SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Second Language Learners



Second Language Learners

Introduction

Second language acquisition, SLA is the process by which people learn languages in addition to their native tongue(s). Researchers have found a very consistent order in the acquisition of first language structures by children, and this has drawn a great deal of interest from SLA scholars. Many factors influence the way and rate that a child learns a second language, but most children go through the same series of stages in second language proficiency at similar times.

Analysis

Second language learners indicate that participating in language interactions facilitates second language development. A study of conversational interaction and learners' acquisition of question formation found that interaction increased their rate of acquisition. Interaction refers to communication between individuals, particularly when they are negotiating meaning or working to prevent a breakdown in communication (Muriel Saville-Troike, 2005, pp 21-241). Interaction provides learners with opportunities to receive language input (through hearing the language) and feedback (when the conversational partner responds, corrects, or asks for clarification). It also allows them to make changes to their language as the conversation proceeds. This allows learners to “notice the gap” between their use of the language and correct, native speaker use.

Studies on the acquisition of word order in German have shown that most learners begin with a word order based on their native language. This indicates that certain aspects of interlanguage syntax are influenced by the learners' first language, although others are not. Valid though the interlanguage perspective may be, which views learner language as a language in its own right, this language varies much more than native-speaker language, in an apparently chaotic way (Bongaerts et al, 1995, pp 30-50). A learner may exhibit very smooth, grammatical language in one context and uninterpretable gibberish in another. Scholars from different traditions have taken opposing views on the importance of this phenomenon. Those who bring a Chomskyan perspective to SLA typically regard variability as nothing more than "performance errors," and not worthy of systematic inquiry. On the other hand, those who approach it from a sociolinguistic or psycholinguistic orientation view variability as a key indicator of how the situation affects learners' language use. Naturally, most research on variability has been done by those who presume it to be meaningful (Muriel Saville-Troike, 2005, pp 21-241).

The process of language learning can be very stressful, and the impact of positive or negative attitudes from the surrounding society ...