DIFFERENCES OF FIRST LANGUAGE AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

All over the world millions of people speak two languages, first one is their mother tongue, the second one is their foreign language. While they are learning these language, they face some differences. I had experienced these differences in my secondary school time. There are three major differences between first language and second language. First one is acquisition and exposure while learning these languages. Second is habit formation and study. Last one is interaction and activation. Now, I will compare these three factors which are different in first and second language learning.
Firstly, acquisition is the major factor in first language. Acquisition is an unconscious process while infant is learning his or her mother tongue. Noam Chomsky argued that “Children are biologically programmed for language and that language develops in the child in just the same way that other biological functions develop.”( Lightbown and Spada 2006) (p.15). For example, every child will learn to walk when he or she is fed adequately and reasonable freedom of movement are provided.(Lightbown and Spada 2006). However, in second language exposure is conscious learning, it is created by learner. If learners learn a new language eagerly, they would find good opportunities to learn that language completely. The basic explanation of exposure is that face to all events of the target language in conscious way. Briefly, get help from the surrounding language speakers or discovering all the rules and specific points of language system in enthusiastic personality.
Secondly, another difference is habit formation in first language and study in second language learning. Habit formation is viwed as imitation and practice as the primary processes in first language learning. B. F. Skinner states that “When children imitated the language produced by those around them, their attempts to reproduce what they heard received positive reinforcement.”(Lightbown and Spada 2006). (p.10). On the other hand, in second language learning study is more difficult than habit formation in first language. Study is an activity which the students are asked to focus in on language and it is construction. This is a self-working on second language to acquire the general information of target language.(www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/directions/04.htm). So this example shows that habit formation is so important in first language but in second language it doesn’t work because children should discover all the rules by studying themselves.
Thirdly, while interaction is one of the main parts of learning first language, activation is one of the major factors of learning second language. In interaction, learners use and practice what they acquire in first language. With interaction, learner will have the chance of using language which they learn without consciousness. According to Vygotsky, “Language develops primarily from social interaction.” And he argued that “In a supportive interactive environment, children are able to advance to a higher level of knowledge and performance.”(Lightbown and Spada) (p.20). However, activation is an element describes exercises and activities which are designed to get students using second language as freely and communicatively as they can.(How to Teach English). So, in interaction learners will have chance to use language which is acquired and just will help to use it. But in activation, it will help to learners use language and also all structures of target language. It gives chance the learners to evaluate their potential on language. In addition that in activation, learners get a chance to face a real world situation. All activities will help them to improve their real situation reactions.
In conclusion that in this essay I tried to compare different parts of learning first language and second language, in sense of acquisition and exposure, habit formation and study and lastly interaction and activation. All parts play different roles in learning first language and second language, and each of them is different from each other. As I mentioned, in first language learning acquisition, habit formation and interaction create a structure to students know about first language deeply. Also exposure, study and activation play the same role in second language learning. I think all learners and teachers should be aware of these points to teach or learn a language effectively and according to these points, they should create a good plan for their studying process.





REFERENCES


· Lightbown, P.M. and Spada, N. (2006). How Languages are Learned (Third edition) Oxford: Oxford University Pres



· _________(2007). Methodology in English Language Teaching. (ELT 313). Classroom notes. Eastern Mediterranean University: North Cyprus



· National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. (Fall 1985). Acquiring a Second Language for School. Retrieved January 10,2008, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/directions/04.htm