Ch 3 Response

Chapter 3 discussed the theory of a critical period one has in order to acquire a language with ease. Along with the critical period the idea of lateralization was brought up. The question still remains does language fall in the right hemisphere of the brain or the left? Evidence leans towards left, but there is conflicting evidence that exists. To add to the mix, the predicament of whether an accent is important in determining whether a second language has truly been acquired. Each of these topics are parts of the whole that are studied to determine the big picture of second language acquisition. The starting point goes back to basic human cognitive development. Many theorists have put in their two cents on the matter. Piaget created a series of developmental levels, which indicate that there is a critical stage for developing a second language. Other theorists have stated their theories as well, some would agree and other would not. Therefore, the debate continues. Another dimension of second language acquisition is the affective considerations. Children have certain characteristics generally speaking across the board that affect the development of language. Due to this nature, a new language does not invoke the same "threat" that it can in adults. Another aspect that is very important to take note of is the linguistic considerations when introducing a second language. There are certain aspects of language that span across all languages. For example, there is usually a pattern all language learners follow when developing language skills. No matter what the first language is, and no matter what the second language is, acquisition will not occur with only one dimension explored. Everyone needs frequent practice, constant input and the opportunity to provide output. There are many strategies teachers can implement in the classroom that provide the opportunity to learn and use a new language. 

In my personal experience, I feel that there is a critical period for learning a second language with greater ease. I think that children and adults can both acquire a second language, but the paths taken to get to that point will differ between the two groups. When I was younger I was exposed to Spanish on a once  week basis. I remember not having to work hard to remember what I had been taught. I still remember the vocabulary and phrases I learned. For about 6 years I was not exposed to any Spanish at all. Then came high school Spanish class. I still remembered what I had learned at a younger age, but learning new material was very hard. I struggled for the next 6 years with learning Spanish. I was not given the opportunities to use the language. For example, I would have to fill out worksheets with vocabulary words or conjugate verbs. Where was the listening or speaking parts of this experience? No where to be found. Therefore, to this day I can read and write in Spanish, but ask me a question and I might not understand it, nor would I have the capabilities to respond without writing out my answer first. I had to use different mechanisms to learn the vocabulary and verbs than I did when I was younger. I created flashcards and wrote words over and over again. It was purely memorization. I know that I did not do that when I was young, but I don't know for sure what I did. In conclusion, I feel that had I continued my Spanish without the break I would be in a different place with it now. The reality now is I would have to resort to different learning strategies to continue learning Spanish if I so chose to and the acquisition process will be more difficult because it would require more work on my part.