Teaching English as a Foreign Language

It is submitted to fulfill TEFL assignment

Submitted by:
Anna Debora
2223121883
Ihda Nurfaizah
2223122047
5C
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
SULTAN AGENG TIRTAYASA UNIVERSITY
2014
PREFACE

Praise be given to God finally the author able to finalize this a paper which
took the title "Language Acquisition" with all these shortcomings in a timely manner.
The purpose of writing this paper in addition to completing the task of Mrs. Rita
Handayani subjects : "Teaching English as a Second Language" and also to provide
the information and knowledge about how language is acquired and how the process

and stages of language development experienced by each of the children so that in the
future time these knowledge will be beneficial for all of us someday if we become
parents later.
And gratefull thank we dedicated profusely to the parents, brothers and friends
for all their help, support and motivation that flowed to the author in completing this
paper.
The last word, hopefully what is presented in this paper can be useful for all of
us, Readers and Writers generally in particular, because deep inside the heart, author
realizes there are very many deficiencies in the preparation of this paper, because it's
just perfection belongs to God Almighty alone and with sincerely I would welcome
any input, criticism and also helpful suggestions for improving this paper,
Best Regards.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Preface
Table of Content
Definition
Language
Language Acquisition

Factor Which Influence the Language Acquisition

Pre-Linguistic Phase

Babbling First Stage (pre-linguistic)

Babbling Second Stage (pre-linguistic)

Linguistics Phase
Holophrastic Stage (first linguistic stage).
Second Language Acquisition
Definition
The Stages of Second Language Acquisition
The Aspect That Influence Second Language Acquisition
Closing
Reference

A. Definitions

The Definition of Language

Language itself has so many definitions according to the experts so we can get
the main point about what language is.
According to Keraf in Smarapradhipa (2005:1) language has two meanings. The first
is communication between members of the public in the form of a symbol of the
sound produced by means of said human. Second, language is a communication
system that uses symbols vocal (speech sound) which are arbitrary.
Another case in Stiawan according to Owen (2006:1), describes the language
definition language as the combinations of symbols (language can be defined as a
socially acceptable code or conventional system for delivering concepts through the

use of symbols and combinations of the desired symbols are governed by the
provisions).
Meanwhile Tarin (1989:4) defined language in two definitions. First, language is a
system that systematically, perhaps also for generative systems. Second, language is a
set of symbols as you like it or arbitrary symbols.
According to Santoso (1990:1), language is a series of sound produced by said means
of a conscious human being.
According Wibowo (2001:3), language is a system of symbols that are meaningful
and articulate sound (generated by said tool) which are arbitrary and conventional,
which is used as a means of communicating by a group of human beings to give birth
to feelings and thoughts.
Based on those experts above, we can conclude that language is a symbol that is
meaningful and its arbitrary.
The Definition of Language Acquisition
According to Krashen, language acquisition refers to the process of picking-up a
language.
Munoz defined language acquisition as the central topic in cognitive science.
Language is something every child does successfully, a matter of a few years and
without the need for formal lessons. From the very first moment it is the parents
responsibility to lay a proper foundation that will enable the child to acquire adequate
language skills. Meanwhile Yufrizal states that when children try to acquire a

language, they need much attention in order to give the right direction when the
children do some mistakes. Target language refers to the language being learning (the
foreign language; not the second language).

B. Factor Which Influence the Language Acquisition

1. Personality
Traits such as shyness, risk-taking behavior, and confident are things that can
influence the interaction process and the way people acquire the language.
2. Age
Students of all ages can acquire language. Older students bring with their agelevel knowledge of the world, their experience and skills, and their selfperception as learner.
3. Attitudes

Attitudes toward self: self esteem, self confidence, and self

perception.
Attitudes toward language and those who speak it: generally

shaped by experiences and interactions with those close by.

Attitudes toward teacher and classroom environment: positive
and negative experience facilitates the development of strong
attitudes that either encourages students to fully participate in

acquiring English.
4. Classroom climates
It can enhance or inhibit language acquisition. It must be able to take risk and
free to experiment with language.
5. Affective variables
Krashen notes three variables in language acquisition:
Self esteem: students with high self esteem view themselves as
capable learners and more brave to take the risk.

