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Unit 3

Second Language Acquisition and Learning

L1 & L2
Index
Scheme 3

Key Ideas 4
3.1. Objectives 4
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3.2. Introduction 4
3.3. Differences in L1 and L2 Learning 8
3.4. Slang English 15
3.5. References 21

In Depth 24

Test 25
Scheme
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Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Scheme
Key Ideas

3.1. Objectives

In order to understand the unit, it is important that students read the mandatory
contents, listed in the key ideas. Students should but it also highly recommended the
students take a look at the in depth material to help them complete the end of the
unit test. This will enable them to enhance their breadth and depth on the topic
although it is not required to complete the unit test.

To study this unit, please read carefully the following sections, this unit looks
specifically at how first language acquisition occurs, the processes and ages children
go through when acquiring a first language. Also, students will look at how L1 and L2
acquisition vary, in different aspects of acquisition and learning of the language(s).
Finally, understanding what Slang English is and how the integration of it can benefit
students. By the end of the unit students should be able to:

 Students will understand the evolution of L1 acquisition.


 Students will differentiate the L1 developmental sequences.
 Students will compare and contrast similarities and differences between L1 & L2.
 Students will analyze how slang English varies from different groups.
 Students will evaluate lesson plans to incorporate Slang English in the classroom.

3.2. Introduction
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Communication is what differentiates humans from other animals. The mere fact
people can talk to one another and express feelings of rage, sadness or love sets us
apart from other mammals. Children learning one language, let alone two is a pretty

Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Key Ideas
amazing accomplishment. Most children when learning a new language have the
same characteristics (Chen):

 Children are predictable in language learning.


Regardless of nationality or culture children go through the same language
development when learning a first language. The patterns that are predictable in
their L1 development are related to their cognitive developmental patterns as
well. That is to say that their brain develops with their language abilities.

 Children learn through imitation.


The language that the children are hearing/listening is what they will try to imitate,
this include sounds, word order and grammatical rules. This is why children are
able to construct grammatically difficult sentences without understanding the
rules, they imitate what they hear.

 Children use creativity to language learn.


As a result of imitating as well children then are able to experiment with the
language and apply grammatical rules to sentences which they have never heard
previously.

The process of learning any language generally goes through the same steps
regardless of the language (Hargus, 2015). The following figures go through the
characteristics of language learning from the stages of babbling (4 to 20 months) to
one-word (12 to 18 months) and finally two-word stages (two-year-old). Following
these stages children then go through the developmental sequences of acquiring
grammatical morphemes, negations and questions (Chen). The last figure provides a
comparative of the acquisition of the three developmental sequences.
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Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Stages of Babbling: 4 to 20 Months

Figure 1. Stages of Babbling. (Hargus, 2015).

One-word Stage: 12 to 18 Months

Figure 2. One-word stage. (Hargus, 2015).


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Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Two-word Stage: Two-year-old

Figure 3. Two-word stage. (Hargus, 2015).

L1 Developmental Sequences
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Figure 4. L1 Developmental sequences. (Chen; Gass & Selinker, 2008).

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
There are some considerations one must think about when conceptualizing first
language learning in children (Gass & Selinker, 2008):

 Children go through the same developmental stages, although not necessarily at


the same rate.

 Children create systems in their language and develop rules to govern their
language knowledge and language use.

 The rules that are developed do not necessarily correspond to the rules of the
adult language.

 There is overgeneralization of grammatical morphemes.

 There are processing constraints that govern acquisition and use.

 Correction does not always work.

 Language acquisition is not determined by intelligence.

