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Comparing Contrasting L1 and L2 Acquisition

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Comparing Contrasting L1 and L2 Acquisition
COMPARING AND CONTRASTING FIRST AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Types of Comparison and Contrast | The Critical Period Hypothesis | Neurological Considerations
Psychomotor Considerations
Cognitive Considerations
Affective Considerations
Linguistic ConsiderationsIn the Classroom: The Audiolingual Method |

The increased pace of research on first language acquisition in the 60s and 70s attracted the attention not only of linguists of all kinds but also of educators in various language-related fields. Today the applications of research findings in first language acquisition are widespread. In language arts education, for example, it is not uncommon to find teacher trainess studying first language acquisition, particularly acquisition after age 5, in order to improve their understanding of the task of teaching language speaker to native speakers. In foreign language education most standard text and curricula now include some introductory material in first language acquisition. The reason for this are clear: We have all observed children acquiring their first language easily and well, yet the learning of second language, particularly in an education setting, often meets with great difficulty and sometimes failure. We should therefore able to learn something from a systematic study of that first language learning experience.
The purpose of this chapter is to set forth explicity some of the paramters for comparing and contrasting the two types of language acquisition.
The first step in that interpretation process might be to dispel some myths about the relationship between first and second language acquisition. H.H. Stern(1970:57-58) summarized some common arguments that cropped up from time to time to recommend a second language teaching method or procedure on the basis of first language acquisition: 1. In language teaching, we must practice and practice, again and again. Just watch a small child learning his mother tongue. He repeats things over and over again.

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