English Pedagogy (Learning and Acquisition) - Software Development MCQ

Language learning is the process of learning to speak and understand a foreign language. It helps children to acquire practical commands of language. It is a result of deliberate and conscious effort for a better understanding of foundational skills of language learning.

Key Points 

• Our first language provides a foundation for understanding language structure and concepts. This can be helpful in grasping similar aspects of a second language.
• Learning styles and strategies developed for your first language can be applied to learning a second language.
• Native/first language supports the learning of a new/second language as research has shown that many skills acquired in the first language can easily be transferred to another language.
• For example, if a learner develops good reading skills in Bengali, he/she is likely to be able to apply these skills to learning English.

Hence, the correct answer is 'knowledge of the native/first language aids in the learning of a second language'.

Various theorists have tried to explain the process by which children acquire language. They can be understood as:

• The behaviorist theory given by Skinner states that children imitate adults. Their correct utterances are reinforced and hence they acquire language.
• Innate theorists like Chomsky believe that a child's brain contains special language-learning mechanisms at birth that help the child in language acquisition.
• Cognitive Language theorists like Piaget believed that language acquisition is just one aspect of a child's overall intellectual development.

Key Points

• The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget placed the acquisition of language within the purview of a child's cognitive development.
• He argued that a child has to understand a concept before it can acquire the particular language form which expresses that concept.
  • For example, Piaget suggested that a child who had not yet reached the required intellectual stage where they can compare the sizes would not be able to learn and use comparative adjectives like "bigger" or "smaller".

 Hence, we can conclude that Piaget believes that symbolic thoughts are pre-requisites of Language Learning.

Language is a complex and multifaceted concept, with various definitions and interpretations depending on the specific context.

Key Point

• Acquired Language: Refers to subconscious language learning, typically a mother tongue or a language picked up naturally in everyday life.
• Learned Language: Involves conscious effort and formal instruction, like learning a language in school.

Analysis of Suman's languages:

• Kannada: Being her mother tongue, it's an acquired language.
• Odia: Learned from neighbors in a natural setting, making it acquired.
• Hindi: Studied formally at school, making it a learned language.

Therefore, Kannada and Odia are acquired languages, while Hindi is a learned language.

Language is the most important tool of communication. It is a medium through which a person can communicate with society, express his views and understand the thoughts of other people.

• A person learns their mother tongue as their primary language. But that is all not sufficient. In such diverse culture, a person needs to understand other languages as well. Such language is known as a second language.

Key Points

• To learn a second language, one not only needs the knowledge of the language (which can be acquired at institutions or even at home in the age of computers), the learner needs constant exposure and practice of the language. 
• Such exposure is abundantly available in the society with the native people. It is the best technique to keep constant contact with such native people to acquire their language.

Thus, it is concluded that it is best to learn a second language through constant contact with native speakers in their own society.

Hint 

• Peer groups are not the most efficient in learning a second language as there is not enough exposure available. Most peer groups are friends who may belong to the same ethnicity or are formed in national/international institutions where one group may contain a minimal number of diverse ethnic people.
• These people may not be effectively able to share the exposure in their native language. Rather it may either lead to the use of a common language as English or it may also lead to the disbandment of the group.
• One can acquire knowledge about the language at home through online resources but it may not be possible for everyone to access this information. It will also not provide enough exposure.
• One can learn the language by reading books themselves but they would still lack the most essential communication skill, i.e., speaking.

Language is a symbolic, rule-governed system, shared by a group of people to express their thoughts and feelings. In a child, language development takes place through language acquisition and language learning.

Key Points

• Language Acquisition refers to the subconscious process of learning a native or second language because of the innate capacity of the human brain.
• Language acquisition does not require any formal instruction, children acquire the language when the child is exposed to the intended language.
• It is a natural process whereby children acquire language by observing and repeating what they hear in their native environment.

​Hence, we can conclude that language Acquisition occurs, when the child is exposed to the language.

Language is a symbolic, rule-governed system, shared by a group of people to express their thoughts and feelings. In a child, language development takes place through language acquisition and language learning.

