How Is Language Learnt - Report Example

Contents Contents 2 What this essay is about: 3 Introduction: 3 The Different Theories about Learning of Second Languages: 4 The Behaviorist Theory: 4 The Second Language Acquisition Theory: 6 The Cognitive Theory: 8 Conclusion: 10 Bibliography: 11 What this essay is about: This essay is about different theories presented by different authors telling us on how second languages are learnt, and why it is easier to learn a language at a very young age. We will explore the depths of these theories and also have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of these theories. We shall also see how these theories are implemented in real life, and how they stand true. All the theories are accompanied by my own relevant experiences in learning a second language. Throughout this essay, we use English as the second language about which different theories are going to be presented. Introduction: The way a person speaks and writes a language that’s not his own reflects a great deal about his cultural, religious, and family background. If we see a foreign person, we guess about his origin on the base of his accent, the dialect, the word choice, use of idioms etc (Odlin, T. 1989, ‘Language Transfer’, pg. 1-2, 1989). On the other hand, we know that all people specialize in their own native or mother languages, while learning a second language definitely requires more effort. A teacher teaching students a second language must know about the errors the students might make in order to explain why the errors occur and how to avoid them (Odlin, T. 1989, ‘Language Transfer’, pg. 3, 1989). The Different Theories about Learning of Second Languages: Different authors have provided different theories on learning process of second languages. Each author’s opinion is slightly different from the other, while there are some similarities in their thinking too. Following are the theories that are involved in our study course, and which help explain the process of learning a second language: The Behaviorist Theory: The Behaviorist Theory presents the process of learning a second language as a process of continuous imitation and mimicry (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372, 1992). People learning second languages are bound to repeat word patterns and gestures from their native language in the second language that they are learning. They continuously repeat word patterns and gestures from the first language and continue copying their fellows while learning the second language (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372, 1992). The Behaviorist Theory states that the process is a process of imitation instead of learning in the real sense (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 374, 1992). The theory explains the process of learning the second language as a process of ersatz. According to this theory, people imitate their fellows and follow their pattern of words and style of speaking/writing in order to speak or write the second language themselves (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 373, 1992). Using the Behaviorist Theory as a method of teaching, aims at polishing the speaking skills of the student in the second language (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 373, 1992). The student imitates the sentences and word patterns spoken by the teacher or the fellow students, and follows the pattern in other related sentences and phrases of the same language (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372, 1992). The supporters of this theory say that this enables them to follow the exact pattern and sentence structure of the second language. This theory has some limitations, though. Learning a second language is a lot more than mimicry and imitation. The teaching of a second language to others is an art. It needs full knowledge of the learner’s background and mother tongue (Odlin, T. 1989, ‘Language Transfer’, pg. 4, 1989). Becoming skilled at a second language is a complete learning process, which cannot be completed just by imitation and simulation (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 375, 1992). Learners of second languages who are taught under The Behaviorist Theory may repeat what they hear the other fellow students say, but they need to know the meaning and grammatical form and structure of the phrases and sentences in order to master it fully (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 375, 1992). Second language input obtained from controlled, formal, instructions Imitation and reinforcement strategies Second language habits develop Second language output (The Behaviorist Theory Model; Source: Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372, 1992) As far as my own experience as a learner of a second language (English) is concerned, I have seen that The Behaviorist Theory does not fully describe the true process of learning (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 1-22, 1982). As far as just speaking to an understandable extent is concerned, this theory can be really helpful, but if good, fluent, and professional language is required, the grammar and basic principles need to be studied (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 18, 1982). The study of grammar and sentence structuring can strengthen the roots of the language to a great extent. I have seen that I find it easy to cram what the others are saying in English and speak it in similar circumstances, as I am not a native speaker of English. However, I also see that while imitating what others have said without a complete and thorough understanding of the meaning and the structure, I am likely to use it at the wrong place, or unintentionally distort the meaning. Therefore, my experience of learning and speaking English tells me that The Behaviorist Theory presents an incomplete picture of the learning process of second languages, and teaching under this theory may not be suitable for learners who want to develop a firm grip on the second language (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372-375, 1992). The Second Language Acquisition Theory: The Second Language Acquisition Theory tells us about learning of a second language through the process of acquisition. Acquisition means ‘acquiring’ of a language the way children ‘acquire’ their mother tongues (Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’, pg.12, 1982). We speak our native or first language very fluently, but not many of us are aware of the grammatical reasons due to which our sentences and phrases are considered correct or incorrect. We have a ‘feel’ for the correctness or incorrectness of our language. We ‘feel’ that a phrase is incorrect even if we do not know the real grammatical reason for it to be right or wrong (Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’, pg.20, 1982). The same thing happens to kids who have learnt their first languages through the second language acquisition theory. They know that saying ‘I wants water’ is wrong, and the correct usage is ‘I want water’; but, even if they know this, the kids are not able to provide a certain reason for it. They develop a ‘feel’ for the right sort of sentences, and can grasp easily which sentence is phrased or structured incorrectly (Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’, pg.23-24, 1982). This method proves the scientific concept that kids