Children vs Adults SLA

Children vs. Adults
in
Second Language Acquisition
A b d u l a z i z B A s s a n o s i
Prince Sattam ibn Abdulaziz University Saudi Arabia

Check up
What are the features of parentese?
Describe the vocabulary of parentese.
Explain the phonology of parentese.
Describe the syntax of baby talk?
What are the characteristics of baby talk vocabulary?
What is the role of imitation in language learning: in details?
Why do children sometimes produce structures like [writed. Sleeped and sheeps].
09/05/37 ABDULAZIZ B ASSANOSI, AZIZSANOSI@GMAIL.COM 2

Things to remember
L1 = First language (native language or mother
tongue)
L2 = Second Language.
SLA = Second Language Acquisition.
Acquisition vs. Learning.

oA common believe
oChildren are better than adults in SLA.
oEvidence:
oChildren pick up new language by noticing not teaching.
oThey reach better status of fluency in a relatively short time.
oAdults suffer from SLA.
oFluency is not normal result for adults learners.

Factors Affect SLA
P s y c h o l o g i c a l F a c t o r s :
Intellectual processing.
Memory.
Motor Skills.
Motivation.
Attitude.
S o c i a l F a c t o r s :
Situation
Setting.
Interaction.

Psychological Factors
[1] Intellectual processing:
To learn a second language grammar or syntax there are
two ways:
◦ Someone may explain rules to you. [explication]
◦ You can discover them by yourself. [induction]

[1] Intellectual processing/Explication
Explication is the process whereby rules are explained to a
learner.
Normally it is presented in the learners L1.
Later learners understand and apply in L2.
Language CANNOT be learnt completely by [Explication].
There are undiscovered rules of even common language features
like tense. [e.g. the case of present perfect vs. past simple]

[1] Intellectual processing/Explication
Explication is not applicable to children.
Parents do not teach grammar or pronunciation rules to their
children.
It is normally directed to adult learners in language classes.
Explication is used when induction is not available.
It needs to be practiced in the real-world communication.

[1] Intellectual processing/Induction
Induction is learning language rules by self-discovery.
Children who are exposed to SL can figure out the rules
that organize the language.
They can also apply these rules for other similar
sentences.
[Charlie played then he ate] the child will understand then
and the replacement of the pronoun he.

o[1] Intellectual processing/Induction
oLearners try to figure out SL rules.
oThey strife to do that consciously or subconsciously.
oIt is believed that induction is more effective in children.
oHowever, adult learners are better in understanding more
complex syntactic structure.

[2] Memory:
Memory is ESSENTIAL to language learning.
Learners with memory problems can not even learn their L1.
Little memory difficulties hardens SLA.
Relationship between objects and words is arbitrary.
To learn a simple word there is a strong need for memory.

[2] Memory/Episodic Memory
Memory is also important to syntax and grammar.
It is essential to remember situations where to use rules.
[not rules only].
Episodic memory is remembering rules to use in different
situation [polite – formal – persuasive language]
Examples [close the door – please close the door – would
please be so kind as to close the door?]

[2] Memory/Memory Ability
Children under 7 year have excellent memory.
It start to decrease from 8 years old.
After 12 years, children start to use their cognitive ability
to learn language because their memory cannot help
them.
Memory ability can be divided as
Before 7
From 7 - 12

[3] Motor Skills
Defined as [the use of muscles in performing certain skills].
They are involved in the control of muscles that shape organs
of speech.
This influence the way learners pronounce SL sounds.
The better our pronunciation, the better we communicate.
[lips, tongue, vocal cords] have to do the right thing at the
right time. This will result in good pronunciation.

[3] Motor Skills/Decline
To have excellent motor skill, one have to start young
[sport, typing, artwork]
Around the age of 12 it is difficult to gain new motor skills.
This decline affect all body muscles including organs of
speech.
Children are, therefor, better in mastering better
pronunciation than adults.