Motivation: motivate students to be focused more and take

greater risk.
Levels of anxiety: anxiety inhibits language acquisition.
Anxious students tend to focus on form rather than
commuunication and take fewer risks.

C. Pre-Linguistic Phase
1. Babbling First Stage (pre-linguistic)
In the first stage of babble, during the early months of life, babies cry, coo, screamed,
and laughed, as if to produce each type which may be made. Many observers mark
this as baby steps to produce any speech sound that can be found in all languages
worldwide. However, voices or sounds are not the speech sounds, but then the
acoustic signals derived by the babies if they move the speech tools in any
arrangement or form which may be made. They play with their sound equipment, but
it should not be classified as linguistic performance.

2. Babbling Second Stage (pre-linguistic)

This stage is also called nonsense word stage, the stage of a word without meaning.
Early stages of this second bubble usually occur at the beginning of the second half of
the first year of life. Children do not produce something that words can be unknown,
but they act as if their words set in accordance with the pattern of syllables. At one
time the last part of this period (around the end of the first year of life) comes the
"first word" that will be considered as the first word that.

D. Linguistics Phase
I.

Holophrastic Stage (first linguistic stage).

Vocalizations Sound.

At the age of about six weeks, the baby started to give out the sounds in the form of
screaming, whining, and snoring. Sound emitted by the baby is similar to the sound of
consonants or vowels. After the vocalization stage, babies begin to babble (babbling).
Dardjowidjojo (2005: 244) mentions that babbling stage occurs around the age of six
months, there are also some experts say that chatter occurs at the age of eight to 10

months. Basically, the ability of children chattering depends on the development of a

childs neurology. At this stage, they began to mix with a vocal consonant. Babbling
begins with a consonant and followed by a vowel. The first exit is consonant
consonant bilabial nasal bilabial and inhibition. Vowel is /a/.
V1 K1 K1 K1 V1 V1 ... papapa mamama bababa ...
Once the child through this period of babbling, they started learning how to say the
sequence of segments, namely silabe-silabe and words. In the early stages of language
acquisition, children usually produce words of adults who simplified as follows:
1) eliminate the final consonant : blumen bu boot bu; mobil=mbim
2) reduce consonant groups into a single segment: batre bate bring bin;
cicak=icak
3) omit syllables that are not given key pressure : kunci ti semut emut;
4) simple syllable reduplication : pergi gigi nakal kakal
In this stage children begin to imitate the intonation patterns of sentences
spoken by adults.
One-word or Holofrastis Stage
This stage occurs when children aged between 12 and 18 months. Speech-speech that
contains a single word uttered children to refer to objects that were found daily. At
this stage also a child start using a series of repetitive sound to meaning the same.
Also at this age, the child has understood that the noise associated with the meaning
and said start saying the words first. In form, the spoken words consist of consonants
are pronounced like easily m, p, s, k and vowels like a, i, u, e.
Two Words, One Phrase Phase.

This stage takes place when children aged 18-20 months. Speech-speech
which consists of two words began to appear like mommy and daddy go mam. This
two-word stage, the child's utterances should be interpreted in accordance with the
context.
Utterances Telegrafis.
At the age of two and three years, children begin to generate double-word
utterances (multiple-word utterances) or also called telegrafis speech. Children also
are able to form sentences and sort the shapes correctly. Child's vocabulary is growing
rapidly to reach the hundreds of word and pronunciation of words more similar to
adult language.

Second Language Acquisition

I.

Definition

Native language based on Yufrizal (2001:5) that contained in Module of Teaching

English as a Foreign Language (Syafrizal,2010:23), is the first a child learns but the
second language acquisition is the learning of another language after the native
language has been learned. So, second language acquisition is also known as
sequential language acquisition. It is learning a second language after a first language
is already established.
Children who are learning English as second language and use Bahasa Indonesia as
first language, they will find difficulties to acquire their second language, especially
for the children that have not mastered Bahasa Indonesia. The children usually begin
to learn English when they enter the school. It is important that childs classroom
placement will have an impact on the development of both first and second language.
Bilingual education classes help to develop the English skill and childs first
language, but in English as a second language classes only associated with slower
acquisition of abstract language.
When the Indonesian children learn English as a second language, they will pass
every stage to learn it, same as in the first language acquisition. They will hear and
repeating the new words that they dont know the meaning.

