Tema-6 Tema-6 The unit under consideration is entitled: "INFLUENCES "INFLUENCES OF LINGUISTICS LINGUISTICS ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES. LANGUAGES. THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ACQUISITION OF THE FIRST SCHOOL LANGUAGE AND THAT OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE"
We will start start our discussion with a sort of introduction introduction and continue with the rst point that deals with the inuences i nuences of Linguistic Lingui stic Language Teaching, Teaching, as well as the inuences of other sciences. At this point from a denition of Linguistics, we then move onto ompared Linguistics. Two Two linguistic theories are also loo!ed into: "tructuralism and #enerative #rammar. #rammar. "ociolinguistic is also dened. We will nish this $loc! with the contri$utions of other sciences such as %edagog& and %s&colog& to the process process of foreign language teaching. teaching. "econdl&, we will will loo! into the language learning learning process and and we shall shall tr& to nd the di'erences $etween the ac(uisition of the mother tongue and the learning of a foreign language. Within this $loc!, we will also refer to the urriculum, and the onstructivist )odel proposed $& it* the di'erence $etween ac(uisition and learning is esta$lished and di'erent suggestions to avoid pro$lems in the second language learning. A conclusion summing up what has $een discussed throughout throughout the unit will $e followed $& the $i$liograph& used for the ela$oration of this topic. As a sort INTRODUCTION we shall point out that in the last twent& &ears the need for change in language didactics has $een anal&sed along the following lines: +-hange of the concept of ducation, where a stronger a stonger focus on communication is given* - the need for the stud& of foreign languages through a $etter education* - how the technological technological progress and and the development of audivisual aids have contri$uted to the modernisation of teaching* /- the students demand of an active learning of foreign languages. Teachers have to ta!e advantage of the large large num$ers of pedagological theories and approaches approaches and choose those that can $e $est applied in their students0 specic situation. Therefore, the teacher has has to develop an eminentel& creative creative tas! and learn how to incorporate into his methodolog& the latest ndings in the eld of Linguistics, and the contri$utions of man& other sciences. 1nce having $egun the unit we are going to deal with with the rst rst $loc! of our discussion* which which considers the inuences of Linguistics on 2LT 2LT. The teaching of an& an& su$3ect must $e supported $& a series of general disciplines that are common to the teaching of an& su$3ect, such as %s&cholog&, "ociolog& and so on. 4n LT LT these disciplines assist assist in the teaching teaching from an& perspective. perspective. Linguistics are are included here, or more accuratel& )acrolinguistics, which includes "ociolinguistics and )icrolinguistics. The ndings from these disciplines used on the teaching of L, help us to ma!e decisions to overcome the pro$lems involved in teaching. The so called, Linguistic "cience "cience or Linguistics, that that is, the the stud& of language is a ver& recent recent science. 2or centuries, the interest was onl& centred on the research of a universal grammar. grammar. 4n the +5th centur& ompared Linguistics, appeared which esta$lished that the relationship among language can $e eplained in a scientic wa&. wa&. 7owada&s, however Applied Linguistics deal with collecting data from those disciplines whose o$3ectives are the stud& of language, its learning, its use, and to utilise those facts to clarif& the factors related to LT.
Let0s move on now to consider what Applied Linguisi!s is for. 4t collects data and interprets the results that ma& achive its aim and uses its ndings to carr& out its own eperimental research. Applied Linguistics has to do with all those theories that anal&se how the& can $e useful LT and then proceed with their pedagological application. This !nowledge is use to $uild grammars, to do comparative anal&sis $etween two or more languages to carr& out research on the illiterac& rates of the population and to stud& languages and their regional varieties. The most interesting eld of stud& deals with second L learning and ac(uisition. Applied Linguistics uses these ndings from other sciences and applies them to LL. We are going to consider some sciences on which the concept of 2LT is $ased. The most important theories are Su!u#lis$ #nd Gene#i%e G#$$# .These theories are eample of how research in Applied Linguistics can $e helpful in eplaining the process of mother tongue ac(uisition and second LL. Su!u#lis$ rst appeared with S#ussue in the +5th centur&. This theor& defends that language is a social phenomenon which is useful $ecause it wor!s in a communit&. This approach implies a ps&chological perspective, its stud& is centred on speech and not on grammatical structures. 8e made a distinction $etween l#ngu#ge 9 the s&stem and spee!& 9 the individual of the s&stem . The& $egi with an active stud& of all speeches, arriving at the general rules. All these structuralistic principles have in commonthe assumption that grammar does not consist of a s&stem of rules that govern the isolated elements of language, $ut of a set of structures that have to $e taught, especiall& those that are di'erent in the learners0 rst language. The application of structuralism in LT was developed after the nd World War. Linguistics eamined and classied the structure of the rst L and the second L $eing studied. The& anal&sed which structures were similar to that language and which o'ered interference, the& made drills. "tructuralism is $ased on ;'e&#%i(uis ps)!(l(g) si$ulus #ns*e esp(nse ;, and its attitude towards teaching is $ased on the premise that nd L ac(uisition is the result of ha$it and condidional reees, we learn $& imitation and repetition. Against this theor& appeared C&($s+) with his ;Gene#i%e G#$$#; Theor&. homs!& o$served that structuralism did not eplain how the child was a$le to produce sentences that he had never produced $efore. homs!&0s generativist theor& postulated the eistence of a specic a$ilit& in the child, an a$ilit& that allowed him to generate an innitive num$er of rules. A creative person who can create an unlimited num$er of sentences with 3ust a few linguistic elements. The child hears his rst L and is a$le to develop a series of increasingl& glo$al and correct h&pothesis a$out that language s&stem.