•[4] Motivation
•From 1 – 2 year of age children need no motivation, they
learn automatically.
•By 5 – 6 children know the status of language and this will
motivate [or demotivate] them to learn it.
•In classroom setting motivation plays an important role.
•It is connected to [ like/dislike of teacher – amount of
efforts (assignments) exposure to the language.

•[5] Attitudes
•Negative attitudes towards language or language speakers
may affect one determination and (motivation) to learn it.
•These attitudes may be caused by [religious, political, or
social background of a language.
•These attitudes are most influential to older children.
•Younger children have no knowledge about cultural,
political, social background of language.

Checkpoint
1. Name the psychological factors that can affect SLA.
2. Can children depend on explication to learn the whole language? why?
3. Compare between the impact of induction and Explication on children or adult SLA.
4. Why is memory essential to learn word meaning?
5. What is the role of memory in learning Grammar?
6. Describe the development of memory ability.
7. Why can children master pronunciation better than can adults do?
8. What is the role of motivation in learning L2 for old children and adults?
9. What cause attitudes towards language?
10. Why are attitudes not applicable to young children language learning?

Social Factors
There are two social setting of learning a
second language:
1. The Natural Situation
2. The Classroom Situation

Social Factors
oThe Natural Situation
oIt is similar to the setting of the first language acquisition.
oLanguage is learned in relation to surrounding objects.
oExample: a young child live in another country.
oS/he will learn language from his/her playmate.
oFrom the exposure to their input.
oIn natural situation, Children can learn L2 even faster than their L1.

Social Factors
The Natural Situation
Adults are exposed to less L2 in foreign community.
They do not use L2 much, native speakers do not talk to
them much.
Even when they do so they use [foreigner talk] lang.
Acceptance of Non-natives is slow. [not like between
children]

Social Factors
The natural Situation
Adults and older children also resist learning L2.
They try to maintain their identity.
This is more true when there is difference between the two
cultures [of L1 and L2].
The psychological factors also play role with adults learners.
Natural situation is good only to young children.

Social Factors
1. The Classroom Situation:
Classroom is isolated from the rest of social life.
There is a teacher [who knows the L2] and learners who
come to learn.
Nothing happen unless the teacher makes it happen!
The language is used is very limited, planned and fixed.
What students do is a result of directions.
These characteristics makes it different from natural situation

Social Factors
1. The Classroom Situation:
Learners in Classroom situation need to adjust their social
interaction according to:
Classroom procedures and discipline.
The other learners in the group.
Older children and adult are better in controlling.
Classroom situation is better for adult and older children
Learning in classroom situation is improved with age.

Who is better?
Children or Adults
In natural situation/Children
Are better in inductive.
Are better in natural situation.
No motivation needed.
In Natural situation/Adults
Not good in inductive.
Use less L2 in Natural Situations.
No motivation needed
• In Classroom situation/Children
Not good in Explication.
Cannot control their behavior well
Cannot analyze language
• In Classroom situation/Adults
Better in Explication.
Control their behavior.
Can analyze language.

Who is better?
Children or Adults
Generally/Children
Are better in Memory.
Are better in Motor Skills.
Not affected by attitudes.
Generally/Adults
Their memory decline.
Their motor skills decline.
Attitudes affect their learning.
• When comparing and counting the results is:
• Children are better in Second Language Acquisition.
• Adults are better in classroom.
• children are better in natural situation.

W h o i s b e t t e r ?
Children or Adults
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
induction explication Memory Motor Skills
Children Adults 0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Natural Sit. Classroom Lanuage
background
Social Factors
Children Adults 0

Terminus
1. What are the two social situation for language learning?
2. How do children learn L2 in natural situation?
3. Why cannot adults learners benefit as much as children
from natural situation?
4. Describe the classroom situation for language learning.
5. Why classroom situation is better for adult learners more than
children?

Thank you
This presentation is for classroom usage, it contained gaps to be filled by classroom discussion
for more detailed information consult the reference book:
An introduction to Psycholinguistics, second edition (2006)Danny Steinberg and Natalia, Sciarini.

Children vs Adults SLA

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