2nd Langauge Acquisition

Language acquisition is the process of learning a language that is either a native language or a second language. When studying a new language most individuals copy what they hear and through there natural aptitude and then they adapt those sounds and imitate them. According to Chomsky, children learn sounds and vocabulary through imitation and grammar is not taught explicitly. “According to this view, children are able to learn the superficial grammar of a particular language because all intelligible languages are founded on a deep structure of grammatical rules that are universal and that correspond to an innate capacity of the human brain. Stages in the acquisition of a native language can be measured by the increasing complexity and originality of a child's utterances.” (Carroll p. 1) This theory then explains that children may over-generalize grammar structures but they soon will grow and see the complex grammar rules and adapt from previous exposure. Followers of Chomsky theory of language acquisition believe that the knowledge of language comes from a core. In this core are features, parameters, and settings. Followers of Chomsky see language as an instinct that is driven by specifically human evolutionary adaptations. Those to reject Chomsky views are often psychologists and linguists. They’re approach to language is different and of often viewed as a window on the operation of the human mind. The patterns of language emerge not from a unique instinct but from the operation of general processes of evolution and cognition. For researchers who accept this emergent’s approach, the goal of language acquisition studies is to understand how regularities in linguistic form emerge from the operation of low-level physical, neural, and social processes. After learning about both of these theories I would say that I agree with parts of them. I feel that both have valid points but they need to be compared to each other to see the balances of them. The website that I did my research on was very helpful, they started off with a neat pun that I wanted to share: I could say 'Learning a language is child's play'. But perhaps it is more accurate to say 'Creating a language is child's play'. Here is the website that I found my materials from, http://www.timothyjpmason.com/WebPages/LangTeach/Licence/CM/OldLectures/L1_Introduction.htm