Chapter 2 First Language

Acquisition

Preliminaries:
Do children learn their L1 only through imitation?
Give examples to support your point.
Why a young child is more sensitive for words like
apple, dog, doll than words like atomic bomb,
clone, embassy?

(1) Theories in L1A

1. behaviorist learning theory
(popular in the 1950s and 60s)
2. the nativist approach
3. the cognitive approach
4. the functional approach

1)behaviorist learning theory (popular in the

1950s and 60s)
1. B.F. Skinner
2. Viewpoint: LL is a kind of behavior similar to
other human behavior. Language is learnt in much
the same way as anything else is learnt.

stimulus organism response

lg input
the learner imitation
e.g. This is a pencil This is a pencil.

3. four steps for a child to acquire his/her L1:

imitationreinforcementrepetitionhabituation

positive

negative

good habit bad habit

positive reinforcement: praise or reward

negative reinforcement: corrections
good habit: correct performance
bad habit: errors

4. criticisms of behaviorist learning theory

overemphasize the external factors
ignore the internal factor, i.e. the role of learner
himself
overemphasize the role of imitation
case study:
5. relations with FLT (Audiolingual Method)
pattern drills

2) The nativist approach

1. viewpoint:
Childrens ability to learn a language is innate.
2. innate hypothesis:
3. Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
characteristics of LAD:
Universal grammar (UG):
Chomskys term for the abstract principles that
comprise a childs innate knowledge of language
and that guide LA

5. Behaviorist learning theory (A)

vs.
The nativist approach (B)
A holds the view that LL is similar to the learning
of other things;
B holds the view that LL is different from the
learning of other things; Were born with a kind of
faculty which is unique to LL.
A attaches great importance to the role of
language input;
B holds that input is needed, but only to trigger the
operation of the LAD

6.Weakness of the nativist approach:

hard to find out the nature of LAD
difficult to observe LAD
7. Contributions of the nativist approach:
It regards childrens language as a reasonable system
rather than something full of errors.

3) The cognitive approach

1. viewpoint:
Childrens language development relies on their
understanding of the world or cognition.
2. its difference from the nativist approach
3. Case study

4) The functional approach

1. to probe LA not from the angle of language
structure, but from the angle of language
communication.
2. viewpoint:
Children can learn a language successfully for the
reason that they realize language could help do
things.
case study:

3. seven language functions (by Halliday)

a. instrumental function
b. regulatory function
c. interactional function
d. personal function
e. heuristic function
f. imaginative function
g. representative function
4. Communicative approach in LT

(2) L1A vs FLL

1) physiological aspect
2) cognitive aspect
3) affective aspect
4) sociocultural aspect
5) learning condition

additional comparisons between L1A and FLL:

differences:
subconsciously
manner
consciously

meaning
focus
structure

natural
envi..
formal
learning speed
universal success
achievement
universal failure

similarities
follow the same route
similar learning strategies
e.g. overgeneralization ( *goed; *comed; *foots;
*sheeps)

Assignment:
Ques. 3, 6, 7, 8