appl& the rules and modif& them according to the feed$ac! the& receive. A nd L learner learns from his e'ort to communicate. 4f what the learner wants to communicate lies within the possi$ilities of his s&stem, he will have no pro$lems. The pro$lem arises when he wants to communicate something that i not in his s&stem. Therefore, he can choose to follow other paths, such as using gestures, or transfering the limits he !nows, in other words, he will ta!e a ris!. We could conclude from the a$ove that errors that students ma!e reveal the state of development of his s&stem. We must give him enough information on the success or failure of his communicative attempt. 8e re(uires input to contrast his production. The student then learns through the process of communicating* he who ta!es a ris! will $e the one who learns most. =p to this point we have shown some of the linguistic theories which help us to eplain the ac(uisition of a mother tongue and the learning of a 2L. 7ow let us move on to mention the importance of another science: S(!i(linguisi!s. This science studies and states the relationship $etween the possession of a L and the control of realit&. The social level of the famil& conditions the development of speech a$ilities and level of performance. The classroom can $e a useful su$stitute for a poor linguistic environment. We should also mention the studies of some linguists, li!e Fi& and M#in(*s+). The& spo!e a$out the concept of situational contet, that is the meaning of an utterance is a conse(uence of the cultural and situational contet where it ta!es place. 4n the ighties man& programs in LT were developed. All of them were $ased on the consideration of a L as an instrument of communication. The threshold level, for instance, whose author is Wil!ins, esta$lished a program model for a uropean adult student of foreign L in terms of his communicative needs. 4t was intended to create a program $ased on the areas of his interests. 4n urope L teaching was slowl& changing. Linguistics were mainl& concerned with oral language as a means of communication. Learners were taught to comprehend and then to spea!. The interferance of the rst L had to $e avoided. onversation was the main focus of the class. The process of LT goes parallel to the learning process. 4n the >?s special attention waspaid to this learning process. The concept of interferance, introduced $& order, refers to the pro$lems of interferance caused $& the mother tongue on the learning of a foreign language. 7ow, we shall stud& the contri$utions of other sciences to the process of foreign LT. 1n the one hand, we nd -ed#g(g) whose contri$ution to the teaching of foreign L and to the concept of modern education is the following: that the educational principles are ei$le, and should $e adapted to ever& social change. An individualised teaching is re(uired, as well as the formation of an integral person with special attention to his creative a$ilit&. #roup wor!, colla$oration and the participation of students in all the educational process should also $e considered. 1n the other hand, we nd he science of -s)!(l(g). "ome important studies are the following: in the teaching of foreign L motivation is ver& important. Apart from motivation a deep !nowledge of the pupil0s ps&chological characteristics is re(uired* we need to !now the student0s a$ilities and rh&thm of learning to $etter adopt the structure of the su$3ect to his structure of !nowledge. "o the teacher will $e a$le to allow pupils to learn more depending on their own needs and rh&thm. "ummarising, we could sa& that the most important contri$ution of %edagog& and %edagog& to foreig L teaching is that the teaching must $e centred on the pupils0 needs and personalit&* creativit& whilst imagination should $e developed through motivation.
After having dealt with some of the contri$utions of Linguistics and other sciences to 2LT, we shall anal&se the process of L learning and the similarites and di'erences $etween the ac(uisition of the mother tongue and the learning of a foreign L. The starting point of the theoretical $asis of the conception of nd L learning is found in the urriculum: ; The foreign L ac(uisition process can $e characterised as a creative construction process during which the student, rel&ing on a set of natural strategies, $ased on the input received, formulates h&potheses in order to ma!e up the i nternal representation of the new L s&stem.; @nowing a L implies !nowing its sociolinguistic, discourse and strategic aspects. The sociolinguistic aspect implies the !nowlwdge of the rules related to a given sociolnguistic contet* the discourse aspec organises cohesion and coherence in di'erent spo!en and written statements* the strategic aspect is responsi$le for completing the interaction when ta!ing into account the o$3ective of communication. The ontructive )odel proposed $& the urriculum is $ased on the following aspects: +- The student is considered the centred of the teaching process* - The student has a certain !nowledge that adds to the new information and com$ines them to produce signicant learning. Another important aspect of the contructive model is that of learning through discover&. L functions as regards rules are learned $& a process of discover&. The students generates h&potheses himself and chec! that the& match the esta$lished rules.
