Guess the differences b/w Child L1 acquisition VS Adult L2 acquisition!!!

Are you learning a second language (L2)? Do you know which are the advantages and disadvantages about your learning process with that of a child’s first language (L1)?

According to Doughty (2003),

“Child language acquisition and adult SLA (Second-language acquisition) involve different types of processing for language learning”

but now let's summarize it in the two main processes, we will be based on the use of language and error correction.

Use of language:

First of all, children L1 acquisition is defined by “mental capacity” and “perfect mastery”.

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• A kid brings to the task of learning his innate mental capacity, since he can organize the structures of learned materials in his mind.
• Besides, children normally achieve prefect L1 mastery when using the language. At the age of 5, they have more or less mastered their L1, with the exceptions of vocabulary and few grammatical structures.
• Furthermore, they also use learning strategies in an unconscious way. They are not aware of the use of the strategy of “naming” when they want to know the name of the things, for instance. My 2-year-old daughter, when she wants to know the name of any object, simply asks me: Mommy, what is that?

Conversely to children’s acquisition process, the adults’ is defined by knowledge and learning strategies.

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• Whereas an L1 learner’s use of language is determined by his intellect or mental capacity, an adult’s use determined by his previous knowledge of general rules. They facilitate their acquisition process by knowing the structures of their L1.
• Also, adults are unlikely to achieve perfect L2 mastery. Acquiring a second language can be a lifelong learning process for some; despite their best efforts, most learners will never become fully native-like in the L2. Has this happened to you? You did a course in some language, you finished it and you do not feel that you master it perfectly? You need enough exposure to that language to get to master it.
• In adittion, while kids use learning strategies unconsciously, L2 learners are aware of the use of helpful learning techniques. They process learning strategies to develop his linguistic knowledge.

Error correction:

In children, the error correction is represented by the overcoming and low affective influence.

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• In the first place, children’s language errors do not become a permanent feature. Although not all parents correct errors to their young sons, still children overcome those errors.
• In the second place, they are not affected by affective factors when making mistakes. For example, feeling embarrassed do not influence them.

However, adults L2 acquisition is represented by mispronunciation and introversion.

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• Adults’ language errors can become a permanent feature because they may stuck on the same mistake for years, unless they have sufficient exposure to that L2.
• Unlike children, they are introverted by their own mistakes and attempts to correct them. For example, affective factors like feeling ashamed may influence them when making mistakes.

In conclusion, regarding the use of language, adults make learning process easy because they already know the structures and general rules of their L1. On the contrary, kids take advantage on error correction, because they overcome any mistake and do not feel embarrassed when correcting it.
Therefore, child-adult differences in language acquisition are proof of the existence of maturational limitations (Doughty, 2003).