Assessment 1

(Provide a well-supported account of a childs initial

acquisition of English as a first language)

Student Name: Amna Abdelkarim AlQassab

ID: H00328088

Course Name & Code:

Language and Development: SLA Principles and

Pedagogy -EDU2303

Teacher Name: Elizabeth Taylor

Language is a system for the communication. We use it to express our inner

thought. Emotions, communicate with other. And to maintain our culture. So

the general topic for this assignment is how childs initial acquisition of

English as a first language. Will consider four key current research questions

that related to it. I have written this assignment, because I want to know

more about how the children acquire the first language, the stages and

theories that support the first language acquisition. Finally to let you know

my opinion and thoughts about the nurture and nature.

Here are the four question that I will included in my assignment .First

question. If language is learnt, or acquired. Second, if infants pick up

language as chunks, or with system highly-organized. Third if researchers

agree that there are recognized stages in first language acquisition. Four

question last and not least. Writing my opinion. Which plays a greater part,

nature, or nurture. Furthermore, consider several theories to illustrate and

explanation the answers.

First language, means the language that a person acquire it from birth. And it

is acquisition, not learned. Because it is unconscious proses, does not

presuppose teaching, child control pace. When babies are born, they can

make and hear all the sounds in all the languages in the world. On the other
hand, its like a pattern beginning with the earliest years, involuntary crying,

when the babies do when they are hungry.

Then cooing and gurgling sounds, when they lying in their beds, looking at

shapes and movement around them. Moreover, the babies are capable of

very fine auditory discrimination.

For example, they can hear the difference between sounds as pa and ba.

As the researcher said, Language acquisition is one of the most impressive

and fascinating aspects of human development. (Lightbown, P., Spada,

2013, p.6)

Over wise. Chomsky believe that all human beings are born with an innate

ability to formulate language. (Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., & Verenikina, I, 2008,

p.103)

Infants pick up their first language with a highly organised system. Not as

chunks. They being processing the speech around them, slower rate of

speech, higher pitch, and paraphrase. In order to determine the sounds.

Even before they speak or understand language. (Lust, B, 2014)

Using labeling strategy, by labeling an object. For example, when a baby

pics up an apple, a parent may respond, this is an apple. The Researcher

Dr. Casasola assert that babies early vocabulary develop when adult label

items. His advice is Understand that many factors affect

Language development. For example if you focus on physical activates, like

walking, may divert your baby attention from learning to speak. (Kopko, K,

2014)

Children first need to break into the speech stream and identify the relevant

linguistic units, a process that necessarily involves decomposing larger

chunks into smaller linguistic units (Bainbridge, C, 2014)

All of the researchers agreed that there are recognised stages in the first

language acquisition. For example Dr. Casasola agreed that from 1 to 2

month cooing, utters vowel constant sounds.

And recognise it, hear the word 500 time before say it. Babbling at 6 months,

sound more speech, consonant sounds. For example, aaa, mamama. (Kopko,

K, 2014) (McGlothlin, 1997)

Then the researcher Dr. Lust agree that in 12 month the infant conducting

many different speech stream. For example, juice; mama. (Lust, B, 2014)

(Bainbridge, C, 2014)
Last researcher Mr. Kushnir also agreed that from 19 to 24 months. During

this stage, children learn how to create mini sentences. With simple semantic

relation. They can put words in the correct order. For example, I want a

cookie, not want I a cookie (Kushni, T, 2014), (McGlothlin, 1997)

There are three theoretical approach to first language. Behaviorism

approach, which support the nurture. Nativist approach, which support

nature. Interactionist approach, which acknowledges the contribution of both

nurture and nature to language development.

Behaviorism approach is a theory of learning. Attributes language

development mainly to nurture, which about the child circumstances,

experiences, his grow and develop. The best proponent of this psychological

theory was Skinner. Traditional behaviorists hypotheses, when children

imitated the language produces with those around them. Which mean

environmental influence, with special training.

As skinner believe that children learn language the same way they learn any

kind of behavior, through classical condition. For example when a mother

says chocolate and give it to the child, then the child tastes it and learns

that this word mean tasty and sweet. Also through operant condition. For
example, when a child point to a cat and says ca. Her mother says Yes,

this is a cat. The child is reinforced for the correct sounds. And he will learn

faster from this.

(Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., & Verenikina, I, 2008, p.103-104)

Observation and imitation are an important part of language acquisition. The

young children learn the new words of what they heard from other people.

For example, putting the s in the end of the word. Eyes instead of Eye.

(Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., & Verenikina, I, 2008, p.103)

The Nativist approach, attributes language development to nature, which

mean inborn capacity for children to learn language spontaneously, like

walking, breathing. And the most well-known name to be associated with this

nativist perspective in language development of the linguist, Noam Chomsky.

According to him nativists suggest that language develops mainly through

the maturation of the brain. It is heredity, innate competence language

acquisition device (LAD). The LAD equipped with the rules of universal

grammar. According to this theory, language grammar is too complicated to

be learnt by children simply through experience. Parents try to correct their

children speech. (Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., & Verenikina, I, 2008, p.103-104)
The interactionist perspective. This approach is associated with the social

and culture context approach. Represented by the work of Vygotsky, Bruner

and Hallidy. Communication is major and primary function of language

(Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., & Verenikina, I, 2008, p.105)

To acquire the first language. The both nurture and nature are important. As I

mention before. But I think that the nurture plays the greater parts in

developing the first language. Because according to skinner. If the

environment is not supported. The child will not acquire the language. For

example, the child from birth until 3 years, will hear his parents are talking,

or maybe from the IPad. Pronounce the letters. Know some names of objects.

Every day. But it is not enough for babies to hear language sounds from

electronic devise. In order to learn, they must interact with people.

Thats why, the children must go to schools. To not just to learn the letters,

but also to know how to communicate with others, have a conversation.

Skinners agreed that if you reward a child for using the correct language. He

will be more motivated to learn fast.

And according to Chomsky, in nature there is a universal grammar theory. He

propose that there is a natural ability in every humans mind. Born with the

linguistic tool. That gives the human the essentially to gain the language.

Which I think its not enough to learn the language. For example some
children, raise by animals. Such as Oxana Malaya, she has her universal

grammar, but because she didnt attract and communicate with humans. Her

environment was not supporting her. So she never acquired her first

language.

In the end, as a future teacher, and future mother. I will make sure that my

children, are learning and motivated. Give them the chance to be creative.

Know the ability of each child. As long know I have learning about the first

language acquisition, and their stages, theory. I have knowing what problems

may I faced. And how can I fixed. This assignment really helped me to gain

some information and to think about it.

References

Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. M. (2013). How languages are learned (Fourth
ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bainbridge, C., Research Sheds Light on How Babies Learn and De-velop
Language retrieved August, 2014 from Gifted kids.about.com/language
learning. (very)

Kopko, K. How do children learn language? (retrieved August, 2014 from

Human Devt & Outreach, Cornell University www.human.cornell.edu)

Lust, B. Discovering child language and cognitive growth (retrieved August,

2014 from Human Development & Outreach, Cornell University
www.human.cornell.edu)

McGlothlin, J. D. (1997) A childs first steps in language learning The Internet

TESL Journal (retrieved on 28th August, 2014, from
http://iteslj.org/Articles/McGlothlin-ChildLearn.html.)

Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., & Verenikina, I. (2008). Handbook on child

development 2E. Cenage Learning.
Kushni, T. Learning About How Young Children Learn (retrieved August, 2014
from Human Development & Outreach, Cornell University
www.human.cornell.edu)