+.- C(gnii%e el#'(#i(n0 the learner centres his attention on t&pes of models presented to him in the nd L. 8e has an attitude towards comprehending or remem$ering the di'erent aspects of the models presented. .- Ass(!i#e p&#se0 the child $egins to form h&potheses a$out the input received, as well as its organisation and arrangement, contrasting them with his !nowledge and eemplif&ing them with the production of such models in similar contets. .- Au(n($) p&#se0 the child can use what he has learned spontaneousl&.4n order for this phas to ta!e place, a great amount of previous practice is re(uired. Another important aspect of the constructive model is that the student has an active role in which he will have to implement certain strategies similar to those used in rst L ac(uisition to adapt, generalise, correct rules and so on. Lastl& an assumption in the previous model is that in an& learning process there is a semantic motivation. There is a natural predisposition for producing meaning, which is motivating when learning a nd L. )oving on, another section of this topic concerns the $asic di'erences and similarities $etween the ac(uisition of a mother tongue and the learning of a foreign L. 2irstl&, we will eamine the si$il#iies. The& are three: -the interlingual development, -the su$concious mental process and -the variation. We are going to eplain now what we undertand $& the inelingu#l de%el(p$en p(!ess. When language is learned, the learner is not read& to use it for some &ears. 4nterlingual develo pment is the process a learner must go through $efore is a$le to spea! uentl& or as well as a native spea!er. The second similarit& is the su'!(n!i(us $en#l p(!ess * the $rain organises the input received to allow the mechanisms to spea!. The third similarit& is the %#i#i(n. 7ot all language learners follow the same path. There are individual variations which ma!e some students learn slower than others. %h&chological personalit& and others also come into pla& here. 7ow, let us consider the di1een!es. There are three important di'erences $etween the ac(uisition of the mother tongue and the learning of a 2L. These are: -the age, -the phenomenon of fossilitation and -the transference. According to man& authors, #ge is a factor that determines the success or failure in nd LL. Toda& there is a$solute unanimit& in the fact that is approimalit& in pu$ert& when the a$ilit& to ac(uire L under natural conditions is lost. Another di'erence is the p&en($en(n (, ,(ssili#i(n. )an& nd L learners never (uite learn the L correctl&. Thie causes ma& $e due to the t&pe of teaching is given, the pro$lems of motivation or the students personal characteristics.
The third di'erence is the #ns,een!e. When we spea! a nd L, it is almost impossi$le not to ma!e mista!es inuenced $& our native L.
As we have eplained, a $asic di'erence $etween the ac(uisition of a mother tongue and the learning of a 2L is that the rst one is a natural process which does not need a methodolog&, whereas the nd one does* the 2LL happens in a classroom and not in social life. 4n mother tongue ac(uisition there is a continuos linguistic information, and a direct contact $etween the L and its cultural envirinment* the correction of errors appears after training and e'ort. 1n the contrar&, we nd that 2LL involves planning with special o$3ectives and a specic didactic method. We should nall& point out some suggestions to overcome pro$lems in the nd LL process. 2irstl&, we should not change the natural order of the interlingual process. "econdl&, pupils must receive a high input. We must respect a silent period and allow children to epress themselves in a spontaneous and natural wa&. 2inall&, regarding how to overcome the fossilitation phenomenon, we nd di'erent opinions $& di'erent authors. "ome of then thin! that pupils should $e push to produce, and grammar should $e taught. 1thers state that grammar should $e taught in an inductive wa&, without forcing pupils to use it correctl&. "ummarising, we can point out the following. 4n this unit we have presented some of the most important contri$utions to 2LT* especiall& the principles of Linguistics, "tructuralism and #enerative #rammar. After that, we have loo!ed into the most important di'erences and similarities $etween the ac(uisition of the mother tongue and the learning of a 2L. BIBLIOGRA-H20 +- The Teaching of nglish as an 4nternational Language $& A$$ot, # and Wingard, %. ollins, +5B+. - Approches and )ethods in "econd Language Learning $& #arner, C.. and Lam$ert. Cowle& %ress 7ew$ur&. - Linguistics in Language Teaching $& Wil!ing, D. dward Arnold, +5>.
