Second Language Acquisition

1. SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING
Classical Conditioning
Stimulus -Response

2. Defining Learning in the light of
Classical Conditioning Theory
• Learning is an observable change of performance
through acquiring a set of new habits involving
the mechanism of stimulus and response.
• In a foreign language situation , learners are
faced with interference from the L1 or the
mother tongue , which is inevitable.
• This interference can be an obstacle to effective
communication in the target language.

3. Different view of L1 interference
• Netwark (1996) , suggests that L1 does not really interfere
but learners fall back to the mother tongue , when there is
lack in the knowledge of the target language .
• Another aspect of conditioning is rewarding.
• Conclusion:
• In the behaviourist view all learning results automatically
and mechanically from stimulus and response.
• Notice:
• When does a foreign language learner or a second
language learner revert to his mother tongue? Even if he is
efficent in the target language ?!

4. CREATIVE LEARNING
• This view sees Language more than habit
formation .
• Learners bring to the situation their own creative
abilities :
• They compare and contrast..
• They make analogies.
• They are interactive and influential.
• They are conscious of at least a part of the
learning processes.

5. A comparison between Adult and
Children in ESL /EFL
• Adults can never be as
good as children learning
a language.
• Adults have to work at
learning a language.
• An adult can reason more
effectively.
• In vocabulary and
grammar , an adult
performs more correctly.
• Children are good
language learners.
• It is said that children do
not.
• On theother hand, a child
cannot.
• A child pronouces better.
• A child cannot get to the
adult level in the foreign
language.

6. • It is the meaning of words and sentences
which is crucial to language learning.
• Language cannot be learned without the
situation of a meaningful use.
• The nature of Language is within
the bounds of grammaticality.
The meaningful use of Language