3.3. Differences in L1 and L2 Learning

“The relationship between the two languages is crucial because it defines the very
nature of second language acquisition” (Cook, The Relationship between First and
Second Language Learning Revisited, 2019). The relationship allows researchers,
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educators and learners to understand how languages whether first or second


intertwine or vary. Throughout this section L1 and L2 will be outline in their
differences in regards to acquisition, in general, as well as specific aspects of learning
which vary. There will also be a section to express a common similarity agreed upon
by researchers that L1 and L2 learners both do when learning a language.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Differences

Acquisition of Language

There are certain aspects that are quite clear, first language acquisition is triggered
either prior to or at birth (Chenu, 2009; Cook, The Relationship between First and
Second Language Learning Revisited, 2019; Hickey; Ipek, 2009). Whereas the L2 is
generally a decision made whether by the child, parents or as an adult. In the L1
learners are successful in becoming native, as it surrounds them at home and at
school. Whereas although L2 speakers may achieve native like competency there are
still facets which may be missing from their language development that hinders them
from being natives, for example idioms or cultural phrases that are ingrained in the
language. The following figure outlines key differences in acquisition (Hickey).

Figure 5. Differences between L1 & L2 Acquisition & Learning. (Hickey).

Context
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The context in which language learning occurs varies vastly. When children acquire
their L1 the “the vast majority of children acquire their first language in a primal
family care-taking situation” (Cook, The Relationship between First and Second
Language Learning Revisited, 2019) That is to say that merely for existing in the L1

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
environment at home or out and about within the city children are exposed to the
L1.

On the other hand there, in L2 learning there two social contexts which affect the
language learner. These contexts are social factors which motivate different types of
L2 learning (Ellis, 1994 as cited in Ipek, 2009):

 Natural Contexts:
• Second language learning in majority language contexts: The target language
serves as the native language and the language learner is a member of an ethnic
minority group (e.g. Turkish workers in Germany).
• Second language learning in official language contexts: The second language
functions as an official language (e.g. English in Nigeria).
• Second language learning in international contexts: The second language is
used for interpersonal communication in countries where it is neither learnt as
a mother tongue nor used as an official language (e.g. in arts, science,
academic, etc).

 Educational Contexts:
• Segregation: The second language is taught to learners in a separate context
from the native speakers of the target language.
• Mother tongue maintenance: Learners of minority groups are either given
classes in their mother tongue or they are educated through the medium of
their mother tongue.
• Submersion: Right from the beginning L2 learners are taught with native
speakers.
• The language classroom: The target language is taught as a subject only and is
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not commonly used as a medium of communication outside the classroom.

“While it is possible to learn a second language in various contexts, first language


acquisition takes place only in a natural context and in the social group the child is
growing up and where the child gets L1 input only” (Ipek, 2009). The different

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
contexts can also result in a different variation of the type of English spoken. That is
to say learning English in India the learner may learn the L2 but have variations in
their understanding of the language due to the context of which they learned it in.
Indian English may have some vocabulary or structures that vary from Standard
English due to fossilization of the language. Fossilization will be addressed in the 5th
unit.

Instruction

In general, most L1 speakers learn to speak their native language before stepping foot
into a classroom. Overall, L1 learners acquire knowledge about their native language
and store it unconsciously (Hickey). That is to say that learners hear language, save it
and at a later date can reproduce or restructure language according to what they
have unconsciously learned. Although learners of an L1 learn about their native
language once they do begin their formal education, it is important to stress that
there the students learn “how to write the standard of [their native] language and
[they] learn specialized words consciously after childhood” (Hickey).

When learning a second language, schooling or instruction though it is not required


is helpful for the leaner (Cook, First and Second Language Acquisition: Notes, 2019).
The reason schooling is such an important aspect of L2 acquisition is because this is a
way for the learner to consciously learn the structures, vocabulary, proper
pronunciation and/or writing in the L2 (Hickey).

Lexical Acquisition

It is important to point out the differences in L1 and L2 lexical acquisition are varied
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as a result of the fact L1 speakers learn their information unconsciously in the world
around them, whereas L2 learner acquire their information from conscious classes
(Chenu, 2009). It has been estimated that a 2-to-3-year-old child in an English
speaking environment is exposed to 5,000 to 7,000 utterances a day (Cameron-

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Faulkner, Lieven & Tomasello, 2003 as cited in Chenu, 2009). When L1 speakers are
acquiring their native language they are also learning about the world (Liu, 2008).

