Investigating willpower's role in child language acquisition: a theoretical perspective

Debating on Second Language Acquisition is not merely in terms of concept but also the real phenomena which postulate each research result. It needs more investigation on SLA due to the various realities on how children and adults acquire and learn any language. This research aims to describe how children and adults acquire and learn their first and second language. Participants consisted of children and adults whose ages determined by the researcher based on the purposive sampling technique. They were all six persons and chosen based on the certain characteristics. Content analysis technique was applied in order to analyze all data gained. The result showed that since human alive inside mother’s womb especially at up to the age of three months, a fetus has tried to acquire sounds subconsciously. Language proficiency is really determined by three factors of Phased Process Approach namely Subconscious Acquisition, Conscious Acquisition and Learning. The ideal time for learning something is begun from the age of 2 or 3 years old, by the fact that children have had the ability to bear a meaning on any input that they catch. The learning process has been begun within the process of acquisition. Based on the findings, it is clear that the children acquire the language step by step based on the development of the brain. Children acquire language is just the same as adult in acquiring the language although there will be some constraints faced by adult concern with the first language because adult has had the strong basic of first language just than children.

2013

Traditionally, the theoretical approaches that are included in accounts of language acquisition occupy different positions on a continuum with regard to how much emphasis is placed on the internal wiring of the child (i.e., the child’s given biological nature) versus the environmental input that the child receives (i.e., nurture). In contrast to these two views, an interactionist approach to language development focuses not only on the structures and mechanisms internal to the child, but also on the powerful influence that experiential and social factors have in concert with unobservable mental faculties. The charge for this chapter is to review the continuum of nature, nurture, and interactionist perspectives and to discuss their impact on the world of speech-language pathology. By tracing the roots of and variations of the nativistic, behavioral, and interactionist approaches to the development of language, we can begin to understand how the trends in modern language science have ...

—Piaget's theory, which is at the center of cognitive approach and major theoretical foundation in terms of the intelligent development, explains children's language learning by using four stages of cognitive development. For instance, Piaget maintains that Egocentrism is related to language learning as an inner speech and can affect on differentiation in cognitive development. This paper is to focus on the important educational foundation and information, which can prove how Language Egocentrism (LE) and Language Differentiation (LD) have an influence on native and second language acquisition for young children (two to seven years old), and what characteristics can be included in the subcategories of LE and LD. Index Terms—Language Egocentrism (LE), Language Differentiation (LD), language learning mechanics, second language acquisition, Piaget

I have been asked on occasion why I think there must be some sort of motivation to learn a second language, because most people learn at least one language, and often children from a bilingual home learn two languages, apparently with ease. Moreover, these people speak the language, they understand the language, and often they both read and write it, so why should motivation be important. My answer is that generally language is an integral part of growing up (which provides motivation in its own right), and is necessary to communicate and participate in ones environment. Often, this is not the case for second languages, especially those Alearned@ in school. There are many advantages for knowing other languages but they are not absolutely necessary, and as a consequence, motivation (as well as ability) can play an important role in learning a second language. And there are many things that can affect this motivation. I hope today to convince you of the importance of motivation in second language acquisition and to demonstrate that it is more complex than merely wanting to learn the language.

Background. This study is based on large samples of language-data collected during the formative period of language acquisition (9-62 months) from free dialogues of English and French children. Analysis of the longitudinal development of children's vocabularies expressed in terms of Parts of Speech showed that their acquisition develops surprisingly differently in these two languages. The hypothesis of the study is that first-language acquisition should respect identical principles, independently of the language acquired. Objective. To analyze the observed properties of language acquisition data based on a general model of concept formation and information processing. Design. Two models were applied: (a) Model of information processing based on reasoning concerning information, entropy, energy optimization, and evolution; and (b) Model of native semantic roles, based on the psychological approach of grounded cognition. The common factor in the reasoning applied in these models is that the process of concept formation is based on information generated by the biological system itself. Results. A joint formal representation is obtained using these two models. The derived mathematical formalism showed remarkable agreement with the sample data. It explains the gradual acquisition of the two languages as one and the same process. The formal description suggests that the acquisition of verbs is accomplished with reference to the concept of Self as Actor, acting in the Environment. Conclusion. The performed analysis is in support of the hypothesis that there exist inborn mechanisms of concept formation. The investigation of the joint model suggests that the concept of Self plays a central role in the language faculty.

Regarded as the 'signature capacity' of the human species (Gleitman & Gleitman, 2022, p.3), language defines our ability to think, share ideas, and build relationships with others. This central role of language in human life underscores the significance of psycholinguistics, and historical milestones and ongoing developments in this dynamic field expand our understanding of the interconnections between language and the mind. Within the broad domain of psycholinguistics, this paper will focus on how the study of psycholinguistics advances our knowledge of language acquisition, learning, and development. Universal Grammar, Language Acquisition, and Language Development Over the years, psycholinguists have been fascinated with the mysterious nature of the language acquisition process, putting forward theories as well as empirical evidence that shed light on how children acquire (their first) language. These theories-from the Behaviorist perspectives, which viewed language acquisition as a pattern of imitation and reinforcement (Skinner, 1985), to innatist perspectives such as Chomsky's ideas of a Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Device; to Social Interactionist perspectives, which emphasize the role of the social environment in language acquisition; the Constructivist perspective, which views the child as an active participant in language learning, able to construct knowledge of language through interacting with the environment and with other speakers, to more recent perspectives, such as connectionist theories, emphasize the dynamic and interactive nature of language processing, arising from input

