1. What is SLA ?
Second language acquisition,
research focuses on developing knowledge and use of a language by children and
adult who already know at least one other language. This field of research has
both theoretical and practical important.
Second language
refers to any language learned in
addition to a person's first language; although the concept is named second-language
acquisition, it can also incorporate the learning of third, fourth, or
subsequent languages. Second-language acquisition refers to what learners do;
it does not refer to practices in language
teaching, although teaching can affect acquisition.
According to Saville-Troike (2006)
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) refers both to the study of individuals and
groups who are learning a language subsequent to learning their first one as
young children, and to the process of learning that language. The additional
language is called a second language (L2), even though it may actually be the
third, fourth, or tenth to be acquired. It is also commonly called a target
language (TL), which refers to any language that is the aim or goal of learning.
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.
2. What are the scopes of SLA ?
Second Language Acquisition has
different scope. That is, various disciplines and sciences might have interest
or benefits in this realm:
a. Linguistics
The essence of
SLA is language and in order to study and understand its principles one
should be familiar to linguistics. Gass and Selinker (2008) argued that a major goal of the second language acquisition research is the determination of linguistic constraints on the formation of second language grammars.
should be familiar to linguistics. Gass and Selinker (2008) argued that a major goal of the second language acquisition research is the determination of linguistic constraints on the formation of second language grammars.
b. Sociology
SLA research
sometimes deals with social identity and gender as these play important roles
in the complex multilingual societies. Socio-cultural theories that address how
culture and language are interwoven as learners progress from other- to
self-regulation in the L2 has been a continuing interest in individual learner
differences in language learning.
c. Neurolinguistics
The
availability of increasingly sophisticated means for examining the functioning
of the human brain (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging) has allowed
researchers to examine neurolinguistic aspects of L2 use and acquisition.
Traditional neurolinguistic, and cognitive approaches to second language
acquisition (SLA) operate by observing linguistic behavior
in experimental, clinical, or naturalistic settings, and based on patterns
in those data, mechanisms are inferred.
d. Psycholinguistics
The focus of
inquiry and research in psycholinguistic SLA has been the acquisition of
linguistic competence. The study of learner errors, of orders and sequences of acquisition,
of variability in learner language, and even of inter-language pragmatics has
been mainly concerned with documenting how learners develop specific L2
linguistic resources. Early SLA research was predominantly psycholinguistic in
nature.
e. Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguists
prefer to treat individuals as representative members of the speech communities
in which they function. It should be noted, however, that sociolinguistics is a
broad field of study, itself encompassing a number of different perspectives. Fasold
et al.(2006) defines sociolinguistics as the study of language in its social
context. He classified sociolinguistics into two branches: (a) the
sociolinguistics of society, and (b) the sociolinguistics of language.
SLA has become a disciplinary of language
education and its scope covers various aspects studied by different
researchers. This could mean that the more scholars do research on SLA, the
more issues needed to be studied. In this paper, the scope of SLA is gathered
from three authors who investigated and explained about SLA.
According
to Rowland (2014) who
studied “Child Language Acquisition” and informs readers the most significant
elements of SLA for this last fifty years, he includes the study of SLA with
various features such as the sounds and meaning of words of a language, how
children acquire syntax and morphology, language for commuincation,
multilingual language acquisiton, variations of a language and the search for
langauge universals.
Another
research, Troike (2006),
elucidates the scopes of SLA in some important aspects. Troike (2006) starts
with the explanation of Second Langauge Acquisition, how it is different from
first language acquisition, and diversity of learnes. In the second part of the
book, Troike (2006) further explains the foundatons of SLA which investigates
the world and nature of SLA, the differentiation of L1 and L2, logic problems
of langauge learning, and framework of langauge learning. The next part, he
elaborates the linguistics of SLA which covers the nature of language,
approaches to SLA, Universal grammar and Functional approaches. Psychology and
social contexts SLA are also included in the book. The last two parts, he shows
the acquisition of knowledge for L2 use and Second language education.
Ortega
(2009) also starts with
the introduction of SLA and next he discusses about the age that is one of the
important aspects in SLA. Later on he explains about the crosslinguistcs
influences which means the differentaitaion and similarity of L1 and L2. The
linguistic environment and cognition are also included in the discussion of the
book. The other aspects such as Development of learner language, Foreign
language aptitude, Motivation, Affect and other individual differences, Social
dimensions of L2 learning are carefully discussed in the book.
3. What are the importance of SLA ?
a.
Connecting with People from Around the World
Knowing the same language connects us to one another. We use
language to share information, thoughts and ideas, and these viewpoints
collectively create culture. Learning a second language connects you to a whole
new group of people and their culture. Also, your personal experience of
culture will be enhanced when you open yourself to the possibilities another language
offers. Since students at Admiral Farragut Academy come from all over the
worlds our students are exposed to different languages and cultures. We also
offer foreign language classes in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
b.
Employment Opportunities
With an ever growing global economy and an increasingly
diverse national population, speaking a second language is a desirable trait
for many employers. From translating or creating documents to speaking with
clients, employers need speakers of other languages on a daily basis. Your
ability to speak multiple languages makes you a valuable employee.
c.
Traveling and Studying Abroad
If you plan to travel or work abroad, learning a second
language will give you the tools to communicate with others. This will make
things easier for you and the people you are communicating with. It will be
easier to ask for directions and order food and other services. Plus, locals
may be friendlier and more helpful if you speak their language.
d.
Personal Fulfillment
Opening your mind to new ideas and new challenges leads to
personal growth. You may begin to see yourself and the world differently. You
may also understand and appreciate your own language even more. Ultimately,
learning a second language is something to be proud of and we encourage all of
our students to learn a second language.