b)    Human beings are innately endowed with the capacity to form some concepts rather than others. It is this human capacity to acquire language that has led to the “innateness hypothesis” of child language acquisition.

Exercises
I.    Explain each of the following terms in no more than 50 words:
1.    language acquisition         2. over–extension        3. over-generalization
4.    vocabulary development
II. Develop each of the following topics into a 200-words:
1.    Stages in first language acquisition.
2.    A behaviorist view of language acquisition.

XI. Error Analysis and Second Language Acquisition 错误分析与第二语言习得

错误分析与第二语言习得基本知识

1.    Differences and Similarities between First and Second Language Acquisition 第一语言习得与第二语言习得的异同
   While the first language is acquired, i.e. subconsciously, the second (or foreign) language is, more commonly, learned, i.e. consciously. We also note in acquiring their first language, children always concentrate on meaning, not on pattern, i.e. structure. The second language acquisition, however, concentrates on code, i.e. the system of the thought. Besides, one learns his first language directly from reality. The second language is learnt in manageable sequence, i.e. syllabus and course books. Furthermore, in the first language acquisition children apply the rules subconsciously, while the second language learners, after a period of training, are able to verbalise the rules.
2.    The Inadequacy of Imitation Theory 模仿理论之不足
It has been proved that children are not simply imitating the speech of their parents, for adults do not produce sentences like “What she can read?”. In other words, the child forms his own rule in a systematic way as he teaches himself his mother tongue. It has been suggested that the differences between the way a second language is often spoken and the way the language is spoken by native speakers are systematic, just as children’s language follows a definite norm and developmental sequence of its own.
3.    Interference 干扰
Language interference can be defined as the use of elements from one language while speaking another. Instances of mother tongue interference can be found at the level of pronunciation, morphology, syntax, vocabulary and meaning, and can be predicted by contrasting the grammatical or other systems of two languages. In other words, we can predict and describe the patterns that will cause difficulty in learning and those that will not, by comparing systematically the language and culture to be learned with the language and culture of the student.
3.1    Phonological Evidence 语音例证
a)    Substitution of [t] for [ ] and [d] for [ ]
    b) Shortening of long Vowels
3.2    Lexical Evidence 词汇例证
Often a beginner may utter a sentence like
  I lost my rice bowl.
What he actually means is
  I lost my job.
3.3    Grammatical Evidence 语法例证
a)    Indefinite Article Deletion
i.e. You got to have proper system here.
b)    Subject + verb structure replaced by a single verb or complement
i.e. A: Are you coming?
   B: Coming.
4.    Cross-association 相互联系
When two words are similar in meaning, and their spelling and pronunciation are alike, the close association of the two often leads to confusion. This aspect of internal interference is often referred to as cross-association.
5.    Overgeneralization 过度概括
Overgeneralization is defined as the use of previously available strategies in new situation.
6.    Strategies of Communication 交际策略
We may include errors that derive from the fact the communicative demands made on the second language may far outpace the speaker’s actual competence in second language learning. Thus the learners may simplify the syntax of the language in an effort to make the language into an instrument of his own intentions. Errors derived from such effort may be attributed to strategies of communication.
7.    Performance Errors 语言运用错误
The speaker realized the mistake as he said it but forgot to correct it --- he would have corrected it if he had had more time to think about it.

Exercises
I.    Explain each of the following terms in no more than 50 words:
1. Overgeneralization            2. Cross-association         3. Interference
4. performance errors
II. Develop each of the following topics into a 200-word essay:
1.    Differences and similarities between first and second language acquisition.