II.

The Stages of Second Language Acquisition

1. Pre-production or silent period when the learners may only have 500 words in
their receptive vocabulary and cannot yet speak in English. Actually they only
repeat what someone says but they dont producing language or parroting.
2. Early production when learners will develop a receptive and active vocabulary
of about 1000 words for six months. In this stage, learners can usually speak in
one or two word phrases, such as when they answer yes/no question.
3. Speech emergence when the learners have developed their vocabulary of about
3000 word and communicate with simple phrases and sentences. They will ask
simple that may or may not be grammatically correct.
4. Intermediate fluency when English language learners have a vocabulary of
6000 active words. They are beginning to use more complex sentences when
speaking and writing and are willing to express opinions and share their
thoughts. They will ask question to clarify what they are learning in class.
5. Advance fluency when students from 4-10 years to achieve cognitive
academic language proficiency in a second language. Students in this stage
will be near-native in their ability to perform in content area learning.

III.

The Aspect That Influence Second Language Acquisition

1. Motivation
It is significant aspect in second language acquisition. It can be defined as the
learner orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language,
positive attitudes towards target language group, and some social or economic
reward through second language acquisition.
2. Social and cultural milieu
This factors refer to the environment of the learners that determining their
beliefs about other culture and language.
3. Individual differences

These include the variables of intelligence, language aptitudes, motivation,

and anxiety situation.
4. The setting or the context in which learning take place.
It can be identified as formal instruction within a classroom and unstructured
language acquisition in natural setting.
5. Linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes.
Linguistic outcomes refer to actual language knowledge and language skills
such as course grade and general proficiency test.
Non-linguistic outcomes reflect an individuals attitudes concerning culture
values and belief toward the second language community.

CLOSING

Humans have a biological legacy that has been taken since the birth in form of ability
to communicate with a particular human language. Based on those experts above, we
can conclude that language is a symbol that is meaningful and its arbitrary. Level of
language development of all children are equal, means that all children can be said to
follow the same pattern of development. Use language that feels natural because it is
taught by anyone, a baby will grow along with the growth of the language. From the
age of one year to two years a baby starts out language word forms that have been
identified as words. This one-word utterances grows into two-word utterances, and
eventually became a complex sentence before the age of four or five years. After five
years of age, a child's vocabulary and phrases get better and perfect. So, the
development of child language acquisition is gradual and so complex.
According to Krashen, language acquisition refers to the process of picking-up a
language. More precisely interpreted language acquisition as a process that was first
done by someone to get a language in accordance with cognitive potential possessed
by the received speech is based on naturally.
There are several stages which going through by the child during the first acquire
language. Stage which is referred are bubble/pralinguistik (first and second) stage,
and linguistic: holofrastik stage (first linguistic stage) such as : vocalization sounds,
stage one-word or holofrastis, two-word stage, two-word stage, speech telegrafis.

Specifically can be identified a number of factors that influence language

development, namely: personality, age, attitudes, classroom climates, and affective
variable.
Second language acquisition is known as sequential language acquisition. It is
learning a second language after a first language is already established. In acquire
second language, there are 5 stages that a child passed, they are: pre-production or
silent period, early production, speak emergence, intermediate fluency, and advance
fluency.

REFERENCE

Syafrizal. 2010. Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

Definition Language According to the Experts. Faisal Midfilder. 5 Desember 2011.

Web. 13 September 2014. <http://schoolash.blogspot.com/2011/12/definitionlanguage-according-to.html>

Stages of Language Acquisition. Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Bjrk. August 2008.
13 September 2014. <http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108052/chapters/TheStages-of-Second-Language-Acquisition.aspx>