ELTnotes

 Language acquisition has always fascinated educators and researchers alike. From the seamless way toddlers pick up their mother tongue to the struggles many adults face while learning a second language, the quest to understand this process better is ongoing. This article delves into the concept of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), exploring its implications for language teaching, the history of its study, and the potential paths forward for educators. The Two Types of Language Acquisition Language acquisition can be broadly categorized into two types: first language acquisition (L1) and second language acquisition (L2). Children naturally acquire their first language through exposure and interaction, seemingly effortlessly mastering complex linguistic structures by the age of five. In stark contrast, teenagers and adults often struggle with acquiring a second language, despite extensive formal education and various learning methodologies. This discrepancy raises critical ques...

      The process of language acquisition has some basic requirements. During the first two or three years of development, a child requires interaction with other language-users in order to bring the general language capacity into contact with a particular language such as English. We have already seen, in the case of Genie (Chapter 12), that a child who does not hear or is not allowed to use language will learn no language. We have also identified the importance of cultural transmission (Chapter 2), meaning that the particular language a child learns is not genetically inherited, but is acquired in a particular language-using environment. The child must also be physically capable of sending and receiving sound signals in a language. All infants make “cooing” and “babbling” noises during their first year, but congenitally deaf infants stop after about six months. So, in order to speak a language, a child must be able to hear that language being used. By itself, however, h...