EDG4376 Reflection #11

I completely agree with J. Doug McGlothlin in that it is almost impossible for adults to learn new languages. In my past, I have taken numerous Spanish and Italian classes and still have trouble holding a simple conversation in any language besides English. Even with an Italian background, I cannot seem to grasp comprehension. And ironically, I understand more Russian than anything, simply because I was surrounded by the Russian culture when I lived in Brooklyn, NY. I am a true believer that learning a new language as an adult takes time, energy, and effort. Furthermore, to me, one must immerse himself or herself in the culture for quite awhile in order to achieve true understanding.
For young children, language development is a completely different story. And again, I agree with the author of “A Child’s First Steps in Language Learning” in that language environment and the strategies utilized to obtain verbal communication are key concepts in how a child obtains this essential skill. To break it down, children have all the time in the world to learn how to communicate, but because communication is vital, they have an innate motivation to learn to mimic what they hear. They do not have to deal with the pressure of tests, as an adult might, but they are given the unique opportunity to learn vocabulary and grammar as they discover more and more about the world. A child’s language environment directly coincides with the world he or she is learning about, and curiosity is the powerful underlying factor in his or her ability to learn how to communicate. Furthermore, the adults raising the child simplify the language, provide reinforcement, and make corrections when necessary, which further aids in language development. In terms of the strategies children use to obtain communication skills, I found the author’s thoughts interesting. McGlothlin feels that language development is of secondary importance to the child, since his or her immediate environment takes precedence. Toys, family, and friends are much more interesting, and communication only aids in learning more about these things. It is natural for the child to want to call objects and people by name, but apparently, children are undisturbed if they don’t understand certain words immediately. Repetition and curiosity aid in their eventual comprehension of foreign, challenging vocabulary words. As a young child actively participates in the world around him or her, the small communication development steps that are taken build confidence, which drives the child to continue to learn.