From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Second-language acquisition, second-language learning, or L2 acquisition, is the process by which people learn

a second language. Second-language acquisition (often abbreviated toSLA) also refers to the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. 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.[1] Second-language acquisition refers to what learners do; it does not refer to practices in language teaching.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Theories of second-language acquisition are various theories and hypotheses in the field of second-language acquisition about how people learn a second language. Research in second-language acquisition is closely related to several disciplines including linguistics, sociolinguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and education, and consequently most theories of second-language acquisition can be identified as having roots in one of them. Each of these theories can be thought of as shedding light on one part of the language learning process; however, no one overarching theory of secondlanguage acquisition has yet been widely accepted by researchers.

Definition: The development of language in children. By the age of six, children have usually mastered most of the basicvocabulary and grammar of their first language. Second language acquisition (also known as second language learningor sequential language acquisition) refers to the process by which a person learns a "foreign" language--that is, a language other than his or her mother tongue.

Examples and Observations:

"For children, acquiring a language is an effortless achievement that occurs: - without explicit teaching, - on the basis of positive evidence (i.e., what they hear),

- under varying circumstances, and in a limited amount of time, - in identical ways across different languages. . . . Children achieve linguistic milestones in parallel fashion, regardless of the specific language they are exposed to. For example, at about 6-8 months, all children start to babble . . ., that is, to produce repetitive syllables like bababa. At about 10-12 months they speak their first words, and between 20 and 24 months they begin to put words together. It has been shown that children between 2 and 3 years speaking a wide variety of languages useinfinitive verbs in main clauses . . . or omit sententialsubjects . . ., although the language they are exposed to may not have this option. Across languages young children also over-regularize the past tense or other tenses of irregular verbs. Interestingly, similarities in language acquisition are observed not only across spoken languages, but also between spoken and signed languages." (Mara Teresa Guasti, Language Acquisition: The Growth of Grammar. MIT Press, 2002)

"At around nine months of age, then, babies start to give their utterances a bit of a beat, reflecting the rhythm of the language they're learning. The utterances of English babies start to sound like 'te-tum-te-tum.' The utterances of French babies start to sound like 'rat-a-tat-a-tat.' And the utterances of Chinese babies start to sound like sing-song. . . . We get the feeling that language is just around the corner. "This feeling is reinforced by [an]other feature of language . . .: intonation. Intonation is the melody or music of language. It refers to the way the voice rises and falls as we speak." (David Crystal, A Little Book of Language. Yale Univ. Press, 2010)

"Vocabulary and grammar grow hand in hand; as toddlers learn more words, they use them in combination to express more complex ideas. The kinds of objects and relationships that are central to daily life influence the content and complexity of a child's early language." (Barbara M. Newman and Philip R. Newman, Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach, 10th ed. Wadsworth, 2009)

Defining Second Language Acquisition written by: Vandana Singhal edited by: Linda M. Rhinehart Neas updated: 3/2/2012

Second language acquisition and learning defined as learning a language, which is different from your native language. Second Language acquisition is a long process, which includes several stages.

Second Language Acquisition Language is the method of expressing ideas and emotions in the form of signs and symbols. These signs and symbols are used to encode and decode the information. There are many languages spoken in the world. The first language learned by a baby is his or her mother tongue. It is the language, which he or she listens to from his or her birth. Any other language learned or acquired is known as the second language. Definition of Second Language Acquisition The definition of second language acquisition and learning is learning and acquisition of a second language once the mother tongue or first language acquisition is established. Second language acquisition or SLA is the process of learning other languages in addition to the native language. For instance, a child who speaks Hindi as the mother tongue starts learning English when he starts going to school. English is learned by the process of second language acquisition. In fact, a young child can learn a second language faster than an adult can learn the same language. Second Language Acquisition and Learning Though most scholars use the terms language learning and language acquisition interchangeably, actually these terms differ. Language learning refers to the formal learning of a language in the classroom. On the other hand, language acquisition means acquiring the language with little or no formal training or learning. English Exercises EffortlessEnglishClub.com/7rules 7 Rules You Should Know To Speak English Fast. Teaching English Training? STDirectoryedu.com Get Full Info On Teaching English Related Course. Know More! English Lesson Plan Ideas www.ePals.com/join Browse Lesson Plan ideas for K-12 classrooms, Join ePals for free! Ads by Google If you go to a foreign land where people speak a different language from your native language, you need to acquire that foreign language. It can be done with little formal learning of the language through your every day interaction with the native peoples in

