The Neurobiological Factors in Second Language Learning and Acquisition

ISBN-13: 9783640930623 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 80 str.

Janos Talaber

Opis

Scientific Essay from the year 2011 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, University of Debrecen (Regnum-M Educational Co. / University of Debrecen), course: English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, language: English, abstract: It is obvious that second language acquisition is a very inevitable phenomenon in language learning procedure, hence there is a whole library of books dealing with SLA. Contemporary findings (Pleh, 2010) have also showed that LA is one of the most important processes in our life, determining the whole procedure of language learning, not only in the case of second language, but also in the case of our mother tongue. Moreover, the whole process includes memorizing things, conceptualization, connecting cognitive information and eventual accuracy in the use of language. Interestingly enough, contemporary findings have also proved (Deb K. Roy et al., 2002) that first language acquisition begins even before the birth of the child, which means that the adaptation to the new circumstances and verbalcommunication starts in the mother's uterus. These new researches and our devotion to medical disciplines1 have made us compose an essay on the biological factors of Second Language Acquisition. No doubt, biological and neurobiological factors are very severely important parts of LA procedures, however, they are not really put into the focus of linguistic experts. The reason for this might be traced in several things: there are some (Birnbaum, 1996) who think that biological factors are not so important, since linguistic experts are supposed to be dealing with the technical and mechanical factors of language acquisition (e.g. how we learn the things, what methodology or approaches we need to master the language properly, etc.). Others note (Clark, 1997) that even when biological factors are very determining, linguistics are obliged to stick to the main stream of language acquisition, which is - beyond any quest

O autorze

Short summaryTeaching position:high school teacher, lecturer at Karoli Gaspar University Department of English Studieslawyer position:teacher of Health Care Law at National Health Education Center, advisor.medical position:paramedic on duty at the Charity Ambulance DabasLonger description (by Linkedin)Janos Talaber earned his first BA degree in Theology in 1998.Following this, he graduated as a teacher of English Language (BA).Meanwhile he started to study law, especially church law, and some years after, he earned an academic degree in Church Law (JCD, PhD) and an MA in English-American Philology and Pedagogy. He has a special MA degree in Pedagogy. Also, he was trained as a Paramedic in Hungary and in the USA.He spent some academic time in the USA, in Germany and in the UK. He has visited many other countries so far. Previously, he taught medical ethics at Semmelweis Medical University and legal as well as business English at two colleges.His current activities involve teaching at a provincial high school as well as being the Head Examiner at A-Level Final Examination Board. Parallel to this, he issues several publications on medical law and church law, American Linguistics (Pedagogy) and Philosophy.Currently, he is carrying out a research on American linguistics for a PhD program and his current research aims at the neurobiological factors in teaching English as well as the situational aphasia during the oral language exams.He is also an advisor in medical law. As a devoted paramedic, he still works for the charity ambulance part-time, of which he is one of the owners.He lives in Hungary with his wife and two kids. Their pass-time activities involve hiking, playing the piano and the organ, traveling, fishing and helping out in the local parish.