Features Of L1 Acquisition

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2.2. What is L1 acquisition like?
We human beings can acquire a first language spoken around us in a few years after the birth unless we do not have crucial disabilities. Surprisingly, even though not all young children can perform complex calculation and think of abstract things, all of them can acquire extremely complex language system that is spoken around them. According to Wakabayashi (2006), previous research on L1 acquisition has clarified following features of L1 acquisition:
a. Acquisition is early completed.
b. There is a certain stage and order of development.
c. All people can finally achieve an almost the same language level when they acquire the same language as a first language.
In addition to these three features, it is also …show more content…

When people learn a second language, they are sometimes influenced by features of their L1, which is called “a transfer from L1”. The transfer can be divided into two types: a positive transfer and a negative transfer. The positive transfer is thought that an influence from L1 works positively in a language acquisition and can facilitate L2 acquisition. On the other hand, the negative transfer is considered that an influence of some features L1 work negatively and can interfere with language acquisition. Therefore, the negative transfer is also called “interference”. The transfer from L1 is likely to occur in a variety of areas of language such as phonology, vocabulary, morphology, syntax and semantics. Secondly, we pay attention to that L2 acquisition also have a developmental sequence. In common with a child who acquires L1, L2 learners develop the acquisition in a certain order. Moreover, Shirahata (2010) mentions that L2 learners follow a similar acquisition order of some grammatical items even in the case of L2 leaning in a classroom. He also pays attention to the fact that some grammatical items that one learner has trouble in learning are similarly difficult for other learners even though teachers, the way to teach and textbook are different. This fact suggests L2 acquisition in a classroom setting has a certain acquisition order.

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