the market place, work place, parks or anywhere else. This is true for learning spoken language.

Ways to introduce the second language A second language can be acquired at any time after a child has developed language skills. A second language is often called the target language while the native language is known as "L1." The second language can be introduced in following ways

introduced by speakers of the second language introduced as a second language that is part of the curriculum at school

Teaching Second Language There are several things to consideration when teaching a second language. These factors may include the language spoken at home, the willingness of the learner, the reason to learn the second language (i.e., learning at school, for work, to talk to friends or others). Though all the students of second language acquisition go through the same stages of learning, the period of learning varies. Students can learn better by responding to pictures and visuals. Attention to listening comprehension and building a receptive and active vocabulary is essential.

More about Second Language Acquisition The definition of second language acquisition and learning describes the process of understanding, speaking and writing another language fluently. The ability to communicate in a second language is becoming an essential skill in today's world.

Second Language Acquisition in Adults: From Research to Practice

Donna Moss, National Center for ESL Literacy Education Lauren Ross-Feldman, Georgetown University December, 2003 Second language acquisition (SLA) is the study of how second languages are learned and the factors that influence the process. SLA researchers examine howcommunicative competence-the ability to interpret the underlying meaning of a message, understand cultural references, use strategies to keep communication from breaking down, and apply the rules of grammar-develops in a second language (Savignon, 1997). They also study nonlinguistic influences on SLA such as age, anxiety, and motivation. (See Ellis, 1997; Gass & Selinker, 2001; & Pica, 2002 for extensive discussions of SLA theory and research.) Little research has been conducted on SLA with English language learners in adult education contexts. The complexities of adult English as a second language (ESL)

instruction make research in this field challenging. Investigating issues of culture, language, and education and tracking learner progress over time are not easy when complicated by diverse and mobile learner populations and varied learning contexts (e.g., workplace classes, general ESL classes, family literacy classes). However, knowing about the SLA research that has been conducted can be helpful to adult ESL teachers because the findings may be applicable to their populations and contexts. The purpose of this Q&A is to show how SLA research can inform adult ESL instruction. Research in three areas of second language acquisition are discussed: (1) the effect of learner motivation, (2) the role of interaction, and (3) the role of vocabulary. The research presented here includes experimental, correlational, and descriptive studies, as well as theoretical CAEarticles that analyze the results of other research. What is the role of interaction in SLA? Another area of SLA research focuses on how interaction contributes to second language acquisition. Interaction refers to communication between individuals, particularly when they are negotiating meaning in order to prevent a breakdown in communication (Ellis, 1999). Research on interaction is conducted within the framework of the Interactive Hypothesis, which states that conversational interaction "facilitates [language] acquisition because it connects input [what learners hear and read]; internal learner capacities, particularly selective attention; and output [what learners produce] in productive ways" (Long, 1996, pp. 451-452). Interaction provides learners with opportunities to receive comprehensible input and feedback (Gass, 1997; Long, 1996; Pica, 1994) as well as to make changes in their own linguistic output (Swain, 1995). This allows learners to "notice the gap" (Schmidt & Frota, 1986, p. 311) between their command of the language and correct, or target-like, use of the language. Empirical research with second language learners supports the contention that engaging in language interactions facilitates second language development. Findings from a study to determine how conversational interaction affects the acquisition of question formation indicate that interaction can increase the pace of acquisition (Mackey, 1999). Research on interaction includes studies of task-based language learning and teaching and focus on form