Chapter 8

Differences between child and adult learning Introduction Have you ever wondered why children seem to be “better” at learning languages than adults? Are you currently learning a new language? What are some of the difficulties you experience in the process of learning this new language? How is this different from the way you learned a […]

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Chapter 7

Acquiring a second language? Ever wondered what effects does a second language has on your cognitive processes and on your first language? Read on to know more about them! Introduction For many years, it was believed that knowing more than one language would lead to negative consequences such as mental retardation. However, research done by […]

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Chapter 6

Individual Differences in L2 Learning ❝You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.❞ ‒Geoffrey Willans Overview In this blog, we examine four studies focusing on how individual differences might affect one’s ability in second language acquisition (SLA). The purpose is to provide an overview on the progress in this field of […]

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Age of Acquisition

Age of acquisition (AoA) refers to the age at which a language is acquired (Hernandez & Li, 2007). Hence, for second language learners, age at which the first language is acquired would be different from when the second language is acquired. The Two Views of AoA: Order of Acquisition VS. Critical period There are two […]

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Chapter 5

Age of Acquisition Introduction Difficulties adults face when acquiring a second language It is widely believed that the age at which we learn a second language affects our ability to acquire the language. However, recent studies have shown that the difficulties that adults face when learning a second language is due to the process of […]

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Chapter 4

Benefits of Multilingualism Why is Multilingualism Beneficial? Abstract The article aims to inform about the benefits of multilingualism, classified based on the impact on the individual and society level. In particular, we will be focusing on the benefits pertaining to mental processes, learning, prevention of diseases and the workplace for the individual as well as […]

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Chapter 3

Introduction Second language, also referred to as L2, is defined as a language mastered after a speaker’s first language; it is an additional language obtained in a naturalistic environment, after a speaker’s native tongue, and can be the third or fourth language learnt. There are various different opinions on what it means to acquire L2 […]

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Chapter 2

Body, Mind and Soul in Second Language Acquisition This page seeks to break down the impact of the body and the mind on second language acquisition. The impact of the body is broken down into the visual as well as the gestural. The impact of the mind will be understood first by understanding current theories […]

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References

Chobert, J., & Besson, M. (2013). Musical expertise and second language learning. Brain Sciences, 3(2), 923-940. Chobert, J., François, C., Velay, J., & Besson, M. (2014). Twelve Months of Active Musical Training in 8- to 10-Year-Old Children Enhances the Preattentive Processing of Syllabic Duration and Voice Onset Time. Cereb. Cortex, 24(4), 956-967. de Lange, C. […]

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Conclusion

All in all, sensorimotor training though useful, is just but one method of acquiring a second language. More research ought to be done to determine if this is the best method, and how to use this method, but one should not neglect the potential usefulness of a more holistic approach in L2 teaching and learning […]

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