- Second Language Acquisition
Complexity theory of language:
As the name suggest, complexity theory of language is complex.
Chomskyan idea ( the observable phenomena of language (E-language) are caused by neural-based symbolic computations of inner language (I-language)) is thereby replaced.
Saying that language is simply caused by brains, or language is simply caused by social context are all reduction of the multifaceted reality.
"In a complex reality, brains, bodies, interactions, social norms, external artifacts and sociocultural resources all function as enabling conditions that we draw on as, in Cowley’s (2011c) terms, we take a language stance." (Steffensen&Fill,2014)
In short, biological system and social context collabote together to make language aquisition possible. This phenomena corresponds with the definition of cognitive ecology of language:
Language is enabled by the dynamics between biological organisms and their environment (Steffensen&Fill,2014).
How environment affect second language acquisition
- cultural environment (social interaction, group identity)
- political environment (why to learn another language? Whether the political environment
encourages acquiring a specific second language)
- educational environment (why some learners are more successful than others? how it is
acquired?)
How biological system affect second language acquisition
Chomsky-Universal Grammar:
The theory suggests that some rules of grammar are hard-wired into the brain, and manifest without being taught.
How human brains enable second language acquisition:
An article: what brain areas control language and speech
How learning a second language benefits our brain:
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-learning-a-language-benefits-your-brain
- growing the brain:
the areas that grew were the hippocampus — the brain structure involved in memory and emotion — as well as three areas in the cerebral cortex.
- Tuning our distractions:
bilingual comes with two cognitive advantages.
- "the ability to filter out unnecessary information, which is key to increasing focus. "
- "being bilingual is like constantly doing a puzzle because the brain is always switching between two languages. This means you’re exercising your brain even without actively doing anything.
- Delaying Alzheimer’s Disease And Dementia
Delaying the disease for an average 4 years