How children learn languages: Comparison of L1 and L2 and implications for ELT

• Authors: Hanna Kryszewska
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The paper compares language learning processes when children acquire L1 and learn L2, and discusses the implications for foreign language teaching. It first looks at the stages of learning the mother tongue from birth to approximately the age of six. It also lists and analyses the types of unstructured and fixed texts native children are exposed to. The latter are the main focus of the discussion as they are of greater importance to the EFL class. Of special interest are also how native children use or experiment with the language they have observed in fixed texts and the extent to which these texts can be an inspiration for EFL texts. Then the paper presents similarities between learning L1 and L2 which ELT teachers can exploit. Equally important are the differences which can be perceived as both limitations or opportunities. Finally the paper suggests that the conclusions have implications for plurilingual education of YL.

Keywords

EN

acquisition; learning; mother tongue; foreign/target language; native children; young learners

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Gdański
• Journal: Beyond Philology: An International Journal of Linguistics, Literary Studies and English Language Teaching
• Year: 2012
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 153-173

Contributors

author

Hanna Kryszewska

• Instytut Anglistyki i Amerykanistyki, Uniwersytet Gdański

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Identifiers

ISSN

1732-1220