LANGUAGE ACQUISITION vs. LANGUAGE LEARNING | ESL
Language Acquisition is quite different from Language Learning although they might appear to sound the same. Both have their differences from each other and both have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Language Acquisition is the knowledge of a language that is acquired from observation. When we were a child, we learned our first few words from our observations, from what we heard from our surroundings and from those, we adapted what we heard and observed. Language acquisition is acquiring knowledge without needing a proper process or systematic way to learn it. It comes off as natural and you just adapt it.
On the other hand, Language Learning in Lexical Approach pertains to learning in a methodical and systematic way. The lexical approach somehow refers to how words are connected with each other and students will recognize the patterns from the words which can enable them to learn in this way.
So which one is better?
Actually, both have their own pros and cons. Language Acquisition mostly focuses on exposure and experience to be able to learn it. When our parents wanted us to learn a thing, they demonstrated it for us to acquire the word they wanted us to learn. It’s more of an interactive way of learning.
While Language Learning is mostly focused on teaching the texts of communication. It revolves mostly around memorization, patterns and methodologies and less on applications.
While both can be effective ways to learn, learning through acquisition may result in acquiring knowledge but the in-depth knowledge isn’t much defined as compared to language learning in the lexical approach which focuses on broadening the knowledge with certain aspects of repetitions and patterns but the learner may forget the learnings easily because of the lack of interaction and application.
So in the argument of Language Acquisition vs Language Learning? Both are good methods to be used in learning but they should be balanced. What is knowledge without an idea of how it can be used in reality? And what is knowledge based on experience without learning the texts formally and systematically?