The Palgrave Handbook of Motivation for Language Learning, 2019

is an influential psychological concept that has had a wide impact on the motivation research in the past thirty years, as well as on the recent reform of educational practices (Dweck, 1999, 2006; Dweck & Yeager, 2019; Yeager et al., 2019). Mindsets, also termed as lay/implicit theories, refer to beliefs about whether a person's characteristics, such as personality and intellectual abilities, are mutable (i.e., a growth mindset/incremental theory) or immutable (i.e., a fixed mindset/entity theory). These beliefs, which are often taken for granted and seldom reflected upon in a systematic manner, orient people's thoughts and actions towards relevant activities. Despite pervasive lay beliefs about natural talent and biological constraints (especially age) in foreign language learning, it is not until recently that researchers in second language acquisition (SLA) have addressed how mindsets play a role in

2005

The present level of understanding of the psycholinguistic processes and capacities underlying the child's acquisition of language is reviewed in this publication. In the first chapter, linguistic theories, biological characteristics of language learning, and the distinctions between language competence and language performance are discussed. The remaining two chapters are a detailed discussion of the empirical findings of psycholinguists and psychologists about language acquisition: chapter two focuses on the nature and acquisition of syntax while chapter three considers the nature of phonology in a grammar and the child's acquisition of phonology. A bibliography is included. (JM)

2024

Language Learning

We tested a theoretical model that integrated regulatory focus, second language (L2) self-guides, anxiety and enjoyment, eager and vigilant L2 use, and L2 achievement. We collected data from 324 students learning English as a foreign language. Structural equation modeling results showed that (a) the promotion focus positively predicted ideal selves, whereas the prevention focus negatively predicted ought selves; (b) ideal self/own predicted enjoyment positively and anxiety negatively, ought self/other and ideal self/other predicted anxiety positively, and ought self/own positively predicted vigilant L2 use; (c) enjoyment predicted eager L2 use positively and vigilant L2 use negatively, whereas anxiety predicted vigilant L2 use positively; and finally (d) eager L2 use positively and vigilant L2 use negatively predicted achievement. The findings suggest that a promotion-oriented approach to language learning and teaching might lead to more adaptive motivational, emotional, and behavioral patterns, which in turn contribute to language learning success. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed. Keywords motivation; emotions; self-guides; regulatory focus; achievement We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editors of Language Learning, whose constructive feedback led to significant improvements in the quality of this paper. We are also grateful to all the students who participated in this study and the teachers who collaborated with us.

Frontiers in psychology, 2016

The present longitudinal study evaluates the effect of effortful control (EC) as a core dimension of temperament on early language competence. We assume that first and second language competence is influenced by EC, and that immigrant children with low EC are thus at risk of an unfavorable language development. The sample consisted of n = 351 dual language learners (DLLs) with an immigrant background and n = 78 monolingual children. Language competence was measured with a standardized language test at age 4.9 years and at age 6.3 years. EC was captured with the Child Behavior Questionnaire, completed by teachers. Results of regression analyses revealed a significant effect of EC on second language development. DLLs with lower EC were found to have not only lower language competence at the beginning and the end of kindergarten but also a less favorable language development. Comparisons between the effect of EC on first and second language provide evidence that EC plays a bigger role ...

The current study investigates the accessibility of a systematic pattern to children learning their first language, and also it is a try to show the effect of the quantity of input on first language acquisition. To these aims, two case studies were carried out on six children learning as their first language. The participants of the first study were three children acquiring their first language in Indramayu being followed for 12 months (24-36 months) to see if they all passed the same pattern in language development. The participants of the second study were three Children (who were exposed to less input) acquiring their first language in Indramayu being followed for 12 months (24-36 months) to see if the language development was affected considering the amount of input they were exposed to. In-depth interviews, observations, audio and video recordings, notes and reports were used to collect the data for this study. The data collected for each Children was analyzed separately, and the stages of development were reported for each children accordingly. The findings support the claim that the process of language acquisition depends on an innate language ability which holds that at least some linguistic knowledge exists in humans at birth, and also the input that learners receive plays a very important role in the language acquisition since the input activates this innate structure.

2021

The smart, the motivated and the self-confident: The role of language aptitude, cognition, and affective variables in early instructed foreign language learning Isabelle Udry & Raphael Berthele 4 Predicting L2 achievement: Results from a test battery measuring language aptitude, general learning ability, and affective factors

For many years, there have been a lot of debates among philosophers, educators, and psychologists about how children think and learn. Accordingly, this study investigates changing perspectives on learning and development and summarizes different theoretical approaches to child language acquisition. It also discusses the way in which ideas about the nature of infancy and childhood dictate the ways in which one thinks about teaching and education. Then, as stated by , it argues that language representations emerge from interactions at all levels from brain to society. Simple learning mechanisms, operating in and across the human systems for perception, motor-action and cognition as they are exposed to language data as part of a social environment, suffice to drive the emergence of complex language representations. In fact, emergentism which has solved the former problems of child language acquisition theories raised by behaviorists and nativists is considered as a key to first language acquisition.