M4.1 Lesson 1 | HI-LING working page

Lesson 1: The Dynamic Stages of Second Language Acquisition

This lesson explores how acquiring a second language (L2) differs from first language (L1) acquisition, focusing on key language competencies and stages

Key Concepts

L2 Competencies
L1 vs. L2 Acquisition
Inter-Language
Language Fossilisation
Communicative Competence
Positive and Negative Language Transfer

Ice Breaker

While the process of acquiring your first language(s) (L1) may have seemed more natural, both L1 and L2 learning share a focus on developing four key competencies:

Reading (Written Comprehension)

Writing (Written Production)

Listening (Auditory Comprehension)

Speaking (Oral Production)

Reflecting on these competencies, which do you feel is most critical for effectively learning a new language? Think about what being “proficient” means to you in each area. Is it about understanding a film without subtitles, confidently writing an essay, or comfortably engaging in extended conversations in your L2?

L1 vs. L2 Acquisition

When we delve into learning a new language, we navigate through three main phases or stages, each essential on the journey of acquiring an L1 or L2.

Final State: Towards Proficiency

L1 Proficiency: For L1 speakers, this stage signifies a deep and intuitive understanding of the language system. However, expansion in vocabulary, especially of specialised register such as job specific language, continues throughout life.

L2 Proficiency and Fossilisation: L2 learners aim for proficiency that mirrors L1-like competence. However, there are always minor differences between an L1 and L2 speaker. This ‘frozen’ state is known as “Language Fossilisation,” where certain patterns from the L1 persist in their L2 use. This could be slight accents or grammatical structures. Imagine an English learner who initially struggled with the “th” sound, pronouncing it like “s”. As they progress, they improve in many ways, but that “th” sound remains unique.

Initial State: Starting Points in Language Learning

In L1 Learning: It is believed that children possess an innate capacity for language acquisition, often called “language faculty”. This capacity allows them to absorb their first language(s) through exposure and interaction without having a deep understanding of language itself. However, it is unclear if the innate capacity remains throughout life or if the natural ability is lost as we get older. We will explore this further in lesson 2.

In L2 Learning: Whether the natural ability remains or not, the prior knowledge of an L1 is an important asset when learning a second language. This knowledge goes beyond that of the specific language but also entails how language (in general) works. In addition to knowing how to produce language, L2 learners also have interactional skills, such as making a request or promise, or they know how to apologise.

Intermediate State: Merging and Adapting Languages

In L1 Learning: Language development is seen as a largely unconscious process, which is tightly linked with cognitive maturation. This means that just like a toddler advances from crawling to their first steps and eventually walking, children advance in their language production, incorporating more complex sentence structure and vocabulary.

In L2 Learning: Instead of maturity, the ability to transfer knowledge from L1 to L2 gains significant importance. It's like being a linguistic architect, building a bridge between the two languages. In this phase, learners become language shapeshifters. They blend elements from both L1 and L2, creating something entirely new, the so-called “Inter-Language” or “Learner language”. Sometimes, the rules and similarities align - that's called Positive Language Transfer. Other times, they clash, resulting in a Negative Language Transfer or Interference.
Consider this: "hôpital" (French) and "hospital" (English) share roots, so using one in the other language is like a linguistic high-five (positive transfer), no problem. However, sometimes the game is not that. Think about the word "Krankenhaus" (German), things get interesting if transferred to English (negative transfer). Although it is again different for the word “Spital” (hospital) in Swiss-German. We could play for hours with plenty of other examples, right?

Discuss in pairs:

Compare the final stage of language acquisition. How do the processes of "Inter-Language" formation and "Language Fossilization" illustrate the unique process of L2 learners compared to the innate language acquisition in L1 learners? How does this contribute to your understanding of language proficiency?

Embracing Communicative Competence: More Than Just Words

The Six Key Components of Language

Vocabulary (Lexicon): Like a painter's palette filled with diverse colors, vocabulary provides the words and phrases you need for rich and accurate expression. Example: Knowing Synonyms to express happiness such as joyful, glad, delighted, jolly, and many more.
Morphology (Word Structure): Understand how words are formed – think of it as the building blocks of language, like how 'un-' changes the meaning of 'happy' to 'unhappy.'
Phonology (Sound System): It's the music of language – how sounds are used and patterned. This is crucial for pronunciation and understanding spoken words. Example: Understanding the difference in sound between 'ship' and 'sheep.'
Syntax (Grammar): The rules for stringing words together. Good syntax is like following a recipe to ensure your sentences make sense. Example: Making a statement such as “He did his homework.” in comparison to posing a question “Did he do his homework?” requires a different sentence structure.
Nonverbal Structures: The silent yet powerful aspects of communication, such as gestures and facial expressions, add depth to your words. Example: Nodding to show agreement, raising eyebrows to express surprise.
Discourse: How you use language in real situations, like chatting with friends or writing an essay.

Expanding Your Linguistic Toolbox

Learning a second language (L2) is more than just memorizing words and grammar rules. To truly excel in effective communication, we need to grasp the concept of communicative competence. This means not only knowing the language but also how to use it effectively in different situations.

How do these elements come together in the actual process of language learning? This dynamic process of developing communication competence, especially in a second language, typically follows a progressive path. Each step builds on the previous one, enhancing our ability to use language effectively in diverse contexts.

Developing Communication Skills: Step by Step

Basic Phonological Awareness: The very first step in learning a new language is recognizing and producing new sounds and patterns in the L2. Example: Mastering the rolling 'r' sound in French.

Vocabulary Acquisition: In combination with learning the sound system of a language, words are acquired. Starting with essential words and phrases needed for everyday communication, students gradually expanding their vocabulary as they progress.

Grammatical Structures: Learning grammatical structures in a second language can take some time, especially when the grammar of an L1 and L2 differ significantly. As an example, compare how many past tenses there are in German and English. Basic grammar rules such as word order and verb conjugation are learned first, before moving on to complex structures.

Social and Pragmatic Aspects: Understanding and using the appropriate social and pragmatic aspects of language can be challenging and may develop more slowly than other components. This includes things like knowing when to use formal language or idiomatic expressions, such as ‘This lesson was a piece of cake!’.

Achieving communicative competence, which is the main goal for many language learners, is like putting all these elements together to communicate effectively and appropriately in any situation. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it, understanding the social rules, and using language in a way that makes sense in the context.

Communicative Competence Discussion

In small groups, discuss your own process of language learning. Which language component is most important to you? Which is the easiest to learn? How does that shape the way you learn a language? Think back to your thoughts on the four major language skills: do you still agree with your initial order of importance?

Final Thought For This Lesson

In this lesson, we navigated through the stages of L2 acquisition, understanding how learning transcends mere vocabulary and grammar. We examined the initial state's innate capabilities, the intermediate state's blending of L1 and L2, and the final state's strive towards L1-like proficiency, including the phenomenon of language fossilisation.

Our exploration and debate underscored the significance of communicative competence – it's not just about language mastery, but also about effective and appropriate usage in varied contexts. Remember, each stage in language learning brings new insights and challenges, enriching ourselves in the process. Language acquisition is an ongoing exploration, and understanding its stages equips us to navigate this captivating, intimate, individual, step-by-step dynamic learning process more consciously.

Bibliography

Cook, V., & Singleton, D. M. (2014). Key topics in second language acquisition. Multilingual Matters.

Saville-Troike, M., & Barto, K. (2017). Introducing second language acquisition. Cambridge University Press.