Monday, 1 October 2012

Let's Talk about Second Language Acquisition (SLA)!!!

There are 2 words that are used quite overlapping and interchangeably... Acquiring and Learning...
According to Oxford Online Dictionary,
  • Acquire means "... Learn or develop (a skill, habit or quality)
  • Learn means "...gain or acquire knowledge of a skill (in something) by studying, experience or being taught. 
It is second language learning if there are guidance (teachers, self-study, structured course etc). It is Second Language Acquisition if the language is acquired through exposure to everyday use, listening, using, in a more practical way.

Rod Ellis, in Understanding Second Language Acquisition, pg. 6. says
"Second language Acquitision is sometimes contrasted with Second Language Learning on the assumption that these are different processes. The term 'acquisition' is used to refer to picking up a second  language through exposure, whereas the term 'learning; is used to refer to the concious study of second language."

Agreeing with Rod Ellis again, I will also wish to keep an open mind on the distinction and will be using the term Acquiring and Learning interchangeably through out my learning journal.

I am looking forward for this journey of Acquiring and Learning Spanish as my second (well actually third) language. This will be an honor to personally engaged and observed the process of how one learn second language. This will give me a broader perspective of how it is to be a student.

Lightbown - Spada, How Languages are Learned, 2011, pg 1 mentioned that
"Language Acquisition is one of the most impressive and fascinating aspect of human development"
It will be fascinating for me to observe how learning language means making sense of letter formations, bringing meaning to foreign word order and emphasize emotions through the intonations. Learning the new melody to be able to dance to the exotic rhythms.

As a note to myself, here are points that I will be observing during my Language Course
1. Teaching Method used - the sequenced, the approaches - and my personal response to them
2. My learning Strategies - Overcoming Difficulties and Celebrating Successes

My Spanish class will start tomorrow... More notes to follow...!

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