L2 learners on the other hand have already acquired their L1 – meaning they have
learned about vocabulary and the world around them in their other language. This is
an advantage to learning vocabulary in a second language, the context and cultural
categorizations and labels have already been defined within their L1. They face other
problems such as “establishing the range of reference of new words and expressions
that they meet, and a good deal of exposure may be needed before they have enough
experience of the way words are used to be able to do this accurately (Liu, 2008). This
meaning that L2 learners may use direct translation for vocabulary words but not
know that sometimes direct or literal translations from the L1 to the L2 may be
incorrect, culturally wrong or have a different meaning.

Errors

L1 speakers, during the developmental process of acquiring their first language will
go through the different stages. It is in this process that children will make mistakes
or overgeneralize the rules. It is normal for children to make errors based on the
processing level of acquisition they are at. Now once they have heard the correct
forms, spoken by adults or others they will be able to then correct themselves
(Hickey). An aspect of language learning which does not affect L1 speakers is
fossilization, this is the process by which a non-native continually makes the same
error (e.g., adding –ed to all verbs in the past) (Ipek, 2009).

Errors, common in L2, which become habitual are errors of fossilization (Cook, The
Relationship between First and Second Language Learning Revisited, 2019). There are
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possible causes for fossilization such as (Ellis, 1994; McLaughlin, 1987 as cited in Ipek,
2009):

 “Age (learners' brains loose plasticity at a critical age, therefore, certain linguistic
features cannot be mastered).

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
 Lack of desire to articulate (learners' make no effort to adopt target language
norms because of various social and psychological factors).

 Communicative pressure (the learner is pressured to communicate ideas above


his/her linguistic competence

 Lack of learning opportunity, and the nature of the feedback on learners' use of L2
(positive cognitive feedback leads to fossilization while negative feedback helps
avoid fossilization).”

Lastly in L2 learning, there can be interference from the individual’s native language,
which is to say that the individual either directly translates structures or vocabulary
from the L1 which carry over aspects that do not occur in the L2. For example, the
exclusion of using the auxiliary verb “to be” (Hickey). These are errors an L2 learner
will make, generally these errors will vary based on the native language of the learner.
Thus Spanish-English speakers may have common mistakes that Japanese-English
speaker will not have.

Similarities

Developmental Sequences

In Huyla Ipek’s paper (2009), it points out that there have been numerous studies
done to understand the nature of first and second language acquisition. “These
studies have revealed that both first and second language learners follow a pattern
of development, which is mainly followed” although there always exceptions to the
rule (Ipek, 2009). There are three stages, the silent period, formulaic speech and
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structural simplifications.

 Initial stage, the silent period.


• The listening stage, where children in the L1 listen to everything they are
exposed to as a result they are discovering what language is.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
• Similarly, in second language acquisition, learners have a silent period when
immediate production is not required from them. In general, however, many
second language learners - especially classroom learners- are urged to speak.
• The fact that there is a silent period in both first and second language learners
(when given the opportunity) is widely accepted.

 The second stage, is formulaic speech.


• Formulaic speech is defined as expressions which are learnt as unanalyzable
wholes and employed on particular occasions (Lyons, 1968, cited in Ellis, 1994).
• Krashen (1982) suggests that these expressions can have the form of routines
(whole utterances learned as memorized chunks - e.g. I don't know.), patterns
(partially unanalyzed utterances with one or more slots - e.g. Can I have a
____?).
• Ellis (1994) suggests that these expressions can consist of entire scripts such as
greetings.
• The literature points out that formulaic speech is not only present in both first
and second language acquisition but also present in the speech of adult native
speakers.

 The third stage, structural and semantic simplifications to their language.


• Structural simplifications take the form of omitting grammatical factors (e.g.
articles, auxiliary verbs) and semantic simplifications take the form of omitting
content words (e. g. nouns, verbs) .
• The first reason is that learners may not have yet acquired the necessary
linguistic forms.
• The second reason is that they are unable to access linguistic forms during

production.
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Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Key Ideas
3.4. Slang English

It is important to understand the role that slang English plays in the second language
acquisition and learning process. Students today are exposed to the English language
from television series to social media to songs on the radio. Students will pick up the
information/language they are hearing. At times it can be inappropriate or
appropriate, though regardless it is important that teachers introduce slang into their
classrooms to help their students understand the language they are hearing and
using. This also provides students a perspective of the cultural component of
language learning, slang English is not universal, each area/group’s slang English is
different.

