The Role of the First Language in Second Language Acquisition

The Role of the First Language in Second Language Acquisition

Introduction

  • The role of the first language (L1) in second language acquisition (SLA) is a foundational subject in linguistic research.

    • Historical view: L1 perceived as a source of "interference" or a barrier to learning a target language (L2).

    • Shifts towards recognizing L1 as a strategic cognitive resource, rather than merely a hindrance.

  • Origin of early perceptions rooted in post-war behaviorism:

    • Influence of behaviorism led to the view that L1 interference was a bad habit hindering L2 mastery.

    • Behaviorism focused on observable behaviors rather than internal thought processes.

  • Current understanding embraces a "mentalist" approach:

    • L1 serves as a foundational scaffold that aids learners in navigating new languages.

    • Emphasizes creativity and rule-governed processes in language learning.

  • Socio-educational implications in a multilingual context such as the Philippines:

    • Historically dominated by an "English-only" ideology, penalizing the use of local languages.

    • Continuous emphasis that L1 interference is the cause of errors in English proficiency.

  • Young (2002) critiques the technical model that views language merely as an economic skill:

    • Advocates for an approach valuing learners’ local language experiences to foster personal identity and national unity.

  • Implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE):

    • Policy shift in the Philippines to recognize L1 as an essential pedagogical tool.

    • Gomez (2022) states that L1 is a cognitive prerequisite; education should begin in the mother tongue.

    • Establishes a conceptual and emotional foundation for learning L2 (English and Filipino) effectively.

Objective of the Paper

  • To explore theoretical shifts regarding the role of L1 in SLA:

    • Contrast behaviorist habit formation with mentalist creative construction.

    • Analyze practical criticisms of Contrastive Analysis within the Philippine educational context.

    • Emphasizes L1 importance in both home and school environments.

Theory of First Language Acquisition

  • First Language Acquisition (FLA):

    • A complex process wherein children acquire their native language, fundamental in understanding linguistic development.

    • Distinguishing characteristics that make humans unique among species.

  • Historical perspectives:

    • Behaviorist school led by B.F. Skinner:

    • Proposed language is acquired through "operant conditioning"—imitation and reinforcement.

    • Innatist or Mentalist perspective led by Noam Chomsky:

    • Argued for an innate language capacity supported by a hypothetical Language Acquisition Device (LAD).

    • LAD contains "universal grammar" allowing processing of auditory inputs despite fragmented adult speech.

Stages of Language Acquisition (Lalremruati, 2022)

  1. Cooing Stage (0-6 months):

    • Infants produce vowel-like sounds.

  2. Babbling Stage (6-12 months):

    • Experimentation with consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., "ba-ba", "da-da").

  3. One-word Stage (12-18 months):

    • A single word represents an entire thought (e.g., "milk" for "I want milk").

  4. Two-word Stage (18-24 months):

    • Formation of basic structural relationships (e.g., "daddy go", "doggie bark").

  5. Telegraphic Stage (2-3 years):

    • Strings of words lacking functional morphemes but conveying clear meaning.

  • Universal occurrence of these stages suggests a biological "critical period" for language acquisition.

  • Cognitive and social interactionist theories:

    • Jerome Bruner proposed the Language Acquisition Support System (LASS), highlighting social interactions' significance through caregivers.

    • Jean Piaget's cognitive theory: language acquisition tied to cognitive development—understanding concepts like "object permanence" precedes certain linguistic expressions.

  • In the context of the Philippines:

    • Children master complex linguistic frameworks of their mother tongue prior to formal schooling.

    • This linguistic foundation is essential for the effective application of MTB-MLE in education.

Behaviorist Learning Theory, Habits, and Errors

A. Behaviorist Learning Theory and Habit Formation

  • Dominance of Behaviorism before late 1960s led to seeing language as learned behavior akin to forming habits.

    • View of the mind as a "black box" responding to stimuli; stimulus-response framework for learning.

    • John B. Watson's Classical Conditioning:

    • Claimed behaviors are learned through associations; language viewed as a physical habit.

    • Techniques akin to training animals, removing mental processes from the equation.

  • B.F. Skinner expanded with Operant Conditioning:

    • Learning L2 seen as replacing old habits with new ones via reinforcement of correct language use.

    • Audiolingual Method heavily relied on repetitive drills promoting automatic responses.

  • Proactive Inhibition:

    • Well-established L1 habits impede the formation of new habits required for L2, illustrated with examples of Filipino learners.

B. The Role of Errors and Transfer

  • Errors not seen as part of the learning process; instead, classified as failures.

  • L1 Transfer:

    • Positive transfer when L1 structures aid L2 learning; negative transfer when L1 structures hinder L2 learning.

    • Example of Filipino learners' challenges with gendered pronouns stemming from L1 characteristics.

  • Errors arising from L1 transfer were historically labeled as "bad habits" needing correction.

Contrastive Analysis (CA)

  • Practical application of behaviorist theory aimed at comparing L1 with L2 to determine difficulties in learning.

  • Strong Hypothesis of CA:

    • Predicted that identifying discrepancies would yield corresponding learning difficulties.

  • Criticisms of CA:

    • Predictive failures; many learner errors were unlinked to predicted differences.

    • Errors were primarily observed to be developmental rather than rooted in L1 interference.

  • Shift to Weak Hypothesis:

    • CA valid as a diagnostic tool post-error, reforming focus towards Error Analysis and Interlanguage Theory.

Contextualization in the Philippines

  • Transition from behaviorist to mentalist theories connects directly to the MTB-MLE policy shift in the Philippines.

  • Challenges in bilingual education—often neglecting regional languages, creating barriers to understanding.

  • Gomez (2022) on L1 as fundamental for cognitive development:

    • Building a "Common Underlying Proficiency" through starting education in L1 benefits learning English/Filipino.

  • Recognizing L1 as deeply tied to cultural norms and emotional expression enhances educational effectiveness.

  • Addressing issues like lack of resources and regard for teacher training in multilingual practices reflects significant educational equity efforts.

Reappraisal of the Role of the First Language in SLA

  • Initial CAH identified L1 primarily as an obstacle, but later research re-evaluated this stance.

  • Positive and negative transfer reshaped understanding, showing L1 can constrain and facilitate learning.

  • Patterns like article omission in Filipino learners represent systematic L1 influence on SLA.

  • L1 influence extends to structural avoidance where learners bypass complex L2 forms not mirrored in their L1.

Levels of Language Transfer (Selinker, 1972)

  1. Phonological Transfer:

    • Native sound patterns affect foreign pronunciation (substitution of [ɣ] for English /r/).

  2. Semantic Transfer:

    • Projecting native lexical categories into L2 (incorrectly ordering verbs in translation).

  3. Syntactic Transfer:

    • Influence of native word order on L2 syntax (e.g. incorrect sentence structures reflecting L1 ordering).

L1 Transfer in Filipino Learners

  • Systematic patterns evident in phonological errors:

    • Substitution of /p/ for /f/, /b/ for /v/, and omission of dental fricatives due to L1 phonological constraints.

  • Grammatical transfer issues include:

    • Verb tense misunderstandings and preposition misselections that directly stem from L1 structure.

Conclusion

  • The first language plays a crucial role in shaping second language acquisition.

    • Filipino learners’ errors demonstrate systematic influences of L1 on developing language systems.

    • Recognizing errors as constructive signals shifts the dialogue towards accepting linguistic diversity as progress.

    • Understanding L1 as an asset emphasizes the need to embrace cultural identity in the language learning process, promoting effective bilingual education.