are not ‘taught’ any language. They are born receptive to languages they might hear (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 1-22, 1982). Their brain has an ‘empty cell’, which willingly absorbs words and phrases heard by the child. The child uses his brain and linking words with their meanings, learns to form sentences and master the language (Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’, pg.28, 1982). This concept has been long since maintained by scientists who study child behavior, human mind, or the theories regarding the learning of languages. We all know that this can be a very probable way through which we might have learnt our own first language, but many people agree that it has some limitations and disadvantages (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 375, 1992). When a child is born, its brain is just like an empty computer file. As the process of learning goes on, the file begins losing its capacity. As the language file becomes full, the person begins losing his natural capacity to ‘acquire’ a language (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 15-18, 1982). Therefore, for a person who is grown up, and already knows at least one mother tongue, it is like a joke to make him ‘acquire’ another language without wasting years, maybe decades. Another problem faced by people being taught under the ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’ is that, whatever method is being applied, a natural ‘feel’ can never be developed unless the fundamental rules of the second language’s grammar are not studied (Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’, pg.29-30, 1982). The person will only create a natural tendency to distinguish correct and incorrect usage of the second language in him if he is aware of the rules that must be applied in order to correct the use of the second language (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 1-22, 1982). As far as my own experience as a learner of English as a second language is concerned, I see it is easier for me now to ‘feel’ the correctness or incorrectness of an English sentence or phrase, as I have already spent quite a lot of time learning it. However, for learners who are fresh into learning this language, this is not a very good theory (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 8, 1982). They need to master the grammatical and other skills first, and then they can develop a real feel for the language once they have mastered the grammatical rules etc. (Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’, pg.30, 1982). The Cognitive Theory: The Cognitive Theory involves letting the students make their own theories and hypotheses about the second language that they are learning (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372, 1992). In this way, students compare structural and principle concepts from their first language with their second language. This enables them to learn by trial and error, and they learn to use words, phrases, and sentences by comparison to their first language (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 373, 1992). Students are allowed a very relaxed atmosphere, and they use their own abilities to figure out the grammatical rules and sentence structure of the second language themselves. This makes the language more fluid and easy-to-learn for them (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372-375, 1992). They can make changes to the grammatical and other rules in order to learn the second language. They normally find similarities between first and second languages, and this enables them to remember meanings of words and sentences, singular and plural, etc (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 1-22, 1982). Learners are exposed to second language in similar circumstances, and they gradually become ‘used to’ the second language (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372-375, 1992). They know how and in what circumstances different sentences and phrases can be used. The main point in this theory is to acquaint students with a way of learning that enables them to use understandable English when needed (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 4, 1982). The limitations of The Cognitive Theory are that it cannot be applied to teach students who want to learn professional English and to master the art of fluent English speaking and flawless writing, and that it is more time-consuming than other methods (Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372-375, 1992). It can only be used if the learner only requires speaking English to an understandable extent (however grammatically wrong it may be) and to understand a few simple sentences of English. Exposure to authentic use of second language in near-natural situations Natural strategies used (processing) Transitional learning stage Second language output (The Cognitive Theory Model, Source: Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’, pg. 372, 1992) According to my experiences as a learner of English as a second language, I believe that this theory cannot be applied to students who want to learn the second language in the real sense. Students who want to learn a second language for academic or professional reasons cannot learn under this theory (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 15, 1982). Grammar and sentence structure is very important for learning a second language. Without it, true language cannot be spoken or written (Saunders G. 1982, ‘Bilingualism’, pg. 18, 1982). We may repeat what we hear in second language again in similar circumstances, but there will be a good chance of its wrong usage. Conclusion: Throughout this essay, we have discussed the different theories presented by various authors and their advantages and disadvantages. A small portion of my own experiences as a learner of second language had been included along with my opinion of the theory and how it can or cannot be used for teaching students who need to learn the second language. Some smaller theories like the Hypnosis Theory have been ignored and only main theories that had been covered in our course are included. References from different books and authors have been given, and their quotations are cited throughout this essay. To conclude the dissertation, different authors have mentioned different theories about the learning process of second languages. My own experiences as a learner of English as a second language have helped me conclude the advantages and disadvantages of different theories being mentioned in the text above. Bibliography: Crystal D. 1992, ‘Theories of Language Learning’ in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of language, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pg. 372-375 Saunders G.1982, ‘Bilingualism’, in Bilingual Children: Guidance for the Family, Multilingual Matters, Clevdon, pg. 1-22 Krashen S. 1982, ‘Second Language Acquisition Theory’ in Principles and Practices in Second Language Acquisition, Pergamon Press, pg.9-32 Odlin, T. 1989, ‘Language Transfer’, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pg. 1-5 Saville-Troike, M. 1982, ‘Acquisition of Communicative Competence’, The Ethnography of Communication, Blackwell Press, Oxford, pg. 204-235 Underwood, J. H. 1984, ‘Chomsky’s View of Language’ in Linguistics, Computers and the Language Teacher, Newbury House, pg. 3-11 Read More