Processes of Acquisition a Second Language and Learning a Foreign Language: Terminology Standardisation and Harmonization

Keywords: second language acquisition, foreign language learning, language aptitude, interlanguage, language competence, language performance, language proficiency.

Abstract

The article analyzes microgroup of terms relating to the process of second language acquisition or foreign language learning (language aptitude, interlanguage, language competence, language performance, language proficiency). The semantics of this group is analyzed and some aspects of normalization (compliance with linguistic and terminological norms) and harmonization (compliance with variants that function in English) are proposed.

The difference between the terms of language acquisition and language learning is specified. The author of the article proves the idea that the acquisition of the second language is an unconscious process of producing the language, when a person implicitly assimilates speech samples and produces them intuitively. Learning a foreign language is a conscious process of producing a language when a person explicitly learns speech samples and produces them consciously.

Language aptitude denotes the innate ability of a person which develops with the experience of communication, and it is a kind of mechanism that allows the mental and physiological levels to master the language.

It is revealed that bilingualism (natural and educational) can be the result of different strategies of language mastering and thus there are various mechanisms for its formation. It is found out that interlanguage is a language that is characterizing a person who learns a new language, and it is the result of the interaction of language systems, rules, norms of native language and the language which is learned. It is dynamic and reflects the appropriate level of language proficiency.

The relationship between terms language competence (a set of language knowledge), language performance (production and comprehension of language), and language proficiency (ability of an individual to speak or perform in a language according to the aim of communication) is determined. These terms are at the stage of entry into Ukrainian science.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Zalevskaya, A.А. (2016). Vvedenie v teoriju uchebnogo dvuyazychiya [Introduction to the theory of educational bilingualism]. Tver : Tver. gos. un-t. [in Russian].
Zalevskaya, A.А. (2009). Voprosy psyholingvisticheskoy teorii dvujazychiya [Questions of the psycholinguistic theory of bilingualism]. Voprosy psyholingvistiki – Questions of psycholinguistics, 10, 10–18 [in Russian].
Kalmykova, L.O. (2008). Psykholohichni zasady rozriznennia operatsii i dii yak odynyts movlennievoi diialnosti [Psychological principles of distinguishing operations and actions as units of speech activity]. Humanitarnyi visnyk DVNZ «Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi derzhavnyi pedahohichnyi universytet imeni Hryhoriia Skovorody»: naukovo-teoretychnyi zbirnyk – Humanitarian Bulletin of the Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi Hryhorii Skovoroda State Pedagogical University: scientific and theoretical collection, 15, 86–88 [in Ukrainian].
Leontev, AА. (1999). Osnovy psyholingvistyky [Fundamentals of psycholinguistics]. Moscow : Smysl [in Russian].
Orap, M. (2013). Movlennieva zdatnist ta movlennieva kompetentsiia yak elementy vnutrishnoi pidstruktury movlennievoho dosvidu osobystosti [Speech ability and the speech competence as elements of the internal substructure of the personality’s speech experience]. Psykholinhvistyka – Psycholinguistics, 14, 117–128 [in Ukrainian].
Slovnyk ukrainskoi movy [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (1974). (Vols. 1-11). Kyiv : Naukova dumka [in Ukrainian].
Andreou, G., Vlachos, F., & Andreou, E. (2005). Affecting Factors in Second Language Learning. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 34(5), 429–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-005-6202-0
Common European Framework of reference for languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Companion volume with new descriptors. Provisional Edition (2017). URL: https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-descriptors-2018/1680787989
Ellis, R. (1997). Second Language Acquisition. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Gekoski, W.L. (1980). Language acquisition context and language organization in bilinguals. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 9(5), 429–449. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067324
Genesee, F., & Hamayan, E. (1980). Individual differences in second language learning. Applied Psycholinguistics, 1(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716400000758
Ho, D.Y.F. (1987). Intralingual and interlingual factors in language-learning difficulty. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 16(5), 399–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01073270
Krashen, S.D. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Oxford : Pergamon Press.
Kroll, J.F., & Groot, A.M.B. (2005). Handbook of Bilingualism. Psycholinguistic Approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rebuschat, P., & Williams, J.N. (2012). Implicit and explicit knowledge in second language acquisition. Applied Psycholinguistics, 33(4), 829–856. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716411000580
Richards, J.C., & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. England : Pearson.
Steinhauer, K. (2006). How dynamic is second language acquisition? Applied Psycholinguistics, 27(1), 92–95. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716406060176

Abstract views: 745
PDF Downloads: 603
Published
2019-04-18
How to Cite
Turkevych, O. (2019). Processes of Acquisition a Second Language and Learning a Foreign Language: Terminology Standardisation and Harmonization. PSYCHOLINGUISTICS, 25(2), 307-322. https://doi.org/10.31470/2309-1797-2019-25-2-307-322