Second Language

Acquisition
Dr. Muneerah Al Shuhail
Content

What is language?

What is the study of language?

What is SLA?

Overview of SLA
What is language

 Language is a human communication system. It consists of sounds, words

and grammar.
 It is the study of human
language.

What is
linguistics? It has many fields such as:
phonology, morphology,
syntax, semantics, pragmatics,
psycholinguistics and others.
  It is the study of how people learn an additional
language after they have learned their first/native
language.
 It covers the learning of a second, third or any
nonnative language.

What is  This terms is commonly used to refer to the natural

learning of language as well as instructed learning of
second language.

language
acquisition
(SLA)
  Native Language (NL): This refers to the first language
that a child learns. It is also known as the primary
Basic terms language, the mother tongue, or the L1 (first language).

and  Target Language (TL) or Second Language (L2): This

refers to the additional language being learned.
definitions
  It is the study of how an additional language is learned.
 It is the study of how L2 learners create a new linguistic
system after acquiring the first and with somehow limited
exposure to the L2.
 It is the study of what is learned and what is not learned
of the L2.
 It is the study of how and why L2 learners almost never
What is the achieve proficiency in the L2 as with their L1.
 SLA is connected to many other fields of study and
scope of research such as education, psychology, sociology and
SLA? many other fields within linguistics.
 It is informative and has implications on many fields of
knowledge and research especially language
teaching/pedagogy, cross-cultural communication,
language policy and language planning.
  Within the field of SLA, there is also a lot or research
dedicated to the process of foreign language learning.
 Foreign language learning refers to the process of
learning an additional language in an environment
where the L2 is not generally spoken. As opposed to SLA
where the L2 is normally spoken in the environment.
 For example: learning English in Saudi Arabia is
considered foreign language learning while learning
Foreign English in the UK or USA is considered second language
learning/acquisition.
Language  Because of the differences between FLL and SLA in
learning terms of setting, there are differences between the two
processes such as, nature of learning, motivation and
(FLL) others.
 Generally, a lot of researchers include FLL under the
general fields of SLA.
 As babies learn their L1, they
gain competency in all
aspects of the L1 naturally
and become completely
proficient in it.

Our
Question But how about when
people learn a new
language after their first?
Do they go through the
same process and
achieve competency in
all its aspects as native
speakers?
 Phonology is the study of the sound system of language.

Speakers of any language have knowledge of its sound system.

Knowledge of the sound system of language is complex.

It entails knowing what sounds are possible and what sounds are
not possible in the language.
Phonology
Phonological knowledge also involves knowing what happens to
words in fast speech as opposed to more carefully articulated
speech.

speakers of a language know not only what are possible sounds

and what are not possible sounds, but also know what are possible
combinations of sounds and what sounds are found in what parts of
words.
Morphology

 Morphology is the study of word formation of language. In many

cases, words are made up of more than one part.
 There are two classes of morphemes that we can identify: bound
and free. A bound morpheme is one that can never be a word by
itself, such as the un of unlikely. A free morpheme is one that is a
word in and of itself, such as man, woman, book, or table. Words
can be created by adding morphemes.
 Speakers of any given language, have knowledge of words and
their parts. Not only do we know how to form words using affixes
(prefixes, suffixes, infixes), but we also know what words can go with
other words,
Syntax

 Syntax is the study of the sentence structure or grammar of

language. It is mostly concerned with descriptive grammar or how
people speak in real life. As opposed to perspective grammar or the
rules of how people should speak.
 Speakers of a language know which are possible sentences of their
language and which are not.
 So part of what speakers of language know about this language is
the order in which elements can and cannot occur.
 Thus, knowing a language entails knowing a set of rules with which
we can produce an infinite set of sentences.
  Semantics refers to the study of meaning.
 Knowledge of the semantics of a language entails
knowledge of the reference of words.
Semantics  Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context.
and  Understanding the meaning of linguistic messages
includes considering elements surrounding its
Pragmatics production.
  But how about when people learn a new language after
their first? Do they go through the same process and
achieve competency in all its aspects as native
speakers?
 Through research in SLA, two terms have been used to
describe L2 learners’ language and proficiency:
 Interlanguage: is a term used to describe the L2
speakers’ language. It is considered a system that
combines element of the L1, L2 and elements that do
Our not belong to either language.
question  Fossilization/stabilization: is a term that refers to the
cessation of learning.
again  To become permanently established in the
interlanguage of a second language learner in a form
that is deviant from the target-language norm and that
continues to appear in performance regardless of
further exposure to the target language.”
Discussion

 Consider the distinction between

second language acquisition and
foreign language learning as discussed
in this lecture. Take the position that they
are fundamentally different. How would
you defend this position? Now take the
opposite position. Consider how the
position you take might be affected by
the linguistic areas of phonology, syntax,
morphology, semantics, and
pragmatics.
Class activity

Work in pairs to answer Q9 in page at the

end of chapter 1.
Homework

 Create a list of some of the main reasons

for the existence of fossilization in SLA.
Any questions

Reading for next lecture: chapter 4