Essays on First Language

(Student’s Full Name)

Abstract

Nowadays, the role of English can be hardly overestimated. Being a truly global language, a pathway to greater opportunities and the window to broader knowledge and other cultures, English keeps widening the horizons of its possibilities and functions. At the same time, teaching English as a foreign language requires taking great responsibility and, therefore, it often appears as a truly challenging task. This research aims to consider the importance of teaching English as a second language and the implications that may arise during the learning process so as to define key tendencies and principles in ...

Second Language Acquisition Theory

Struggles My father is a known businessman, he used to travel to the various countries around the world especially Europe for business purposes. My father has difficulty communicating in English because it is not his first language. He had hired a translator who accompanied him in all his journeys. Unfortunately, the translator passed away, his death devastated my father because they were close companions. The translator had values that made my father happy like kindness, honesty and calmness. My father contemplated on how he could go on his business trips without his translator and companion. It was difficult to ...

The American society is full of different ethnicities and races. However, every ethnicity aims for better life and understanding between each other. For achievement of these goals, the better solution may be found as education. Though, it is a very complicated and controversial issue. Hence, every ethnicity has different perspectives of the process of obtaining the education. On the other hand, it should be mentioned that the opportunities for getting an education are not equal. Therefore, this inequality forms a level of education among the popularity of the USA. This issue has been deeply investigated among the sociologists and ...

Psychology: Nature vs. Nurture Essay

Language constitutes an essential characteristic of human beings and is regarded as a primary form of communication between individuals. The role of nature and nurture in language acquisition among young children has been a continuous debate in developmental sciences, education, and social sciences like sociology and psychology. This issue is not only conflicting but also complementary. It has laid a foundation for better understanding of how biological and environmental factors interact to influence language development in children (Yusa et al. 2011). Available research shows that there is no clear pattern of the causes and effects associated with human cognition ...

Studying Abroad

The idea of studying abroad is a thrilling and sometimes frightening experience to many. Some are apprehensive at the thought, while others cannot wait to see what countries are willing to have them. Much like any other big decision, there are pros and cons to the idea of studying abroad. It does appear that it is a more positive than a negative decision for most. Students get to experience a different culture firsthand, likely learn a new language, and even for lifelong friendships with individuals they would not have otherwise met when studying abroad. Experiencing a new or foreign ...

Struggles of Foreign Students in Learning English

A large number of students, whose first language is not English, learners especially in American countries are confronted with the challenge of meeting the expectations of the country in which where they are livingthey are studying. Requirements such as state tests and language tests have to be passed in order to keep up with their English-speaking peers and meet the demands of having a good command of English. Hence, it is also a big challenge for educational institutions to help these English language learners adapt to school and daily life. The number of these learners has increased significantly over ...

Language is an important part of a person’s life because it connects one to other people. There are many languages used by people all over the world. Learning language other than the native language helps a person to communicate to more people. Personally, I experience this benefit by knowing how to speak two languages- Spanish and English. I was born in Dominican Republic where Spanish is the native language. Learning Spanish is greatly influence by my family and by the environment I lived in. In Dominican Republic, all people speak Spanish. That’s why I think that learning ...

The Persians are people who live in Iran, speak Persian language, which is very similar to the Iranian languages, and preserve Persian culture and traditions. The Persian culture is highly symbolic. The Persian lion, for instance, used to be its emblem, but it is not since the Revolution which happened in 1979 ("Culture of Iran - History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family" n.p.). 1. History The Persians are said to be the part of Indo-European tribes that migrated to Iran from Central Asia. Later these Indo-European tribes divided into two main groups. The first group is ...

The process of becoming fluent in writing and speaking a second language is a complex process that relies on a number of influences; individual personality characteristics such as maturity, past experiences, exposure to the new language, learning environment, motivation, and natural inclinations to adapting to new skills are some factors that promote or hinder progress. Research involving experimentation, investigation, and empirical studies has been conducted to describe individual factors that influence the quality and speed of children’s learning a second language and will be examined. Some children are born into multilingual families with different cultural backgrounds and it ...

Introduction

Crystal starts by questioning what it means for a language to be international or global and its advantages and disadvantages of having such a language in his book English as a Global Language. He suggests that for a language to be universal, its people political power is a critical factor to be considered. He traces the rise of English to the universal language in his first three chapters. The first chapter surveys its extent of use of English worldwide involving an outline of its spread, second examines some ideas developed in the nineteenth century about English languagen. The third ...

Learning a second language can be a challenging experience for a person of any age. The general population typically believes that second language acquisition or SLA is easier for children than adults. Some regard this as a myth while others insist it is true. Studies show that the way people learn languages at different ages can vary and that can affect the ease or difficulty in ability to learn. People learn a second language for many different reasons: a) individuals may be raised with two languages spoken in their home, b) students at school are often required to learn ...

Language is well embedded in culture and heritage. The acquisition of a First Language (L1) or Second Language (L2) is a particularly challenging experience for learners, parents, instructors and policy makers. If anything, learning L1 or L2 is accompanied by a host of value-loaded beliefs and cultural conventions. The challenge of language acquisition becomes more so for second generation immigrants. Brought up in a cultural context, usually far distanced from original one, second generation immigrants are under pressure to learn a "new" language spoken by parents and forebears for generations in home countries and only at home in new ...

The issue of bilingual learning has been a hot topic of debate for some time now. It is a consequence of the influx of immigrants into the United States whose first language is not English. Some people have felt that forcing them to learn a second language is stripping them of their heritage while others believe that the only way the immigrants can be fully assimilated is by learning English. I subscribe to Richard Rodriguez and Gloria Anzaldua posit in their essays “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” respectively, except for ...

Need Identification

The following paper addresses the issues faced by non-English speaking students. There are a plethora of needs that these students possess that should ideally be addressed in order to solve this issue effectivelyThere are a number of needs that can be addressed to solve this issue. The first need that should be addressed is the importance of the student to feel as if they belong at the school. The first need is for the students to feel a sense of belonging in the school If the students do not understand their respective environment or the rules of engagement for ...

The argument between functionalists and those who subscribe to the Universal Grammar model falls within the great scientific tradition of “nature versus nurture.” It is, perhaps, an unavoidable discursive construct, one that usefully and practically frames the debate over how second language acquisition is facilitated by the human brain. There is uniformity to language itself but the individual experience of each person who comes to understand and learn a second language may be seen as an organic and fluid phenomenon. Does the acquisition of a second language take place through the filter of personal experience, or does it fall into place ...

Language acquisition principles.

In an article titled: “Sensitive and advantageous periods in first language learning: What are the implications for very young Japanese learners of English?” As obtained from the International Journal of language, society and culture issue 16-2006 lays emphasis on the importance of exposing learners of English as a second language to the second language at their critical period.

Introduction

English is an international language spoken widely in the world. It is used in most countries for commerce especially international trade, education and technological developments. For these reasons many countries have seen the need of having their citizens to learn English. This ...