Dumas and Lighter (1978) provide a definition of slang which includes 4 different
aspects (Jatkowski Homuth & Piippo, 2011):

 Slang reduces formality (lowers the register of the discourse in which it is used);
for example, the sentence “Shakespeare was one of England’s most awesome
writers” gets laughter from students, because of the juxtaposition of registers.

 It demonstrates group familiarity (usually with a lower-class/status group); for


example, when President Obama recently came to Detroit to speak to blue-collar
workers, he introduced Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, by saying she was “in the
house” (Obama, 2011). This is an example of using slang to create in-group status.

 Slang is a taboo term (with people of higher status); for example, curse words
would fall into this category.
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 It replaces a word that would cause discomfort to the speaker if he or she used
the word instead (euphemism). For example, this would include slang words for
male and female specific body parts.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
The following three paragraphs are examples of different types slangs trying to
express the same information (1920s, current slang and academic language)
(Jatkowski Homuth & Piippo, 2011):

 1920’s Slang.
A drugstore cowboy got on his iron and pulled up to a joint. Unfortunately, he got
spifflicated and was given the bum’s rush. When he tried to get a wiggle on, he
ended up being stopped by a bull. The next morning, he called a friend of his who
was a swell. His friend gave him some rubes, and everything was jake.

 Current Slang.
A player got on his bike and pulled up to a bar. Unfortunately, he got crunk and
was thrown out. When he tried to peace out, he ended up getting stopped by the
po-po. The next morning, he called a friend of his who was a baller. His friend gave
him some cheddar, and everything was cool.

 Academic Language.
A man who requests to have intimate relations with many women got on his
motorcycle and drove to an establishment where alcohol is served.
Unfortunately, he became inebriated and was escorted out of the establishment.
When he tried to return to his home, he ended up getting stopped by an officer
of the law. The next morning, he called a friend of his who had a lot of money. His
friend gave him some money, and everything was copacetic.

Types of Slang English

Slang English can be used not only for age but also associated with social classes and
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professions. These speech varieties differ in their setting, those who use it and the
historical implications around the language development. It is important to note that
L2 learners can choose to use slang, whereas L1 learners are born into the context
and may not realize they are speaking a deviation of Standard English (Ipek, 2009).

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Examples of such types of slang English include but are not limited to (Agha, 2015):

Figure 6. Types of Slang. (Agha, 2015).

Integrating Slang English in the Classroom

The following provides ways to integrate slang English in the classroom. There are
two tiers; intermediate and advanced English. The incorporation of slang English
allows for students to investigate language that is used in the workplace, social
media, in songs and even in everyday native speaker’s language. Also, it allows for
the students to understand a community and create networks outside of the
classroom (Preece, 2009 as cited in Jatkowski Homuth & Piippo, 2011). Finally,
sometimes for students with native speaker teachers its hard for them to understand
when their teacher incorporate slang English in their lectures or explanations
(Simpson & Dushyanthi, 2003 as cited in Jatkowski Homuth & Piippo, 2011).
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Unit 3. Key Ideas
INTERMEDIATE ENGLISH – SLANG ENGLISH MINI-LESSON

OBJECTIVE To introduce students to Slang & Demonstrate Slang-Learning Resources

Laptop with internet access and a projector


MATERIALS: (This can be adapted to suit classroom capabilities)

Ask students to discuss in pairs what they think


Elicit Write ‘Slang’ on the board.
the word means.

Ask students to come up with a


Write key words the students use in their
Discuss definition in pairs of what slang
definitions.
means.
Ask students to work in pairs to
 “Let’s go get some noms after this.”
find the slang in each sentence.
 “The train ride was awesome.”
Elicit Ask the student to make a
 “This is what I have to deal with all the
guess about what the word
time.”
might mean.
Ask students to generate a list
Ask students where slang words can be looked-
Discuss of slang words they have heard,
up or defined.
and what they mean.

