1.What is mother tongue/native language?

Generally, mother tongue is the first language a child has learned from birth. Because of this, it is often called first language. In most case, a person’s L1 and his mother tongue mean the same. But there is still different, for example, a child was born in a foreign country.

2. what is SLA?

Second language acquisition refers both to the study of individuals and groups who are learning a language subsequent to learning their first one as young children, and to the process of learning that language. The additional language is called a second language (L2), even though it may actually be the third, fourth, or tenth to be acquired. It is also commonly called a target language, which refers to any language that is the aim or goal of learning.

3. what’s first language?

A language which is acquired during early childhood-normally beginning before the age of about three years-and that they are learned as part of growing up among people who speak them.

4. what’ s second language?

It is typically an official or societally dominant language needed for education, employment, and other basic purpose. It is often acquired by minority group members or immigrants who speak anther language natively. In this more restricted sense, the term is contrasted with other terms in this list.

5. the difference between acquisition and learning?

Acquisition: picking up a second language through exposure; learning: conscious study of a language.

6. multilingualism: refers to the ability to use two or more languages. Bilingualism: the ability to use two languages. Monolingualism: the ability to use only one language.

Simultaneous multilingualism: refers to the acquisition of two or more languages at the same time. Sequltaneous multilingualism refer to the acquisition of two or more languages one after another.

7.the motivations of adding second language at an older age. A.: invasion or conquest of one’s country by speakers of another language. B: a need or desire to contact speakers of other language in economic or other specific domains. C: immigration to a country where use of a language other than one’s L1 is required. D: adoption of religious beliefs and practices which involve use of another language. E: a need or desire to pursue educational experiences where access requires proficiency in another language. F: a desire for occupational or social advancement which is further by knowledge of another language. G: an interest in knowing more about peoples of other cultures and having access to their technologies literatures.

8. how do you think children acquire their first language? 1) children’s natural desire to please their clotting parents.2) children’s language acquisition is purposive, that they develop language because of their urge to communicate their wants and needs to the people who take care of them. 3).children learn language by imitation.

9.The role of natural ability.

Human are born with a natural ability or innate capacity to learn language. Such a predisposition must be assumed in order to explain several facts.

1) children begin to learn their L1 at the same age, and in much the same way, whether it is English, Korean, or any other language in the world. 2) Children master the basic phonological and grammatical operations in their L1 by the age of about five or six, as noted above, regardless of what the language is . 3)children can understand and create novel utterances: they are not limited to repeating what they have heard, and indeed the utterances that children produce are often systematically different from those of the adults around them. 4) there is a cut-off age for L1 acquisition, beyond which it can never be complete 5)acquisition 10. the role of social experience

A: not all of L1 acquisition can be attributed to innate ability, for language specific learning also plays a crucial role. B: social experience, including L1 input and interaction is thus a necessary condition for acquisition.

L1 VS L2 IN THREE STAGES

Initial stage :L1 :innate capacity： L2 :L1 knowledge :world knowledge interaction skills

Intermediate stage: L1 child grammar basic process; maturation: input, reciprocal interaction. L2: transfer (positive & negative) input, feedback, aptitude, motivation, instruction

Final stage: L1: native competence. L2: multilingual competence, fossilization in SLA.

Positive transfer, when an L1 structure or rule is used in an L2 utterance and that use is appropriate or “correct” in the L2 :

Negative transfer ,when an L1 structure or rule is used in an L2 utterance and that use is inappropriate and considered an “error”.

Facilitating conditions: 1) feedback including correction of L2 learners’ errors: 2) aptitude, including memory capacity and analytic ability: 3) motivation, or need and desire to learn: 4) instruction, or explicit teaching in school settings.

11.Why some linguistic believe children have the innate capacity to learn language?

First of all, children often say things that adults do not . this is especially true of children’s tendency to use regular patterns to form plurals or past tense on words that would have irregular formation.

Next, children use language in accordance with general universal rules of language even though they have not yet developed the cognitive ability necessary to understand these rules.

Finally, patterns of children’s language development are not directly determined by the input they receive.

12. The difference between internal& external focus to the study of language acquisition. 1) the internal focus seeks to account for speakers’ internalized, underlying knowledge of language. 2) the external focus emphasizes language use, including the functions of language which are realized in learners’ production at different stages of development.

