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In response to the question, "Which view do you hold regarding who is the superior language learner," it is strongly viewed that children are superior language learners. According to Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams children learn, develop, and understand language based on their surroundings and exposure to language. They go on to talk about how it is biological for humans to have the ability to learn a language. Children are more aware of their environment and they will display what they have learned from this environment. It is an easier process for them to accept the language they are exposed to.
As adults who become second language learners, they are coming into an environment bringing with them a knowledge of language. They have already learned things like grammar, pronunciations, and rules, so they are less likely to be so open when learning a second language. Adults will not have the same amount of exposure to the environment they would learn to speak a second language. Children are exposed continually to language were adults learning a second language may be exposed for short amounts of time. Children are more open and excepting in learning language. Adults are more distracted as well due to having other priorities to focus on, so they have less focus.
Being exposed to two languages as a child would seem easier for them to learn. The authors of the text explain the various stages children learn language, and in one of the stages they will use phonics to mimic the sounds of words. Adults it would seem do not have the same ability to be able to mimic the phonics of the words. They have already learned how to pronounce words from the environment they were raised in, so they are less in tune.
Although, being bilingual would seem easy for children it does create some confusion for them. The authors mention how they will confuse the languages and substitute words from a second language with words from their native language. They go on to explain this is not something they will continue to have issues with as they become older, but it is something they will do as children. As an educator there has there have been situations with bilingual children having difficulties with speech. It would seem logical due being exposed to an environment at home that only speaks their native language, and then attending school with a second language being primarily spoken. Like the idea of how they confuse words of the two languages it makes sense to think they would confuse the pronunciations as well, which could lead to having speech problems.