What is second-language acquisition?

By: Yaejun Myung

 As a second-generation Korean-American, I have always been surrounded by a diversity of languages. Although I speak English every day at school, I am surrounded by Korean culture, language, and food, as soon as I step into my home. Thus, gaining the ability to speak two languages has been less difficult for me than for others who do not share a similar situation as I do. Instead, in attempting to learn a new language, these people go through a process called Second Language Acquisition.

Second language acquisition, otherwise known as SLA, is “an increasingly interdisciplinary field that draws on various branches of linguistics as well as cognitive psychology, educational research, sociology, and neurology to describe exactly how second languages are learned by different individuals in different contexts, and to explain the biological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying these phenomena” (linguistics.pitt.edu). More simply put, second language acquisition explores the different facets of learning a new language, and considers several factors that relate to one’s demographic and other circumstances.

SLA has always been a prominent area of study in the area of linguistics, as schools have always offered foreign language classes and teachers attempt to find the most effective way to teach their students. It becomes increasingly relevant in this modern day and age as cultures begin to mix and cultural awareness becomes more critical. Through the study of second-language acquisition, people gain the ability to understand the crux of cultures polar from their own, and mutual understanding increases amongst people. As researchers attempt to find the most effective methods in SLA, people are able to broaden their worldview to contribute to a more interdependent community.