First language
A first language, often referred to as a mother tongue or native language, is the primary language that an individual learns from birth and typically uses most naturally in their daily life. This language plays a crucial role in shaping a person’s cultural and social identity. In situations where a child grows up with exposure to multiple languages from birth, they may be considered bilingual or multilingual, with each language serving as a mother tongue. The process of acquiring a first language occurs rapidly and intuitively, typically within the first few years of life, though the exact mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain a topic of considerable research and debate.
Scholars explore various theories around first language acquisition, including cognitive development and the influence of environment, often framed within the "nature versus nurture" discussion. Notably, the concept of universal grammar, proposed by linguist Noam Chomsky, suggests that humans are innately wired for language learning, hinting at a shared linguistic heritage among different languages. Understanding the intricacies of first language acquisition not only aids in grasping how individuals learn additional languages later on but also emphasizes the importance of nurturing first language development to support overall linguistic proficiency. Today, the term "first language" has also evolved within the context of digital technology, impacting fields like programming and computer science.
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First language
First language is the first or primary language learned by an individual from birth. The language becomes the one most commonly and naturally spoken (or written) by the person, even if he or she speaks more than one language. Where a person grows up speaking two or more languages from birth, the term bilingual or multilingual may be used. In all instances, there is a difference between being bi- or multilingual from birth in which case each language is considered as a mother tongue, versus second language acquisition, which occurs at a later time. First language is also referred to as mother tongue or native language. This language forms a significant part of the person's social or cultural identity.
Studies are in constant motion to ascertain how someone is able to gain fluency in the first language at a remarkably young age with what does not appear to be conscious effort. While children acquire their native language through a process from birth to a few years, they do so at an extremely fast rate. No conclusion is reached as to how this occurs and why first language acquisition differs markedly from the process of second language acquisition; suffice to say that the concept elicits much research.
Background
The acquisition of language is said to occur prior to a child reaching five years old. Competency at a native language level is reached by this time. There is no definitive answer to how a child is able to achieve something so profound. Many debates ensue as to the mechanisms of learning language. What is clear is that the process is extremely complex. Exactly how the mechanism works is a mystery that warrants a great deal of research. Questions are posed as to whether the process is a biological one or experiential. This is the "nature versus nurture" debate. What appears most probable is a combination of both aspects of biological predisposition and experience or knowledge via the environment. Outside of the home, one way in which students acquire proficiency in their first language is by attending daily lessons at school.
The historical nature of the research regarding first language acquisition dates back to the Egyptian pharaoh, Psammeticus, who presumed that language was an innate skill with which children were born. He purportedly isolated two children from any linguistic influences to prove that the children would be able to speak Phrygian, which he believed was the first or original language (Western Washington University). The studies of language acquisition have traveled the path of Piaget's cognitive theory, behaviorist theory involving imitation and repetition, and Chomsky's related theory regarding the innate ability of learning language.
Conclusions as to the absolute origin or authoritative clarity of how first language is acquired remain as elusive as ever.
First Language Today
The concept of a universal grammar refers to Noam Chomsky's view that language is acquired cognitively. This presupposes the hard-wiring of language learning in the brain. The ability of humans to know language from a very young age and to be able to understand the formation of language and the interpretation of expressions fall into this cognitive category. The notion exists that all languages share the same roots and are traceable to a common origin. Biblically, this hearkens to the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament, where all nations of the world spoke the same language. Thus researchers have asked whether this is the root of the mother tongue.
Peter Thomas (PBS) relates the similarities between certain languages. He compares the counting of numbers in Hebrew and Arabic as being almost the same. An example is offered of two seemingly diverse languages such as English and Punjabi that appear markedly different but actually share common ground, as per Sir William Jones' discovery. Furthermore, the links between English, Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit are given.
Common language patterns appear to indicate groups of languages. Whether these languages form part of an original language is not absolutely clear. The Proto-Indo-European tongue is derived from a group of languages that are hypothetically tied to one ancestral language spoken many thousands of years ago. James Matisoff, an historical linguist, explains that once the research delves beyond a certain time, it becomes increasingly challenging to differentiate between what may be a common ancestor of language or what language forms have been appropriated from other languages. He suggests further that the similar sounding nature of many languages may be based rather on the fact that there are only a certain amount of human language sounds and thus only a limited way in which languages can be formed (PBS). Studying language construction is limited to a period of ten thousand years in history.
There is evidence that children who have mastered language skills in their first language are more easily able to utilize that skill acquisition to learn a second language. This has significant impact for learning a language other than one's mother tongue. At the same time, the necessity to focus on first language development is crucial, both in terms of nurturing the proficiency and also assisting with the second language. The transference of reading skills between the first and second language is possible, opening gateways for understanding context, comprehension, and gaining knowledge.
Valdes, writing for the Linguistic Society of America, comments on the misbelief that the majority of people are monolingual. Instead he posits that the bulk of the world's population speak more than one language, being either bilingual or multilingual.
People First Language is an initiative aimed at eliminating stereotypes of disability. Described as "an objective way of acknowledging, communicating and reporting on disabilities" (tcdd.texas.gov), generalizations are eliminated. The individual is placed first in People First Language, rather than the disability.
Given the technological explosion of the twenty-first century, the use of the term first language has also crept into computer vocabulary. The choice of programming language is discussed as first language. Python takes over Pascal, with other first languages possibly following. University computer courses describe the criteria for a first language including assumptions and implications. The new first language is laid out per its advantages, safety, simplicity, and practicality.
Bibliography
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National Science Foundation. "Language Learning." Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://nsf.gov/news/special‗reports/linguistics/learn.jsp>.
Public Broadcasting System: Nova Transcript. "In Search of the First Language." 18 Mar. 1997. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2120glang.html>.
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. People First Language. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
< http://tcdd.texas.gov/resources/people-first-language/>.
Tucker, Margaret. "First and Second Language Acquisition." 2003. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web2/mtucker.html>.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Understanding the Impact of Language Differences on Classroom Behavior." Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/Disabilities/Services%20to%20Children%20with%20Disabilities/Individualization/Understandingthe.htm>.
University of Pennsylvania. Linguistics 001: First Language Acquisition. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/Fall‗2003/ling001/acquisition.html>.
Valdes, Guadalupe. Linguistic Society of America. "Multilingualism." Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/multilingualism>.
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Zelle, John M. "Python as a First Language." Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://mcsp.wartburg.edu/zelle/python/python-first.html>.