CRITICAL REVIEW SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND ITS PSCYCHO-CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS

I.           Introduction

            Today many people are attempting to master more than one language. It is undeniable that acquiring two or more languages may gain some benefits. Being a bilingualist or multilingualist would imply social and economical advantages. They would be commonly regarded as a group of people that has higher social status since the acquisition of other language requires a tremendous effort. A part from that, this skill may bring on an income or extra income if the possessors apply it in particular occupations such as interpreters, translators, or language teachers. Moreover, in this article I would like to argue that second language acquisition also implies the acquisition of the second world view. Then I will try to reveal how it happens. Furthermore, some suggestions on pedagogical methods to assist in the process of second language acquisition are presented.

II.       Summary of the Journal

Bilingualism or multilingualism may imply socioeconomic advantages. But a further literature study indicates that this may also affect psychological and cultural viewpoints. The acquisition of second language would significantly influence the mentality or perceptual framework of the language users. Language as “a system of communication, a medium for thought, a vehicle for literary expression, a social institution, a matter for political controversy, a catalyst for nation building”. Both language and culture share a general idea, i.e. a system associated with cognition. In terms of cognition, different cultures and languages, to some extent, may indicate different procedure of obtaining knowledge and comprehending through line of thinking, skills, experience, and the sensory faculty. Kessing (1979) provided an evident of a particular phenomenon that is viewed differently by people from different cultures. He stated “In, culture after culture, one‟s predecessors are viewed as having gone ahead (“before”) along a line of march we are following, and one‟s life experiences are seen as having “left behind” (“past” = passed). Kwaio culture permutes this model by conceptualizing the time periods associated with those who has gone before (ta?a I na?o „ people in front‟) as being in front of and downward from the present”. This evidence supports the idea that different cultures may have different point of view of the same phenomenon. To sum up, a language and culture may indicate a particular way of thinking. People from the same language and culture are likely to have the same cognition. They will probably have similar perception and feeling on phenomena in the world. On the contrary, users of different languages and cultures may differ in expressing the phenomena in the world. It is strongly influenced by their ways of thinking.

The previous section may lead an idea that the mastery of a certain language may reflect the possession of knowledge on the culture that involves cognition of the people as the users of the language itself. It means that the process of language acquisition implies a transferring of culture. Cultural transmission has more emphasis in the language acquisition. Some features in linguistic such as lexical and grammar may involve cultural entities. A word in a language can represent the perception of the language users on the sign or phenomenon that is represented. Similarly, the perception of the language users on gender can be seen from the unit of grammar they use. For example, determiners in some languages distinguish an object by attributing different determiners of gender. Therefore, the acquisition of a language naturally will imply the acquisition of its culture. Furthermore, it is summarized that full understanding of the several kinds of meaning that are encoded in the grammar and vocabulary of a language comes only with a full understanding of the culture, or cultures, in which it operates (Lyons, 1981). It means that one cannot be regarded as having competence in a language if he or she has no comprehension on its culture. On the contrary, one who has competence in more than one language should possess more knowledge on culture. The cultural norms may reflect the cognition of the people in the target language, and the cultural script of the second language. The norms include some notions in interaction that deals with content and form. The interactional norms naturally bear some aspects of culture that exist in a community or nation. Since culture reflects cognition or the perception of how people in a community view the signs or phenomena in the world, second language acquisition implicates the acquisition of another world view. Therefore, in this context a bilingualist or multilinguists should have benefit by gaining such awareness.

The introduction of culture to second language learners could be problematic. The learning goal would become clouded or lost by the emphasis on culture. To avoid such a deviation occurs, there should be an appropriate method or methods to teach the cultural norms. Another method of transferring cultural norms through second language learning is by giving the learners a chance to observe directly the behaviour of the target language native speakers. This method is called behavouristic learning. These studies recommend us that both pedagogical methods can be appropriate to transfer cultural norms to second language (L2) learners. At the same time, it means that this pedagogical method introduce the cognition of native speakers in the target language to the L2 learners. As the result, the L2 learners not only gain the acquisition of the second language, but also the acquisition of second world view.

