The document discusses several key topics related to language acquisition and cognitive development: 1. It describes hemispheric lateralization in the brain and the roles of the left and right hemispheres in logical/analytic functions and emotional/social functions respectively. 2. It discusses evidence that both children and adults can acquire second languages, though children have advantages from factors like motivation and quality of input. 3. The right hemisphere plays a significant role in early second language learning through strategies like using formulaic utterances and semantic relations. 4. Lower-level language functions like pronunciation depend more on early brain development while higher-level functions depend more on later development.

2.  Hemispheric Lateralisation: Lateralisation of the brain
o Left Hemisphere: intellectual, logical and analytic functions are located in this
hemisphere.
o Right Hemisphere: functions related to emotional and social needs are taken
into account in this hemisphere.
 Anthropological Evidence:
o Normal course of life - adults are able to acquire second
languages perfectly.
o Apparent advantage of the child – motivation, affective
variables, social factors and the quality of input
 Right-Hemispheric Participation:
o Second language learning – significant participation (active during early stages)
o Examples of hemisphere activities: strategies of meanings and of using formulaic
utterances
 Biological Timetables:
o Lower-order process: pronunciation – dependent on early maturing.
o Higher-order language functions: semantic relations – more dependent on late
maturing neural circuits.

3. Human Cognition develops throughout the first years of life.
Jean Piaget – course of intellectual development in a child.
Stages of Cognitive Development
• Sensorimotor Stage– from birth to two: learning through
trial and error
• Preoperational Stage – from two to seven: development
of language memory and intuitive intelligence
• Operational Stage – from eleven to sixteen:
 Concrete Operational Stage – ages seven to
eleven: logical thinking and concrete referencing
 Formal Operational Stage – ages eleven to
sixteen: hypothetical and abstract thinking
Ausubel – takes into account what learners already
know.
Difference between rote and meaningful learning: little
need for rote
most items are by meaningful learning, by attaching new
experiences to existent knowledge in the cognitive
framework

4. Human beings = Emotional creatures
Emotion = thought, meaning and action
Affective Domain -- there are many factors: empathy, self-esteem,
extroversion, inhibition, imitation, anxiety, attitudes and so on.
Older children become more aware of themselves and more
self-conscious while they look for their self-identity
Negative Attitudes – affection in the learning process
Inhibitions: (affective equilibrium)
*Puberty– physical, cognitive and emotional changes
Language Ego:
*The identity developed by a person in reference to the language
s/he speaks
Peer pressure:
*Important variable in considering child-adult comparisons.

5.  Bilingualism : Use of similar strategies
• Coordinate Bilinguals – Distinguish separate context for the two languages
• Compound Bilinguals – One meaning system from which both languages operate
• Code-switching – communication between bilinguals. Insertion of words, phrases, etc. of one language into another
 Interference Between First and Second Language:
• Children – Linguistic and cognitive processes of second language learning are similar to the first language
processes
First and second language learning – similar strategies and linguistic features
 Interference in Adults: More vulnerable in adults
• Formulation of linguistic rules – Adults learning a second language manifest similar errors found in
children learning their first language
• Available linguistic information – native language, second language, teachers, classmates, and peers.
• First language as a facilitating factor
 Order of Acquisition:
• Children learning a second language use a creative construction process as they do in their first language
• It is important to maintain the three types of age and language comparisons (C1-C2, C2-A2, C1-A2)