammar knowledge encompasses two broad categories as declarative grammar knowledge and procedural grammar knowledge. Declarative knowledge is the information of something that is identifiable and concrete like grammar rules. Procedural grammar knowledge is also called implicit knowledge. Thus, grammatical knowledge is considered to be automatized (i.e. declarative knowledge becomes procedural knowledge with time) by practice and frequent noticing of grammar features in a language. For instance, the ability to choose the right verb forms such as adding the - ing or - ed without thinking relies on our knowledge. Grammar is a system of language while grammar knowledge can be defined as an internalized instructional structure that is based on the theories of grammar.

Relation of grammatical knowledge to phonology and vocabulary

Phonology/Graphology and Vocabulary plays an important role in relation to the development of grammatical knowledge. This knowledge helps us to understand and produce certain characteristics of the sound or writing system. Grammar phonology consists of vowels and consonants that play a significant role in developing an understanding of grammar. In addition to this, prosody (which includes rhythm, volume, and tempo) is used in conjunction with other forms of grammar to encode a certain meaning in phonology. For example, phonologies enable students to convey if a sentence is interrogative or not (Are you cooking?). These graphological features of grammar encode different pragmatic meanings for the learner especially the speaker's socio-cultural information and background (Gallaway, Richards, 1994, 129).

Relation of grammatical knowledge to the ability to use L2

The role of grammar in second language reading is complex. L2 reading differs from L1 reading because L2 readers face difficulty in adhering to grammatical principles and oral vocabulary ...