This document discusses language acquisition, learning, and their relationship to sociocultural factors. It defines language acquisition as unconscious and natural assimilation from early childhood exposure, similar to how children learn their first language. Language learning is a more formal, classroom-based process where importance is placed on written forms, rules, and error analysis. Sociocultural factors like ethnicity, language, gender roles, and economic status can influence language development and educational outcomes. Development is shaped by characteristics of individuals as well as their environments and relationships over time.

1. Language Acquisition, Learning and
Sociocultural Setting
Dr. VMS

2. Language Teaching
 Language teaching activity is an age old practice
that takes place both in formal and informal
conditions of human life.
 Language teaching practices are applicable to all
languages regardless of their environmental and
administrative status such L1, L2, FL, etc.
 The aim of language teaching is to teach the
students on the contents related to language and
its, pronunciation, spelling, grammar,
composition, culture, history and literature.

3. Language Acquisition
 Language acquisition is a linguistic process
involving natural assimilation, intuition and
subconscious learning where the human being is
participant in the context.
 This process is similar to the way children learn
their native language, a process that produces
functional skill in the spoken language without
theoretical knowledge.

4. Language Acquisition
 Through this acquisition process children
develop familiarity with the phonetic
characteristics of the language, vocabulary,
structure and use.
 The acquisition approach helps the learners
improve their communicative act and
develops self-confidence in them.

5. Language Learning
 The idea of language learning is related to the
traditional approach of the study of languages
which is still practiced in schools worldwide.
 In language learning process importance is given
to the written form and the objective is for the
student to understand the structure and rules of
the language by means of applying the social,
intellectual and logical reasoning.
 The language structure is considered as more
important than communicative form.

6. Language Learning
 Learning process is governed by a formal
instructional plan with a predetermined syllabus in
accordance with the needs of the learners.
Learners study the theory first even before apply
them real time communication.
 Learning process involves error analysis through
which learners are appreciated for the perfect use
and it curtails the linguistic spontaneity of the
learners to some extent.

7. Language Learning
 The teacher is the central figure and the students
passive follow the teacher.
 Language learning is a progressive and cumulative
process, helps the learners improve their memorization
of vocabulary, structure and use.
 This process help learners to know about the
intricacies of language, its functioning and grammatical
structure especially with its irregularities, its contrasts
with the learners’ mother tongue, knowledge of the
practical skills of understanding and speaking the
language

8. Language Acquisition vs. Language Learning
 Language acquisition is an unconscious process and it
starts from the childhood. Mother tongue or L1 is not
taught but caught (acquired).
 Acquisition is different from learning. Learning process
requires a proper medium, teaching and involvement.
 Language acquisition is mainly acquisition of language
sub-consciously from childhood, and from a particular
language environment and learning is a conscious
process that results from formal study

9. Sociocultural factors
 Sociocultural factors contribute to individual
difference and have a basis in society and culture
 Consider social and cultural contexts in which we
live, learn and develop and ways they contribute
to differences among individuals.
 Some groups do not achieve equal outcomes in
terms of achievement and participation in
education Sociocultural factors

10. Developmental Influences
 1. Person: the characteristics of the individual
 2. Process: activities, relationships and
practices
 3. Context: aspects of environments in which
individuals are involved
 4. Time: stability and instability in individuals’
experiences

11. Development Systems
 Microsystem: interactions and activities in the
child’s immediate environment
 Mesosystem: connections between settings
involving the child
 Exosystem: settings in which the child is not
involved, but which nonetheless influence the
child’s development

12. External Influence
 Macrosystem: Societal and cultural influences
in development
 Chronosystem: changes in environments and
processes over time which influence
development

13. Social Background
 Ethnicity
 language and culture
 Socialisation
 -------- cultural beliefs, knowledge, values and
behaviour among members of a group
Ethnicity, language and culture.

14. Sociolinguistic Factors
 sociolinguistic features Language and culture
 understandings, values and attitudes that are
implicit in school structures and in the way
material is taught Culture and beliefs about
knowledge and learning
 Individual achievement
 Written knowledge
 Object knowledge
 Assertiveness
 Individualism and collectivism

15. Societal and Individual
 Language background
 ethnicity Attitudes of prejudice and cultural
stereotypes
 multicultural education
 Sex differences -Gender is biologically and
culturally determined
 Cognition: general knowledge, verbal ability,
visual-spatial ability, maths, IQ Emotion:
aggression, anxiety, empathy, inter-personal
relationships, cognitive and emotional disorders,
behaviour Gender differences

16. Gender and Psychology
 Reinforcement of gender roles Patterns of
classroom interaction Teacher expectations
Coeducational and single-sex schooling Gender
bias in classroom
 social and economic position in society
 Health factors Parenting factors Stress factors
Risk and resilience Poverty and education:
Background factors
 Psychological factors - learning protective skills
Relationships

17. Learning in Diversity
 Diversity and commonality: Differences
among peoples and languages Differing
experiences of education Differing aspirations
and goals for education Commonalities in
terms of values,