Second Language Acquisition and Linguistics Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering core terms, hypotheses, development stages, and error types in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) based on the lecture notes.

Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

A topic studied by English philologists that includes themes such as bilingualism, language acquisition from a young age, and language theories.

Bilingualism

The condition occurring when a person acquires more than two languages.

Coordinate Bilingualism

A type of bilingualism that occurs when a person learns two languages in separate places and keeps them in two independent mental boxes.

Compound Bilingualism

A type of bilingualism where a person learns both languages at the same time.

Subordinate Bilingualism

A type of bilingualism where a person knows two languages, but their native language is stronger than their second one.

Additive Bilingualism

A type of bilingualism where a person builds upon their second language without losing their first language.

Subtractive Bilingualism

A type of bilingualism where a person learns a second language at the cost of their first language, creating a risk of language attrition.

Hyperpolyglots

People who know more than six languages fluently, such as Pope Leo XIV, Pope John Paul II, and Cardinal.

Interlanguage

A unique linguistic system that a second language learner builds.

Nativelikeness

A mental representation for the target language that more or less matches adult native speakers.

Fundamental Difference Hypothesis

A hypothesis stating that L1 and L2 acquisition are fundamentally different processes.

Critical Period Hypothesis

The time period during which a child can learn a language fluently, after which (speculated to be post-puberty) native language learning is no longer possible.

Language Attrition

The loss of language, which occurs when a person forgets or is unable to recall a language they already knew.

Wild Children

Individuals who grew up in extreme isolation and were deprived of language, such as Genie and Oksana.

Conlang

Short for constructed language, which is a language made with man-made words.

Full Transfer

Transferring the system of the L1 language into L2 before the learner has access to L2 grammar.

Full Access

The ability of an L2 learner to apply L2 rules directly into learning.

Presystemic Stage

The first stage of interlanguage development characterized by random errors, vocalizations, and babbling.

Emergent Stage

The second stage of interlanguage development characterized by inconsistent production and the usage of single words to communicate.

Systemic Stage

The third stage of interlanguage development characterized by rule application and full sentence production.

Post-systemic Stage

The final stage of interlanguage development, characterized by stabilization and fully emerged speech.

Pre-acquisition Stage

The youngest stage lasting from 2 weeks to 6 months where children absorb language actively without using or comprehending it much yet.

Speech Emergence

A stage of acquisition where speakers begin using basic words and sentences and know at least 500 words.

Fluency Stage

The final stage of language acquisition where the speaker knows the language at an almost native level and commands over 3000 words.

Universal Grammar

A hard-wired set of grammatical rules in the human brain that provides an innate capacity for language learning common to all human languages.

Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH)

The systematic study of a pair of languages with a view to identifying their structural differences and similarities.

Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory, spanning from birth to age 3.

Preoperational Stage

The second stage of Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory, spanning from age 3 to 7.

Concrete Operational Stage

The third stage of Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory, spanning from age 7 to 11.

Formal Operational Stage

The final stage of Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory, spanning from age 11 to adulthood.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Weak Version)

Also known as linguistic relativity, this version posits that language influences thought and native language structure influences thought patterns.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Strong Version)

Also known as linguistic determinism, this version posits that language determines and limits thought and perception.

Innatist Theory

A theory developed by Noam Chomsky in the 1960s asserting that language learning is innate from birth.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

A hypothetical device through which children innately learn language fundamentals.

Poverty of the Stimulus

The concept that the language children hear around them is insufficient for them to learn everything about language without innate structures.

Monitor Hypothesis

A hypothesis stating that conscious grammar learning acts only as an editor or 'monitor' to check and correct language output.

Natural Order Hypothesis

A hypothesis suggesting that people acquire language grammar rules in a predictable, fixed sequence.

Input Hypothesis

A hypothesis suggesting that humans acquire second languages only when they understand messages (comprehensible input).

Affective Filter Hypothesis

A hypothesis suggesting that emotional variables like anxiety, self-confidence, and motivation can block or facilitate second-language acquisition.

Acquisition-Learning Distinction

Krashen's distinction separating language competence into intuitive, subconscious acquisition and conscious, formal learning of rules.

Crystallized Intelligence (Gc)

A component of General Intelligence (G) involving deduction, permanent knowledge, and the application of learned knowledge.

Fluid Intelligence (Gf)

A component of General Intelligence (G) involving basic reasoning, temporary knowledge, and minimal prior knowledge.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

An educational approach that focuses on real-life interactions and speech rather than textbook dialogue.

Formal Learning

Organized learning that happens in a planned setting with defined goals, such as at a school or university with an instructor present.

Informal Learning

Unstructured learning of a language through everyday experiences, such as watching YouTube videos, watching movies, or conversing with strangers.

Fossilification

A process in language acquisition where learning progress is halted, causing unnatural errors to persist.

Simplification

An error manifestation where a complex grammar element is reduced into much simpler rules.

Overgeneralization

A cognitive distortion where a regular linguistic rule is applied to an irregular exception.

Global Errors

Severe linguistic errors that disrupt the entire sentence structure or result in incoherence.

Local Errors

Linguistic errors that are less severe, such as mispronunciation or minor grammatical mistakes.

Phonological Errors

Linguistic errors involving wrong pronunciation of words.

Lexical Errors

Linguistic errors resulting from choosing the wrong words or phrases.

Morphological Errors

Linguistic errors involving incorrect word formations or structural units.

Syntactic Errors

Linguistic errors caused by arranging words in an incorrect grammatical order.

Semantic Errors

Linguistic errors that produce meanings that make no sense in context.