Applied Linguistics - Acquisition Barriers and the principles of Language Acquisition. What are the barriers in language acquisition? What are the principles of Language Acquisition?

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GROUP NO. 01:
 Leader: Roll no. 07 - Aleena Farooq.
 Roll no. 17 – Samia Azhar.
 Roll no. 22 – Hira Asim.
 Roll no. 30 – Laraib Nadeem
 Roll no. 36 – Sadaf Jamal.
 Roll no. 39 – Zulaikha Hameed.
TOPICS:
I. PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
II. THE ACQUISITION BARRIERS:
Introduction:
For years, the popular methodology for learning a second language was to focus on grammar and sentences first
and then on vocabulary. Recently, however, there has been a shift toward recognition that learning vocabulary
first leads to more success. Having a base of vocabulary to draw from makes learning grammar and sentence
structure easier. Following these five principles make language acquisition the best way to vocabulary mastery
and ultimately to learning a new language. (ALEENA)
 Five Principles of Effective Language Acquisition:
1. Present NewWords Frequently And Repeatedly In Input.
The more frequently language learners are exposed to foreign vocabulary; the more likely they are to
remember it. Studies suggest that most learners need between 5-16 'meetings' with a word in order to
retain it. Every word and phrase must be correctly identified multiple times to obtain the highest score,
while the variety of exercises and activities prevent this repetition from being boring. Language learners
are thus more likely to use and enjoy the program long enough to accomplish a sufficient number of
'meetings' to master the new vocabulary terms. At the same time, each learner's progress is tracked and
the words that need the most work than those that have already been mastered are presented. In that way,
language learners get more exposure to the words that they find most difficult. By seeing these words
more often, they can focus their attention where it is needed most. (ALEENA)
2. Use Meaning-Bearing Comprehensible Input When Presenting NewWords.
In order for learners to successfully make the association between a foreign language word and its
meaning, that meaning must be conveyed in a comprehensible manner. One method for making foreign
terms comprehensible and thus promoting vocabulary learning is to present each word in a variety of
ways. Use of a number of techniques to make foreign language vocabulary memorable for language
learners is considered helpful. For example, every foreign language term is presented not only as text,
but also as audio, so that language learners can hear the correct pronunciation as many times as they
need to fix it in their mind. The pronunciation can even be slowed down to help language learners focus
on the smaller tones. Many of the foreign language terms are also presented along with pictures that

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convey the meaning in yet another form. This additional input reinforces the word's meaning and assists
the learner in remembering it. (SAMIA.)
3. Limit Forced Output During The Initial Stages OfLearning NewWords.
Forcing language learners to rush into sentence formation can interfere with vocabulary learning during
the beginning stages of acquiring a new language. Instead, learners should be given time to absorb the
meanings of individual words at their own pace before being required to use them in a larger context.
Language learners who take that time are far more likely to use the words correctly when they do choose
to form sentences. Language learners should be given all the time they need to focus on foreign
language terms. It allows learners to concentrate exclusively on words, so that they can master the
necessary vocabulary before moving on to the next stage of learning a new language. When language
learners feel ready to form sentences on their own, they will have a solid base of vocabulary to do so.
(ZULAIKHA)
4. Limit Forced Semantic Elaboration During The Initial Stages OfLearning NewWords.
In addition to not forcing beginning language learners to immediately produce whole sentences, a
vocabulary program should also avoid other kinds of elaboration that might produce negative effects on
the learning of new words. Some learners may find it distracting or confusing if they are asked to
perform other tasks at the same time that they are trying to commit new words to memory. Studies have
shown, for example, that learners who were asked to either list their emotional associations for foreign
language terms or count the letters in each foreign term they were learning actually had poorer recall for
those vocabulary words than learners who concentrated just on the words themselves. It is necessary to
focus on creating accurate one-to-one associations between the foreign language terms and their native
language meanings. With the help of flash cards one foreign language term and its meaning is displayed,
with no unnecessary information to distract the learner. The association between the word and its
meaning is further enhanced by allowing the learner to translate the word from both language directions
- first, by seeing the foreign word and having to produce the native language meaning, then by seeing
the native language word and having to produce the foreign language equivalent. (LARAIB)
5. Progress From Less Demanding To More Demanding Vocabulary-Related Activities.
Vocabulary learning is most effective when learners start off with a small group of words, then
gradually add more terms as the first ones are mastered. This activity handles this process automatically,
by keeping track of the words that a learner has worked with and introducing new vocabulary at the
most appropriate times. This exercise helps the progress of a learner from easier to more challenging,
allowing them to steadily build their confidence and their ability to produce the foreign language.
(SADAF)
III. Conclusion:
The methodology is based on the theory that learning vocabulary is a great place to start when learning a language and
that concentrating on individual words and their translations is an effective method of vocabulary learning. The foreign
language words and phrases should be reinforced along the way with pictures and pronunciation, but elements that could
distract from vocabulary learning - such as sentence building - should be avoided at the beginning stages of language
learning. A solid vocabulary is an important foundation for successfully mastering a language. (ALEENA)

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ACQUISITION BARRIERS:
Learning a second language is not easy. There is a lot that can get in the way. It is not as automatic or sure as
we’d suppose. Depending on the person, there can be some high barriers to learning another language. Some
obvious reasons for the problems experienced in L2 acquisition are related to the fact that most people attempt
to learn another language during their teenage or adult years, in a few hours each week of school time with a lot
of other occupation and with an already known language available for most of their daily communicative
requirements. Some less likely reasons include the suggestions that adult tongues ‘get stiff’ from pronouncing
one type of language, insufficient time devoted in the process, insufficient motivation and critical period has
passed. (ALEENA.)
Acquisition barriers are divided into five categories, which are:-
 Social: (HIRA)
1. Peer group.
2. Socio-economic status.
3. L1 education and literacy.
4. Parental/family support.
5. Access and support.
 Psychological or Emotional:(HIRA)
1. Affective factors. (anxiety, social bias)
2. Self-belief.
3. Motivation.
4. Attitude towards language and learning.
5. Social character.
 Biological:(HIRA)
1. Psycho motor skills.
2. Cognitive functioning.
3. L1 development/childhood developmental factors.
4. Physical impairments. (deafness,blindness, etc…)
5. Psychological fitness.
6. Age and health.
 Educational: (HIRA)
1. Type and method of instruction.
2. Improper materials and program.
3. Little access to input.
4. School and classroom culture.
5. Lack of learning skills and strategies.
6. Teacher/student relationship.
7. Planning and use of time.
 Cultural: (HIRA)
1. Language transfer and interference. (L1-L2
closeness)
2. Cultural values regarding risk taking and openness.
3. Government policy and investment.
4. Dislocation, movement, war.
Lifting the Barriers: (Aleena)
Language barriers are a difficult hurdle, but they can be successfully overcome. Classroom teachers can help by using
techniques such as highlighting and discussing academic vocabulary before introducing the lesson, providing the same
material at differentiated reading levels, and by using clear,simple language when describing new concepts. One of the
most important things a teacher can do to help language-minority students is to build relationships with her students and
their families. This builds trust and respect,which is a necessary foundation for learning.