Microsoft Word 08 Exam-Checklist Intro21 20211202 V02. docx

Theories about language acquisition, language learning and language teaching

I can explain the difference between language acquisition and language learning
Language Acquisition is the manner of learning a language by immersion. It provides the student with the practical knowledge of the language. Whereas, language learning focuses on providing theoretical knowledge of a language. The main method of human communication is language. However, children are not taught language at school. Simply by being around other people, especially their families, a youngster will pick up their original language. We refer to this as language acquisition. The youngster picks up the language naturally, without conscious effort or study.

In reality, a youngster can articulate concepts virtually precisely from a linguistic and grammatical perspective by the time they are five years old. This is in spite of any formal language instruction. In general, language learning is thought to proceed more slowly than language acquisition. Some people spend years studying a language without ever becoming fluent in it. The major distinction between language learning and language acquisition is that language acquisition refers to the process of acquiring a language through immersion. It gives the student a practical understanding of the language; for instance, even if the student is not familiar with all the grammar rules, they can still have a flawless conversation with a native speaker.

While language learning focuses on imparting theoretical understanding of a language. In this situation, the learner may be fully aware of all acceptable grammar rules and sentence construction techniques but may yet lack the self-assurance necessary to speak with a native speaker.