LEARNING A FIRST LANGUAGE

This post is based on the first chapter of the book How Languages are Learned, written by Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada.

In this chapter, they present several examples of dialogs between adults and children that are learning how to speak their native language, and try to explain the first language learning on the perspective of three theories: the behaviorist theory, the innatist theory and the interactionist views of language acquisition.

Traditional behaviorists believe that language learning is simply a matter of imitation and habit formation. Children imitate the sounds and patterns which they hear around them and receive positive reinforcement (which could take the form of praise or successful communication) for doing so. Thus encouraged by their environment they continue to imitate and practise these sounds and patterns until they form ‘habits’ of correct language use. According to this view, the quality and the quantity of the language which the child hears, as well as the consistency of the reinforcement offered by others in the environment, should have an effect on the child’s success in language learning.

The behaviourists view imitation and practice as primary processes in language development.

IMITATION

(WORD FOR WORD REPETITION OF ALL OR PART OF SOMEONE ELSE´S UTTERANCE)

Very detailed analyses showed that children imitate new words and sentence structures until they become solidly grounded in their language system, and then they stop imitating these and go on to imitate other new words and structures. Thus, unlike a parrot that imitates the familiar and continues to repeat the same things again and again, children’s imitation is selective and based on what they are currently learning. In other words, even when the child imitates, the choice of what to imitate seems to be based on something the child already knows, not simply on what is available in the environment.

PRACTICE

(REPETITIVE MANIPULATION OF FORM)

In this example, the child is practicing structures in a way that sometimes makes her sound like a student in a foreign language classroom. The children’s “He eat carrots. The other one eat carrots. They both eat carrots” is reminiscent of a substitution drill.

MOVIES

I always liked to go to the movies. When I was a little child, there was in Pelotas a very old cinema, Capitólio. I used to go there, with my sister, my neighboor and my maid. We watched those Walt Disney movies, like Lion King, Pocahontas...Well, unfortunately, now Capitólio is closed! It became a parking car. It's funny, I went to a party there! And I asked myself "where are the chairs?!".

Oh, I watched Titanic there! I remember Capitolio was very crowded in that day... We had to stay in a very big file to enter. It was really full. I should be ten or eleven... I went there with Renata (my neighboor) and her mommy. I remeber everybody in the cinema was crying!

The last time I went to the movies I watched "Who wants to be a millionaire?". Oh, I really liked this! At first, I think I've never watched an indian movie before this. It's curious, because in India there is Bollywood, but I believe I always watch to Hollywood movies.

When it's holiday, I always try to watch some movies. And I confess that I prefer old movies. I really like those classic ones. So, I go to the LOCADORA and choose some. Last weekend, I watched Dial M For Murder, a Hitchcock's movie and Pulp Fiction, a Tarantino's. It's funny, yestarday in class we talked exactly about them!

One of the best I've ever watched is Hair. I've watched this about four times! Maybe because it's a musical, so it's very easy to pay attention.

Well, it's really imposible to talk about the movies I really like! I was trying to choose one, but I couldn't! I remembered 12 angry men, A dog day afternoon (it's really good! Al Pacino, Al Pacino...) and a lot more. Oh, and we still have Woody Allen! I love his movies!

Ok, I could choose the funniest one: Il Mostro (Roberto Benigni). It's really fun! I've watched it many times and I always laugh a lot! I remember the first time I watched this, I was with my father and we just didn't stop laughing! Roberto Benigni is a genious, although I don't like him so much.

Well, people, I think I made a big confusion! But I'm really into the movies! So it's very hard to choose my favourites! I could stay here a day writing about movies! In the next weekend, I have so much to study... Maybe I won't watch any movie (how sad)! I hope you do!

See you! Thank you for reading!

Ju

*HOW CAN I SAY LOCADORA IN ENGLISH??

PROBLEMS

Last monday, Rafael asked us to talk about our problems.
He said we shouldn't talk about college problems, but it's almost imposible! Everybody is worried about texts, papers, articles... It's not my case, but I can imagine everybody is worried about LITERATURE! In fact, I imagined it would happen, so I didn't take literature! But I know someday I'll have to...

Well, but college is not our life. It's just a piece of. So, what are our really problems?
In fact, we are not accustomed to talk about problems. And we are not accustomed to listen our friend's problems. Ok, we don't need to talk about it all day, but sometimes it's necessary.

Yesterday my uncle sent me an e-mail about it. This e-mail was about a friend who never had time to listen his friend's problems. Untill his friend died. Then he had time to go to the funeral.

I know it's a bit to dramatic, but we should think about. I have my problems and sometimes it seems there is nobody to listen me. But it's not truth, I have a lot of friends, they just don't have time to me (I'm kiding)! In fact, sometimes I don't want to bore them, but I know they would listen and help me.

Although we have many problems, life is still great! I have a good family, great friends, amazing classmates, It's winter (I love sunny-cold days) and we can have "bergamotas" and chimarrão in a square!

Our course is really difficult, but it has to be! We will be teachers! We mustn't forget it. And it must remember we study in a state university, so our responsability is bigger. I don't know you think about, but I really love studying! And I believe this is the time of our life, because afterwoods we will have to work, maybe we will have children, our problems will grow...

So, let's enjoy our time! Let's stay with our friends, let's enjoy our family (our parents won't live forever), and let's listen to our friends' problems! But let's also have some fun with them!

Have a nice (and cold!) weekend! See you!

Ju