Laptop Open Urban Dictionary.com

Ask the students to make guesses about what


the thumbs up or thumbs down mean.
Ask what information does the
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Elicit (These buttons allow the community of users to


page provide?
vote on whether the definition is accurate or
not.)
Ask the students to work in pairs Students should look up words, and write
Practice finding different slang terms. It sentences using the words. Once the sentences
would be best if the lists were are checked by the teacher. Students should

Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Key Ideas
varied with 5 or 6 words. Also, write the sentences on notecards and on the
they should be checked to make other side provide the definition and slang
sure they are profane. word.
In the classroom discuss which ones are the
slang terms.
Hang the notecards around the Students may be grouped into small groups. In
room or in a hallway. Have their groups must decide which one they think
students walk around and make is the slang term. Submit their answers as a
Game
educated guess about which group and the teacher can award points to the
words are slang and their teams.
possible definitions. (Also a Kahoot might be a great game to do this
with if students have access to an iPad or cell
phones with internet access.)
Have students create a video Have students write a creative writing piece
Homework using five of the words in a (story, poem, song, let them use their
creative way. imagination) using at least ten of the words.

Table 1. Intermediate Slang English Mini-Lesson. Adapted from (Jatkowski Homuth & Piippo, 2011).

ADVANCED ENGISH – SLANG ENGLISH MINI-LESSON

OBJECTIVE To introduce students to Slang & create poems

MATERIALS: Worksheet with vocabulary words and Gap fill sentences

Ask students to discuss in pairs what they


Elicit Write ‘Slang’ on the board.
think the word means.

Ask students to come up with


Write key words the students use in their
Discuss a definition in pairs of what
definitions.
slang means.
Ask students to work in pairs
to find the slang in each  “Let’s go get some noms after this.”

sentence.  “The train ride was awesome.”


Elicit
Ask the student to make a  “This is what I have to deal with all the

guess about what the word time.”


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might mean.
Write the words from the worksheet on the
Ask students to generate a list
board/project it on a screen.
Discuss of slang words they have
Have them make guesses about what they
heard, and what they mean.
mean.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Vocabulary words: Dime, Dawg, Bling-bling,
Ballin´, Boo, Cracker, Crib, Cup cakin´,
Peeps, Phat, Po-po, Dead Presidents, Fly,
JawJappin´, Kick it, Spit Game, Whack.
1. I made $1,000 yesterday. I’m
____________________!
2. Hey look, that’s my ________________
over there. I have to go talk to him.
3. Nic is looking super-_____________ in his
new shoes.
4. I am so tired from yesterday, let’s just
stay at the crib and ________________.
5. Look at the __________________
hanging around his neck!
6. Sara and I have been dating for a long
time, I think it’s time I made her my
____________________.
7. That shawty (good looking female) is a
Hand out worksheets with
_______________.
vocabulary words and gap
Individual 8. You better be careful living in the Bronx,
fills.
work a _______________ like you.
Have students individually fill
9. I saw my little nephew talking to some
them out.
girl at the park, they were totally
__________________.
10. I’m meeting up with all of my
________________ to have dinner.
11. My mom said that for the next holiday,
we have to go to my grandma’s. My mom is
____________!
12. I went shopping yesterday and bought
this _________________ new watch.
13. This is boring. Let’s go back to my
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___________________ and kick it.


14. I’m totally ballin’ right now. I got a
pocket full of
_________________________.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
15. I was trying to party the other day but
the ________________ came and ruined
our fun!
16. Oh my God...that girl will not stop
_____________________ about everybody!
17. He sure knows how to
________________; he always gets the
flyest girls.
Have the students look up a new word, and
Ask students if they know
share why they chose the word with the
where they can find more
Elicit class.
slang terms. Share the
Ask other students to provide an example
website urbandictionary.com
sentence with that word.
Students should use thesaurus.com and
In pairs, students should write
urbandictionary.com to expand their
a poem using the slang terms
creative vocabulary.
Practice provided on the worksheet or
Once poems are written they should be
incorporate new words found
checked over. Then copied as a final draft
on urbandictionary.com
and decorated if the students would like.
While the students are reading the poetry
Have students sit in a circle
Poetry ask the other students to either write down
and read aloud their poetry
reading slang words heard or words they don´t
written in pairs.
understand.
Create a slang dictionary.
Include terms with definitions,
Homework
example sentences and
images.

