Becoming bilingual is a way of life.
Your whole person is affected as you struggle to reach beyond the
confines of your first language and into a new language, a new culture, a new way of thinking, feeling,
and acting. Second language learning is not a set of easy steps that can be programmed in a quick do-it-
yourself kit.
The teaching process is the facilitation of learning, in which you can "teach" a foriegn language
successfully if, among other things, you know something about learns or fails to learn a second
language. Where does a teacher begin the quest for an understanding of the principles of foreign
learning and teaching? By asking some questions.
Who? Who does the learning and teaching?
What? No simpler question is one that probes the nature of the subject matter itself. What is
communication? What is language?
How How does learning take place? How can person can ensure success in language learning?
When When does second language learning take place?
Where Are the learners attempting to acquire the second language within the cultural and linguistic
milieu of the second language - that is , in a "second" language situation in the technical sese of the
term?
Why Finally, the most encompassing of all questions: Why are learners attempting to acquire the second
language?
Language is a system of arbitrary, vocal symbols which permit all people in a given culture, or other
people who have learned the system of that culture, to communicate or interact (Finocchario 1964:8)
Language is a system of communication by sound, operating through the organs of speech and hearing,
among members of a given community, and using vocal symbols possessing arbitrary conventional
meanings (Pei 1966:141)
Language is any set or symbols of linguistic symbols as used in a more or less uniform fashion by a
number of people who are thus enabled to communicate intelligibly with one another (Random House
Dictionary of the English Language 1966:806).
Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication (Wardhaugh 1972:3).
[Language is] any means, vocal or other, of expressing or communicating feeling or thought ... a system
of conventionalized signs, especially words or gestures having fixed meanings. (Webster's New
International Dictionary of the English Language 1934:1390).
[Language is] a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized
signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings (Webster's Third New International
Dictionary of the English Language 1961:1270)
Language is systematic and generative.
Language is a set of arbitrary symbols.
Those symbols are primarily vocal, but may also be visual.
The symbols have conventionalized meanings to which they refer.
Language is used for communication.
Language operates in a speech community or culture.
Language is essentially human, although possibly not limited to humans.
Language is acquired by all people in much the same way - language and language learning both have
universal characteristics.
What is learning and what is teaching and how do they interact?
A search in contemporary dictionaries reveals that learning is "acquiring or getting of knowledge of a
subject or a skill by study, experience, or instruction." A more specialized definiton might read as
follows: "Learning, is relatively permanent change in behavioral tendency and is the result of reinforced
practice"(Kimble and Garmezy 1963:133). Teaching may be defined as "showing or helping someone to
learn how to do something, giving instructions, guiding in the study of something, providing with
knowledge, causing to know or understand."
Breaking down the components of the definition of learning, we can extract, as we did with language,
domains of research and inquiry:
Learning is acquiring or "getting."A bilingual language refers to a situation where an individual or a
community is proficient in two languages. Being bilingual means having the ability to speak, understand,
read, and write in two different languages.
Learning is retention of information or skill.
Retention implies storage systems, memory, cognitive organization.
Learning involves active, conscious focus on and acting upon events outside or inside the organism.
Learning is relatively permanent but subject to forgetting.
Learning involves some form of practice, perhaps reinforced practice.
Learning is a change in behavior.
Language learners are individuals who engage in the process of acquiring and developing proficiency in a
new language. They can be students, professionals, or enthusiasts seeking to learn a language for
various reasons, such as personal growth, career advancement, travel, or cultural exploration. Here are
some key aspects related to language learners:
Characteristics of Language Learners:
1. Motivation: Language learners may be motivated by intrinsic factors (personal interest, curiosity) or
extrinsic factors (academic requirements, career opportunities).
2. Learning Styles: Individuals have different preferences for how they learn best, such as visual,
auditory, or kinesthetic learning styles.
3. Language Background: Learners may be monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual, influencing their
approach to acquiring a new language.
4. Age: Language learners can be children, adolescents, or adults, with age impacting language learning
abilities and strategies.
Types of Language Learners:
1. Beginner Learners: Those starting from scratch with little to no prior knowledge of the language.
2. Intermediate Learners: Individuals who have some basic understanding and are working towards
fluency.
3. Advanced Learners: Those with a high level of proficiency, aiming to refine their skills and deepen
their understanding of the language.
first language, also known as a native language or mother tongue, is the language that a person learns
from birth or during early childhood within their family or community. It is the primary language that
individuals acquire naturally and use for everyday communication, expressing thoughts, emotions, and
interacting with others in their immediate environment.
second language is a language that an individual learns in addition to their first language. It is acquired
after the first language and may be learned for various reasons such as education, work, travel, or
personal interest.
A bilingual language refers to a situation where an individual or a community is proficient in two
languages. Being bilingual means having the ability to speak, understand, read, and write in two
different languages.
