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After explaining these theories, I have to say that it is generally recognised that understanding more about similarities and differences in first language and second language acquisition processes can help teachers in the foreign language classroom. We want to know how similar or different are the processes involved. We know that first and second language learners are similar in their ability to acquire the language but different in terms of what they bring to the language learning situation. For instance, we have all observed children acquiring their first language with ease yet struggling to learn a second language in the classroom and sometimes even failing. There are many learning conditions which are going to influence the learning processes; these are related to the teacher, such as his view of the language, and to the learner, for instance the age, personality, attitude, motivation and learning style, among others. Let us now move to consider some similarities and differences between the two processes, in relation to the language acquisition theories, previously mentioned: • A behaviourist view would consider the 2 processes very similar since practice and imitation are common to both. Strong influence on the Audio-lingual App., which emphasizes repetition in the form of drills, accuracy, and the avoidance of errors. • An innatist view would consider that in both, F and SL acquisition, Universal grammar may influence learning. In second language learning, universal grammar may influence learning either independently or through the first language. • A cognitive-developmental view would consider many differences between the two processes. In SLL, the critical period hypothesis as proposed by Lenneberg suggested that there is a specific and limited time for language acquisition. Clear example: the cases of Victor and Genie, who were two wild children that never learned how to talk very well. This theory is controversial since there are many important factors to consider aside from age, such as motivation and learning conditions. In many studies younger children were often found to be better at pronunciation but less efficient learners of vocabulary and grammar. • Social-interactionist views in SLA: in primary education, students are essentially infants. At first, they can only communicate with the teacher through non-verbal communication. Therefore, it is the teacher who is responsible for leading all interaction at first. As time goes by, the students can take more control of their own language learning. Also, if students are encouraged to experiment with the language and learn that it is okay to make mistakes, they will be able to discover for themselves how to combine words and phrases to form full sentences and dialogues. At this point, teachers may develop activities at a level that is both engaging and more challenging that the student´s current level of knowledge, “Zone of Proximal Development” or ZPD, as Vygosky claimed. Finally, it is worth mentioning one of the most influential and widely discussed models of SECOND language learning in recent years: Krashen’s monitor model. It has been favoured and influential because of its relatively comprehensive nature and especially because it moves from theory to classroom practice. It describes 5 central hypotheses: 1) The acquisition-learning hypothesis: it states that there are two ways to develop a SL.: • Acquisition: involves the subconscious acceptance of knowledge where information is stored in the brain through the use of communication (=we acquire language as we are exposed to samples of it that we understand); • Learning, on the other hand, is the conscious acceptance of knowledge ‘about’ a language (i.e. the grammar or form) (=we learn by a conscious process of formal language instruction). Application for Teaching: our objective is to help students to ‘acquire’ the L instead of just ‘learning’ it. The optimal way to achieve this objective is through natural communication, creating situations where language is used to fulfil authentic purposes. 2) The natural order hypothesis: acquisition follows a predictable sequence. Therefore, language structures should be taught in an order that is conducive to learning. Start by introducing L concepts that are relatively easy for learners and then use scaffolding to introduce more difficult concepts. 3) The monitor hypothesis: further explains how acquisition and learning are used; 1) the acquisition system, initiates an utterance and 2) the learning system ‘monitors’ the utterance to inspect and correct errors. Monitoring ("the monitor") can make some contribution to the accuracy of an utterance, therefore it focuses more on accuracy as opposed to fluency. Application for Teaching: as an SL teacher it will always be a challenge to strike a balance between encouraging accuracy and fluency in your students. 4) The input hypothesis: one acquires language by exposure to comprehensible input, so we must provide as much comprehensible input as possible in the classroom, in order to be able to communicate effectively. 5) The affective filter hypothesis: we also need to provide the student with optimal affective conditions: the acquirer is motivated, has self-confidence and a low level of anxiety. In this sense, we need to create a safe, welcoming environment in which students can learn. In order for the students to take in and produce language, they need to feel that they are able to make mistakes and take risks. No doubt in the future more research will develop other insights and views on the child language acquisition process. Let´s now revise some similarities and differences between first and second language acquisition following Gass (1994): 1. Main differences: 1.1. The age factor: most learners start this process at the age of five so the possibilities to internalise the utterances are reduced. This is due not only to the students’ age but also to the limited exposition to the foreign language. 1.2. Fossilisation refers to the permanent retention of incorrect linguistic forms into the learners’ developing linguistic system. That is, specific linguistic structures remain incorrect for lengthy periods of time in spite of plentiful input. When learning a second language, students build up his/her own rules, and speak a language which is neither the target language (L2) nor the mother tongue. This new linguistic system is called interlanguage. There are various reasons: 1) students do not actually learn the right structure; 2) they transfer structures from 1st L to FL and internalise them as if they belonged to the FL. Fossilization, thus, is a sort of stagnation (estancamiento) in secondary language acquisition that cannot be overcome. The student has more and more difficulty furthering his fluency in the language, until eventually, the student can learn no more. The current understanding is that 1) those who are learning the language within a native environment are less likely to fossilize and 2) learning a language at a younger age, following the Critical Period Hypothesis, also seems to reduce the risk of fossilization. Still, the debate goes on among psycholinguists. 1.3. Transference: it refers to the negative influence that the 1st L has on the production of the FL (in terms of word order, syntactic structures or phonological patterns). That´s why we are not supposed to use translation often. 2. Similarities: 2.1. Interlingua development: in 1st and FL, human beings go through some periods before they are able to speak fluently. 1st they are unable to say anything (“the silent period”); then they can only produce some words or expressions (=chunks of language) and after a period of time and with lots of exposition, they will be able to produce their first utterances. In first and second L, learners can often comprehend more complex language than they are able to produce. 2.2. Subconscious mental process: the brain is in charge of organising and storing the input the learner receives in order to make the speech mechanisms available. Language has to be acquired so learners can produce L without reflecting on the process. 2.3. Personality and contextual factors: different contexts and psychological components such as the learner’s personality- will determine the acquisition of that language. We have to teach taking into account the different learning styles.