13. The nature of language.

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbol and specific used for human communication..

Languages are systematic/ symbolic/ /human specific.

Languages are systematic: they consist of recurrent elements which occur in regular patterns of relationships. All languages have an infinite number of possible sentences, and the vast majority of all sentences which are used have not been memorized. They are created according to rules or principles which speakers are usually unconscious of using- or even of knowing- if they acquired the language as a young child.

Languages are symbolic: sequences of sounds or letters do not inherently possess meaning. The meanings of symbols in a language come through the tacit agreement of a group of speakers.

Languages are social : each language reflects the social requirements of the society that use it, and there is no standard for judging :whether one language is more effective for communication than another, other than to estimate the success its users may have in achieving the social tasks that are demanded of them.

13. Contrastive analysis. Contrastive analysis.CA is an approach to the study of SLA which involves predicting and explaining learner problems based on a comparison of L1 and L2 to determine similarities and differences. It was heavily influenced by theories which were dominant in linguistics and psychology within the USA though the 1940s and 1950s, Structuralism and behaviorism.

Error analysis

Error analysis (EA) is the first approach to the study of SLA which includes an internal focus on learners’ creative ability to construct language. it is based on the description and analysis of actual learner errors in L2, rather than on idealized linguistic structures attributed to native speakers of L1 and L2 (as in CA)

14. Is EA a comprehensive and flawless theory?

EA continues as a useful procedure for the study of SLA, but a number of shortcomings have been noted and should be kept in mind, these include:1)ambiguity in classification. It is difficult to say, for instance, if a Chinese L1 speaker who omits number and tense inflections in English L2 is doing so because of L1 influence(Chinese is not an inflectional language) or because of a universal developmental process(also present inL1 acquisition) which results in simplified or telegraphic” utterances. 2) Lack of positive data. Focus on errors alone does not necessarily provide information on what the L2 learner has acquired (although I have inferred from the examples I gave above what the Korean L1 speaker/writer has learned about English auxiliary verbs and articles’) further, correct uses may be overlooked. 3) Potential for avoidance. Absence of errors may result from learners’ avoidance of difficult structures, and this will not be revealed by EA makes the point that Chinese and Japanese they avoid using them.

Shortcomings：the rationale for constructing language lessons that focus on structures which are predicted to most need attention and practice, and for sequencing the L2 structures in order of difficulty.

15.Characteristics of interlanguage

Systematic; dymatio; variable; reduced system

16. five hypothesis of monitor moder

Acquisition-learning hypothesis; monitor hypothesis; natural order hypothesis; input ; affective filter .

17. Functions of systemic linguistics

Instrumental; regulatory; interactional; personal;

Heuristic imagination; representational.

18. How to distinguish Acquisition and Learning?

Acquisition is subconscious and involves the innate language acquisition device which accounts for children’s L1. learning is conscious and is exemplified by the L2 learning which takes place in many classroom contexts.

19. Why EA become so popular?

1) the significance of learners’ errors 2)L2 learners’ errors not as “bad habits” to be eradicated 3)sources of insight into the learning processes 4)errors provide evidence of system of language 5) the strategies or procedures 6)using in “discovery of the language” 7)making of error is significant because it is part of the learning process itself.

20. the produce of EA

1.Collection of a sample of learner language

2. Identification of errors 3. description of errors

4. Explanation of errors 5. evaluation of errors.

21. Give at least two reasons that many scientists believe in some innate capacity for language.

a. Children begin to learn their L1 at the same age, and in much the same way, whether it is English, Korean, or any other language in the world.

b. IF children had to actually learn the abstract rules of language, then only the smartest would ever learn to talk, and it would take several years more to learn L1 than it actually does. c.Children master the basic phonological and grammatical operations in their L1 by age five or six, regardless of what the language is.

22. Briefly explain how language is a: systematic; b: symbolic; and c: social?

A: language consist of recurrent elements which occur in regular patterns of relationships. Language is created according to rules or principles which speakers are usually unconscious of using if language was acquired in early childhood.

B: sequences of sounds or letters do not inherently possess meaning. These symbols of language have meaning because of a tacit agreement among the speakers of a language.

C: each language reflects the social requirements of the society that uses it. Although humans possess the potential can be developed only through interaction with others in the society. We use language to communicate with others about the human experience.

二语习得概念