Table 2. Advanced Slang English Mini-Lesson. Adapted from (Titus, 2010).

3.5. References
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Agha, A. (2015). Tropes of Slang. Signs and Society, 306-330.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Chen, C.-F. E. (s.f.). Learning a First Language. Retrieved from National Kaohsiung First
University of Science and Technology:
http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen/SLA/ppt/1_Learning_a_First_Language_new.ppt

Chenu, F. J. (2009). Reviewing some similarities and differences in L1 and L2 lexical


development. Acquisition et interaction en langue étrangère, 17-38.

Cook, V. (2019). First and Second Language Acquisition: Notes. Retrieved from Vivian
Cook: http://www.viviancook.uk/SLA/L1%20and%20L2.htm

Cook, V. (2019). The Relationship between First and Second Language Learning
Revisited. Retrieved from Vivian Cook:
http://www.viviancook.uk/Writings/Papers/L1&L22008.htm

Gass, S. M., & Selinker, L. (2008). Second Language Acqusition: An introductory


course. New York: Routledge.

Hargus, S. (2015). First Language Acquisition. Retrieved from University of


Washington: http://courses.washington.edu/lingclas/200/Lectures/Biol/acq_06.pdf

Hickey, R. (s.f.). First and second language acquisition: A brief comparison. Retrieved
from Universität Duisburg-Essen: https://www.uni-
due.de/ELE/FLA_SLA_brief_comparison.pdf

Ipek, H. (2009). Comparing and Constrasting First and Second Language Acquistion:
Implications for Language Teachers. English Language Teaching, 155-163.
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Jatkowski Homuth, K., & Piippo, A. (2011). Slang in the ESL Classroom. Michigan
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Conference (págs. 41-49).
Kalamazoo: MTESOL.

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Unit 3. Key Ideas
Liu, J. (2008). L1 Use in L2 Vocabulary Learning: Facilitator or Barrier. International
Education Studies, 65-69.

Titus, N. (2010). Ebonics 101: 1º Bachillerato.


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Unit 3. Key Ideas
In Depth
First and Second Language Acquisition

Mitsutomi, M., & Kirjavainen, M. [IAFOR Media]. (17 May 2014). First and Second
Language Acquisition [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=ZqDt2isALig

Two researchers in the field of language acquisition (one in first language and the
other in second language) explain their research and how they have worked together
in SLA research.
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Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. In Depth
Test
1. When learning their first language children are… (Select all that apply)
A. Creative.
B. Imitators.
C. Predictable.
D. Cultured.

2. The processes of learning an L1 is different if children learn a language Japanese


versus German.
A. True.
B. False.

3. In L1 acquisition the first stage is babbling this means that the children begin
saying full words.
A. True.
B. False.

4. The Language Developmental sequences include… (select all that apply)


A. Negations.
B. Morphemes.
C. Affirmations.
D. Questions.

5. Children do not tend to go through the same developmental stages at the same
rate.
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A. True.
B. False.

Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Test
6. Differences in learning a second language versus a first language include... (select
all that apply)
A. Vocabulary.
B. Instruction.
C. Productive.
D. Errors.

7. An education context in which a language learner may learn an L2 includes


submersion.
A. True.
B. False.

8. L2 and L1 learners go through the same developmental sequences when learning


a language, first the silent period, then formulating speech and finally structural
and semantic simplifications.
A. True.
B. False.

9. The communicative approach requires language to be meaningful through


interaction and negotiation between learners.
A. True.
B. False.

10. Slang English is not universal though there are aspects which determine if it is
Slang, which are correct?
A. Reduces formality.
B. Increases Communication.
© Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

C. Demonstrates groups.
D. Includes profanity.

Second Language Acquisition and Learning


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Unit 3. Test

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