2. Summary
In this reaction paper will be analised four texts about thf first language acquisition
and the second language learning. The first one is called “Second language acquisition
and second language learning, chapter 5 , from Stephen D Krashen, Freeman´s chapter 1
and 2, and First and second language learning from V. J. Cook.
What Krashen wants to express is that findings on first language influence on second
language performance are quite consistent with findings and hypotheses from other
apparently nonrelated areas, and that they contribute to a clear theoretical picture of
second language acquisition and performance.
Cook´s text presents the factors that are involved in the L1 an L2 learning, stating
that the use of the fisrt language goes hand in hand with the child´s interests, that the
learning of a first language has many sides and is not simply a matter of learning syntax
and vocabulary, for example.
The first Freeman´s text presents the first language acquisition from the very
beginning, when the children starts babbling. Freeman presents how Beahaviourism is
present at the beginning and how the Environment is important because of the
interaction and the social settings that the children is sorrounded by and helps him to
develop his communication.
The second Freeman´s text shows how the second language is acquired, by writting,
reading, etc, and shows the diferents factors involved in the learning process, the
neurological factors, cognitive factors, affective factors and the fossilization. Also it
presents two views of language development. On is the that language is learned and the
second on is that language is acquired.
3. Evaluation
In Krashen´s text is presented an idea from Wode (1978, 1979) wich suggest that:
“there is a structural prerequisite for first language influence: the performer´s
interlinguistic structural description, his idea of the target language rule, must be similar
to the structural description of the rule in his first language”. I completely agree with
this idea because during my period of practice at school, I have seen that the students
tend to form the sentences with englsh words but with the order that they use in their
first language wich is spanish, using the structural description of the rule in his first
language.
Cook`s text also present an interesting idea wich says that the child´s use and
learning of language is partly determined by mental capacity. I think this is a correct
idea because as Cook says “mental capacity is used to refer to all internal psychological
process, including those of attention, organisation and memory”. I think this is
important beacause if I´m going to be a teacher I need to know if my hole class is
learning at the time I give the lessons, or if there are students which have a smaller
mental capacity with the ones I have to work harder, finding solutions to help them to
learn.
Freeman´s chapter 1 text presents the idea of behavoiurism. As it says
“Behabiorists held that all learning, including language learning happened as a process
of stimulus and response and the children´s language learning begins when the child
produces a sound and a parent or other caregiver reinforces that action positively”. It
can be seen constantly whit parents wich have little children. Sometimes childrem make
things and the parents congrats them and sometimes the children learn to do things by
answering what their parents do or tell to them.
4. Finally,from the second Freeman´s text I would like to highlight is the two views of
language development. The first is that language is learned and it says that: “ teachers
who hold learning view break language into its component parts and teach them
directly”. And the second view is tha language is acquired, and it says that: “ teachers
who hold an acquisition view attempt to make written and oral language
comprehensible”. I strongly think that we pay attention to this two views of language
development we are going to be able to teach to everyone having success.
References
5. Second Language Learning and Language Teaching, 3ed ViVian Cook 2011
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/Writings/Papers/L1&L21979.htm
Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning (1981) Stephen D
KrashenUniversity of Southern California