Key PointsLet's understand both terms briefly:

• Language acquisition:
  • It refers to the unconscious process of learning a language because of the innate capacity of the human brain.
  • It is a natural process whereby children acquire language by observing and repeating what they hear in their native environment.
  • Language acquisition does not require any formal instruction, children acquire the language without being taught.
  • Language acquisition is a natural process so, one does not forget one's native language.

• Language learning:
  • It refers to the result of deliberate and conscious effort in a formal environment, for a better understanding of foundational skills of language.
  • In language learning, children should move from simple to complex rules to be proficient in all aspects of language skills.
  • It is effectively done by providing comprehensible inputs to make the learners actively involved in real communication.
  • It refers to having a basic knowledge of grammatical rules and their use in communication.

Hence, it could be concluded that statements a and b are true.

Our classrooms are more inclusive, and now diversity is the norm. The students are from varied backgrounds; different abilities are part of the classroom. Hence, the teachers need to equip themselves with effective teaching-learning strategies to justify their roles in the inclusive classroom.

• An inclusive classroom promotes learning of all children, with special abilities, with various social backgrounds, and with diverse learning needs.

Key Points

• Heterogeneity is an environment where a group of individuals has their own unique skills, their own challenges.
• Though inclusive class provides equal opportunity to learn all the students irrespective of their disabilities and skills, it also poses challenges for the teachers to ensure that the disabled student does not lag behind and the students who can excel do not lose their interest.
• Thus, heterogeneity is the main challenge of language learning in an inclusive classroom.

Hint

• ​Lack of development of appropriate language learning environment: This challenge is faced not just by an inclusive classroom but all types of classrooms which are offering language learning.
• Lack of appropriate teaching materials: This challenge is faced by institutions that do not possess sufficient funds.
• Inequality of interests of students: This challenge is faced whether the classroom is exclusive or inclusive because every student has a different interest in different subjects.

Thus, from the above-mentioned points, it is clear that one of the main challenges of language learning in an inclusive classroom is the heterogeneity of the skills of students.

Language is a symbolic, rule-governed system, shared by a group of people to express their thoughts and feelings. In a child, language development takes place through language acquisition and language learning.

Key Points

Language acquisition:

• It refers to the unconscious process of learning a native or home language because of the innate capacity of the human brain.
• It is a natural process whereby children acquire language unconsciously by observing and repeating what they hear in the natural/informal setting.
• For example, a learner in a village in the state of Jharkhand knows her mother tongue and Hindi, the language of home, and her neighborhood.

Hint

• Language learning refers to the result of deliberate and conscious effort for a better understanding of foundational skills of language learning. It takes place in a formal setting.

Hence, the correct answer is 'I disagree with this statement'.

There are many theories in psychology that are related to different schools of psychology such as cognitive, humanistic, behavioristic, etc. These theories are propounded by eminent psychologists to provide a framework to understand different aspects of human behavior.

Key Points

• 'Lev Vygotsky', a Soviet psychologist, has propounded the "Socio-cultural Theory". This theory implies the idea that social interaction is the most important part of language learning and plays a crucial role in the learner's cognitive development. 
• According to Vygotsky, social convergence is the primary cause of learners' development as his theory emphasizes that children learn through interaction and collaboration with skilled and knowledgeable people.

Important Points 

Lev Vygotsky emphasizes the importance of social interaction in his theory by introducing three concepts which are as follows:

Hence, it could be concluded that "Social interaction" is the most important factor in learning a language from Vygotsky's point of view.

Acquisition refers to the mastery of language as a result of exposure. On the other hand, learning refers to mastering a language through the conscious study of the second language.

Key Points

• Language acquisition refers to developing competence in a language by using it in natural and communicative situations.
• First language acquisition is always natural and there is no need for guidance and instructions for its acquisition, children learn it in natural situations.
• Acquiring a second language is challenging as children either do not encounter the language in their home environment or do so to a limited extent.
• Children also get only a few hours of exposure to the second language during school time. Second language acquisition is not natural and it needs to be learned with continuous guidance and instruction.

Hence, we conclude that in the general language, it is believed that the first language is acquired and the second language is learned.