SLA refers to the study of second language acquisition - the process of learning a language after one's native language. SLA examines both informal learning in natural environments and formal classroom learning. Key questions in SLA are: What knowledge does the learner acquire? How is this knowledge learned? Why are some learners more successful than others? SLA takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from linguistics, psychology, sociolinguistics, and social psychology to answer these questions. The fields have different empirical focuses but an integrated perspective is needed to fully understand second language acquisition.
SLA refers to the study of second language acquisition - the process of learning a language after one's native language. SLA examines both informal learning in natural environments and formal classroom learning. Key questions in SLA are: What knowledge does the learner acquire? How is this knowledge learned? Why are some learners more successful than others? SLA takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from linguistics, psychology, sociolinguistics, and social psychology to answer these questions. The fields have different empirical focuses but an integrated perspective is needed to fully understand second language acquisition.
SLA refers to the study of second language acquisition - the process of learning a language after one's native language. SLA examines both informal learning in natural environments and formal classroom learning. Key questions in SLA are: What knowledge does the learner acquire? How is this knowledge learned? Why are some learners more successful than others? SLA takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from linguistics, psychology, sociolinguistics, and social psychology to answer these questions. The fields have different empirical focuses but an integrated perspective is needed to fully understand second language acquisition.
SLA refers to the study of second language acquisition - the process of learning a language after one's native language. SLA examines both informal learning in natural environments and formal classroom learning. Key questions in SLA are: What knowledge does the learner acquire? How is this knowledge learned? Why are some learners more successful than others? SLA takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from linguistics, psychology, sociolinguistics, and social psychology to answer these questions. The fields have different empirical focuses but an integrated perspective is needed to fully understand second language acquisition.
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What is SLA?
SLA = Second Language
Acquisition SLA refers to both:
1) the study of individuals and groups who are learning a language subsequent to learning their first one as young children, and 2) the process of studying that language (L2) The scope of SLA The scope of SLA includes informal L2 learning that takes place in naturalistic contexts, formal L2 learning that takes place in classrooms, and L2 learning that involves a mixture of these settings and circumstances. The 3 questions of SLA What? How? Why?
What exactly does the L2 learner come to know? How does the learner acquire this knowledge? Why are some learners more successful than others?
To answer to this ? Its necessary to use a multidisciplinary approach. SLA as a multidisciplinary approach As a result of efforts to answer the what, how and why questions, SLA has emerged as a field of study from within linguistics and psychology (and their subfields of applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and social psychology) Emphasis of each field: Linguists: emphasize the differences and similarities in the languages that are being learned; and the linguistic competence (knowledge) and linguistic performance (production) of learners at various stages of the acquisition. Psychologists and Psycholinguists: emphasize the mental processes involved in acquisition, and the representation of language(s) in the brain. Emphasis of each field: Sociolinguists: Emphasize variability in learner linguistic performance: context, difference between groups separated by certain social variables (ethnicity, status, gender, education, age), and difference between dialects (By continent: Australian, Scottish, Brittish, etc.; by culture: AAVE, Chicano, etc.; by region: Boston, New York, California, Texas, etc.) Social psychologists: Emphasize group related phenomena: identity and social motivation
Why integrate these fields? If not, you would end up like the 3 blind men of the Asian Fable. While each perception is correct individually, they fail to provide an accurate picture of the total, because there is no integrated perspective. What is a second language (L2)? 1. Target language 2. Second language 3. First language 4. Foreign language a. Has no immediate or necessary practical application, might be used later for travel or business. b. The aim or goal of language learning c. An officially or societally dominant language needed for education, employment or other basic purposes. d. Acquired during childhood L1: First language, native language, mother tongue Acquired before the age of three years as a part of growing up among people who speak the language. Multilinguism Bilinguism Simultaneous multilinguism Sequential multilinguism