Stages of Second Language Acquisition in Children
Pre-language Stage
In this stage, which begins around 6 months of age, babies experiment with sounds, progressing from burping and laughing to babbling sequences. While they react to sounds and recognize voices, they do not yet produce words.
One-word Stage
Around 1 year old, children begin to say their first words, forming holophrastic sentences where a single word conveys a complete thought.
Two-word Stage
Starting around their second birthday, children combine holophrastic words into simple sentences with clear syntactic and semantic relations, such as “more wet” or “dirty sock.”
Telegraphic Speech
Children begin to combine three or more words, but still omit function words (e.g., to, the, can) and focus on content words. Sentences gradually become longer and more complex.
Phonology
Children learning a second language often have a better ability to distinguish sounds than to produce them accurately. Occlusive consonants are typically among the first consonants mastered. Strategies children use to overcome pronunciation challenges include:
- Avoiding difficult words
- Using words with preferred sounds
- Sound replacement
- Cluster reduction (omitting difficult consonants at the beginning or end of words)
- Shortening words
English teachers should use slow, clear speech with pauses, emphasis, and intonation to highlight key information.
Motivation
Two main types of motivation influence language learning:
- Intrinsic motivation: The inherent interest in learning the language itself.
- Extrinsic motivation: Driven by external factors such as rewards, grades, or avoiding punishment.
In preschool education, fostering intrinsic motivation through playful activities, games, and music is crucial.
Syntax
Children initially focus on the present tense and gradually develop more complex structures related to the past. The acquisition of negative and interrogative sentences follows distinct stages:
Negative Sentences
- Stage 1: Placing “no” before the noun or verb (e.g., “no go,” “no cookie”).
- Stage 2: Placing the negative element in the middle of the sentence without proper conjugation (e.g., “He don’t want it,” “I no like it”).
- Stage 3: Using correct verb forms and tenses.
Interrogative Sentences
The acquisition of question words follows a specific order, with “what” appearing first, followed by “where” and “who,” then “why,” and finally “how,” “when,” “which,” and “whose.”
Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences suggests that individuals possess varying levels of eight different intelligences. While some may excel in most or all areas, most people have strengths and weaknesses in different intelligences. With support and training, individuals can develop each intelligence to an adequate level. Factors influencing intelligence development include:
- Biological and genetic factors
- Personal experiences and relationships
- Cultural and historical background
Theories of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
Jean Piaget believed that language acquisition is a result of cognitive development and occurs simultaneously. He emphasized the importance of cognitive abilities in language proficiency.
Skinner’s Behaviorism
B.F. Skinner’s behaviorism theory posits that language learning, like all learning, is based on habit formation through reinforcement and reward. Children learn by imitating language patterns and receiving positive reinforcement when understood, leading to the development of automaticity.
Chomsky’s Innateness Theory
Noam Chomsky proposed that children are born with an innate language acquisition device (LAD) containing universal grammar rules. This LAD allows infants to acquire the specific grammar of their native language from the language they hear around them.