Second language acquisition can be achieved through classroom lessons, audio aids, language software, or immersion. Children learn best through immersion, while adults often choose formal education or immersion learning. People learn a second language for personal or business reasons, such as communicating with relatives or targeting ethnic markets.
Second language acquisition refers to the ability to speak a language other than one’s native language. There are several ways to acquire a second language, including classroom lessons, audio aids, language software and immersion. People choose second language acquisition for a variety of personal and business reasons.
Humans normally learn the language during their formative years by hearing it spoken and receiving feedback on their attempts to emulate it. This type of immersion works well with very young people because they have fewer needs and their communication needs are limited. Learning this way as an adult can be effective, but it’s more difficult because of practical issues that require an adult to be able to communicate effectively for a variety of reasons.
Second language acquisition is sometimes achieved at a young age when two different languages are spoken in a family. There is usually one language that is considered the primary language of the family. A second language can be acquired by a child at home to varying degrees depending on who speaks the language, how often it is heard and how often it is to be used by the child.
Many adults choose formal education to aid in second language acquisition. Instruction in most major languages can be found in colleges or community centers in the area. Classroom instruction is generally oriented towards teaching the language through grammar analysis and reading and writing the language. Students are also taught to speak and listen to the second language, although conversational fluency is sometimes sacrificed in the classroom.
Computer software is a contemporary tool in second language acquisition. Software designed to teach a language uses many visual and audio cues to help the student achieve fluency in conversation. Most software also allows analysis of the student’s pronunciation to provide feedback and corrections.
Immersion learning is an effective form of second language acquisition. It follows a pattern similar to that used by children learning to speak in that it relies heavily on context and feedback. Language learners can attempt immersion learning by living in an area where the second language is spoken as a primary language or by attending functions where the language is widely spoken.
People have many reasons for learning a second language. Companies targeting ethnic markets often seek employees who are bilingual and able to speak both the primary language of the corporate office and the language of the market they serve. Second language acquisition is also helpful for people who want to converse with relatives or friends who speak a different language. Others choose to learn a second language to read literature or watch films written in the language or to help them communicate when traveling abroad.
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