November 22, 2023

L1 acquisition, L2 acquisition: From the perspectives of bilingual and multilingual

​Kasumi Arciaga, Ph.D

Let's make a group of 3-4!

1 year exchange student in US
2 years in community college in the US
2 years in Temple University Japan Campus
2 years in TUJ again (for master's)
3 years in the Philippines (for Ph.D.)

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​Kasumi Arciaga's Bibliography

Yes I think I am--

but I still look up some words in English (and Japanese)......

Bilingual?

In order to understand bilingualism, first let's talk about L1 acquistion!

Open Ended

In your group, please explain what L1 (first language) acquisition means.

L1 acquistion

Learning language involves two key aspects: our natural ability to understand sounds and patterns (like listening to music) and our interactions with others, where people guide our learning by getting us to focus on specific things (Schilhab, 2015).

Children are naturally wired to learn all parts of grammar, including how words sound and how they are used in conversations. (Yule, 2010)

L1 Acquistion

How about bilingual?

Open Ended

Define "bilingual" with your group

Thiery (1978)

A bilingual individual is someone who is regarded as belonging to the same social and cultural level by members of two distinct linguistic communities.

Haugen (1967a)

a bilingual as a speaker of one language who can produce complete and meaningful utterances in the other language.

Wei (2005)

a bilingual primarily as someone with the possession of two languages

A person who can use the two languages!

Bilingual

A type of bilingualism when children acquire a second language after the development of the first is underway roughly around after the age of three

Sequential bilingualism

A type of bilingualism when children acquire two languages  before the age of three

Simultaneous bilingualism

Two types of bilingual

Subtractive bilingual
individuals often lose skills and fluency in their primary language, especially the primary language is not being reinforced

Additive bilingual
when an individual learns the second language while his/her first language and culture are maintained and reinforced.

Other types of bilingual

Passive bilingual
refers to being able to understand a second language without being able to speak it.

Balanced bilingual
a person who has proficiency in two languages such that his or her skills in each language match those of a native speaker of the same age.

DeHouwer in 1995 puts forward Meisel’s bilingual first language acquisition or infant bilingualism in which a child is exposed to two languages from birth and bilingual  second language acquisition in which exposure to a second language takes place between the age of one month and the age of two (DeHouwer, 1995).

From birth to 3 years old: Japan
3 years - 6 years: Philippines
Present: Japan

L1 = English, L2 = Japanese

​​Raito Makisig

From birth to 1.5 years old: Japan
1.5 years old - 4 years: Philippines
Present: Japan
L1 = English, L2 = Japanese

​​Reia Mikaela

From birth to 2 years: Philippines
Present: Japan

L1= ??, L2 = ??

Rion Kamille

It is known that English-speaking children learn nouns first...

Ex) I want TOYS // Juice please

While Japanese speaking kids tend to learn verbs first
Ex) おもちゃが欲しい！ジュースちょうだい！

Noun first or verb first??

Poll

Do you think Japanese bilingual children would learn nouns first or verbs first?

• nouns first

• verbs first

VERB first!

Surprisingly, both in English and Japanese, he uttered more verbs!

Raito

Roughly equivalent amount of nouns and verbs in Japanese and English....!?

Mystery continues....!

Rion

A longitudinal study....so

to be continued....

Multiple Choice

Raito is

• Simultaneous bilingual

• Sequential bilingual

Multiple Choice

Reia is

• Simultaneous bilingual

• Sequential bilingual

Multiple Choice

Dr. Arciaga is

• Simultaneous bilingual

• Sequential bilingual

How about those who learn the second/third language later?

You can still achieve proficient level later in life!

Good news!

Adults learning L2/L3

It’s highly possible that this learning difference by age is not due to some magic change in brain plasticity, but simply that adults don’t have as much time to be exposed as children and often hit a point where it stops being helpful to improve after a while. They become totally fluent at this slower pace and reaching native-level mastery provides little additional advantage. Maybe it’s not that it’s harder for older learners or that they’re not capable, maybe it’s just that they don’t have the same opportunity.

Multiple Choice

How many hours of studying do you think you need to achieve fluency?

• 100 hours

• 1000 hours

• 5000 hours

• 10,000 hours

About 1,000 hours?

That means 8 hours per day for 125 days!!!
You cannot learn the language over one night....yes

Mr. Arciaga

Imitate like native speakers; you copy them!

Can you do it?

Audio Response

Can you record yourselves?

Open Audio Recorder

Believe in yourself!!

You can be bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual!

Self-efficacy

Belief in your own abilities to do something well
Would you feel confident to speak, listen, read, and write in English (or any other foreign language)?

Having a high level of self-efficacy is important in language learning as well as any goal that you have in mind!

Open Ended

Describe your successful experience in language learning!

Having an accountability is an important factor to maintain your self-efficacy

Do it with your friends!

Please take the survey

I am conducting research regarding self-efficacy in English writing (approved by Udai ethical board)

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If you have any questions, please email me!

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