First-Language Acquisition

Considering that language is the primary vehicle through which thoughts are expressed and cultural identity is developed and transmitted, the ability to use language is one of the most essential qualities of human beings. Although it has been proven that other [Page 300](nonhuman) animals also use a set of language-like communicative skills, as explained by linguist Steve Pinker, the generative nature of human speech is truly unique. To fully appreciate the profound intricacy of language use, the process through which humans acquire the set of skills necessary to communicate must be understood. How, and when, do humans develop the ability to distinguish between words like play and pay? What prompts children to consistently produce utterances with correct word orders (e.g., subject-verb-object versus verb-subject-object)? At what point do people learn that such phrases as It's hot in here can either be a statement or an indirect request (e.g., to open a window)? How is meaning assigned to different tenses (eat, ate) and aspects (is eating, has eaten)! These examples typify the breadth of language use, and they emphasize the complex nature of how humans acquire such abilities.

The acquisition of language is a combination of biological, environmental, and cognitive influences. The ideas presented here concern the processes involved in acquiring language as a concept rather than any one specific language. To best understand the process of acquisition, language must be viewed from multiple vantage points. The sounds (phonology), grammar (syntax), meaning (semantics), vocabulary (lexicon), and social norms (pragmatics) of language are all intertwined and play equally important roles in the development of a child's capacity to effectively communicate.

Because of the important role that language plays in social construction and cultural maintenance, the process of language acquisition has received much attention from cognitive scientists and linguists, among others. Historically, language acquisition has been one of the most theoretically contested and mysterious biological processes of human beings. Such a complex topic has produced various subfields of interest. Researchers are interested in neurological, semantic, cultural, phonological, pragmatic, and syntactic issues that surround the process of language acquisition. The aim of this entry is to provide an overview of the different topics surrounding first-language (LI) acquisition and examine important ideas connected with this process, but many of the factors outlined here can be extended to the area of second-language (L2) acquisition.