Definition of Terms

Second Language Acquisition

Bilingual Language Acquisition

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 357.

Questions about Bilingualism 1. Doesn’t the child confuse the two languages?

2. Does bilingual language development take longer than monolingual development?

3. Are bilingual children brighter or does acquiring two languages negatively affect the

child’s cognitive development in some way?

4. How much exposure to each language is necessary for a child to become bilingual?

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 358.

One System or Two? One

Mixed vocabulary Complementary vocabulary

Two Overlapping vocabulary Different syntax requirements Different morphology requirements Distinct phonemes and phonological rules

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp. 358-359.

How much input is needed?

“For practical purposes, the rule of thumb is that the child should receive roughly equal amounts of input in the two languages to achieve native proficiency in both.”

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp. 360-361.

Cognitive Effects of Bilingualism

Early studies: Worse: IQ, other cognitive / educational tests

More recent studies: Better in certain problem solving tasks Better metalinguistic knowledge Understand better about arbitrariness of

object / name relations Know what context to use which language inBenefits depend on value of two languages in society.

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 361.

SLA and FLA Similarities and Differences

Similarities

Develops in stages

UG may be available to some extent

Differences

Ultimate proficiency not the same

Greater non-linguistic cognitive abilities

UG not available to same extent (??)

Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp. 361-363.

Second Language Acquisition

“The younger you are, the easier it seems to be to learn a language. Language is unique in that no other complex system of knowledge is more easily acquired at a younger age than at an older one.”

Fromkin, Victoria and Robert Rodman. An Introduction to Language, sixth edition. Forth Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998, p. 347.

Chapter 7 Homework(Exercise 8, pp. 371-372)

a. 1;6: Final voiced stop consonants deleted

Final voiced sibilants are devoiced (dish unique)2;0: Final voiced stops are devoiced (or for

[ d ] deleted) Final voiced sibilants are devoiced

Both voiced stops and voiced sibilants are natural classes.

b. NO minimal pairs, BUT some sounds in similar contexts

Chapter 7 Homework(Exercise 11, p. 372)

a. Egyptian Arabic: Insert [ i ] AFTER first consonant of consonant cluster at the beginning a syllable

b. Iraqi Arabic: Insert [ i ] BEFORE first consonant of consonant cluster at the beginning a syllable

c. Egyptian: Arabic BIraqi: Arabic A