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There are differences and similiarities between learning first and second languages that foreign ESL teachers should know. It will help them get a better perspective on what techniques to implement at what time, for different ages and skill levels of student. First, let’s define our terms. The ‘first language’ is the native tongue that the person grew up with. The ‘second language,’ on the other hand, is learned later in life, in addition to the first language. One may learn many languages after their native tongue, but they will never be quite the same as the first language. The first language is ‘acquired’. This means that becoming able to communicate in it is a passive, instinctual process born out of practical necessity. The rate of ‘learning’ one’s native language is very rapid. In fact, most people acquire complete proficiency by the time they are 6 years old. No one gets to choose their birth language; we must learn the language of the society we grow up in. The acquiree knows little to nothing of the actual rules and grammar of the language, it is more of an abstract “fact of life” to them. Personality has little to no effect on the acquisition of the native tongue. Motivation is also not required for acquiring a native tongue. These facts are a result of first language acquisition being a necessity for the individual, not a choice. Most people cannot remember a time that they were not fluent in their first language. The second language is much different. Unlike the native tongue, the student gets to pick which language they learn (although they certainly may have third parties, like parents and employers, influencing them). They don’t have to stop at learning the second language; they can learn as many as they want! Instead of being acquired by natural, gradual daily processes, it takes focused, studious work to become fluent in a second language. It is not a natural process, and requires continuous instruction and guidance from teachers. Learning the second language is almost always much slower than the first. Motivation is absolutely required, and will effect the speed of learning. Personality also plays a role; more introverted students will probably make slower progress than their extroverted peers. Children of at least age six tend to learn new languages better and faster than adults. Adults can get too comfortable and accustomed to their mother tongue. The second language’s similarity to the first is also relevent. If they have a similar structure/common root tongue, such as English and Spanish, learning will be easier. On the other hand, if they are very dissimilar, like, say, English and Mandarin, learning will be that much more difficult. It is accurate to say that the first language has much more effect on the second language than vice versa; the first language is deeply embedded in an individual’s psychological and intellectual development. The second language is merely building on top of that foundation. The relationship between acquired and learned language is complex, but study of it will bear fruit for the foreign english teacher.