III.    Comments

The title this journal is second language acquisition and its pscycho-cultural implications. It gave good information to reader. Dana Waskita write down the information which not only usually is known by one who be in linguistic but for people in culture area. Those are some statement about this journal.

1.      Positive Aspect

a.       Dana Waskita explain that: “Culture deals with the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the It is right senses. I agree with this statement because this statement analogously with a statement  Kessing that: “A culture is, in a cognitive sense, a system of knowledge, a composite of the cognitive systems more or less shared by members of a society.”

b.      I agree with the Dana Waskita statement say that: “Cultures may have different point of view of the same phenomenon. This statement support by one example to express that a child is intelligent or clever, English will say the child is bright. Meanwhile, Indonesian will say anak itu otaknya encer (the child‟s brain is liquid/watery).

c.       In this journal Dana Waskita, said that: The cultural norms may reflect the cognition of the people in the target language, and the cultural script of the second language. The norms include some notions in interaction that deals with content and form. The interactional norms naturally bear some aspects of culture that exist in a community or nation. This statement is real correct. It is supported by Liddicoat and Crozet (2001) studied the conversation of Australian students as second language learners of French on a particular topic. They found that the typical talk of French did not appear since the subjects did not have knowledge of interactional norms in French culture. This happened as the consequence of different interactional norms between two cultures

d.      In the end this article Dana Waskita recommend us that booth pedagogical methods can be appropriate to transfer cultural norms to second language (L2) learners. At the same time, it means that this pedagogical method introduce the cognition of native speakers in the target language to the L2 learners. As the result, the L2 learners not only gain the acquisition of the second language, but also the acquisition of second world view.

2.      Negative Aspect

a.       The writer said: “Full understanding of the several kinds of meaning that are encoded in the grammar and vocabulary of a language comes only with a full understanding of the culture or cultures”. I do not agree with this matter, it might possibly the understanding of word meaning in vocabulary. It can be understood through learn process, for example by opening dictionary. In the same manner as W. E. Lambert claimed that to overcome this barrier it was necessary for the individual to make the language part of the self. He also hypothesized that there may be other phases an individual must master in the process of learning a language.

b.      Dana Waskita also said: “The process of language acquisition implies a transferring of culture”. This statement has not comprehensive because the process of language acquisition implies both a transferring of culture and a transferring of knowledge. My assumption have correlation with R.C. Gardner statement: “Our model of second language acquisition proposes that although many variables can correlate with ultimate achievement in a learning task, the actual effect of these variables on achievement will be mediated by motivation”

IV. Conclusion

Based explanations above I conclude that the acquisition of a language gains a benefit to have knowledge of how people in the target language perceive and express a phenomenon. The acquisition of more than one language may involve the acquisition of cultural norms in the target language. In the other words, this acquisition may lead on the understanding of cognitive process in the target language. Therefore, if one expresses a phenomenon in another language it means that he or she unconsciously attempts to see it from others point of view. In the other words, the acquisition of second language implies the acquisition of the second world view. Considering the benefit of the second language acquisition, an implication on education of second language that explores cultural norms of the target language should be conducted.

References

Kessing, Roger. 1979. Linguistic knowledge and cultural knowledge: some doubts and speculations. American Antropologist 81. 14-36. ISSN 0002-7290 0065-6941.

La Forge, Paul G.1983. Counseling and culture in second language acquisition. Oxford : Pergamon Institute of English.

Liddicoat, Anthony J., and Crozet, Chantal. 2001. „Acquiring French interactional norms through instruction‟. In Rose, Kenneth R., & Kasper, Gabriele (eds). Pragmatics in Language Teaching. Cambridge: CUP.

Lambert, W. E. (1956b). “Developmental aspects of second-language acquisition: II Associational Stereotypy, associational form, vocabulary commonness, and pronunciation”. The Journal of Social Psychology, 43: 91-98.

Lyons, John. 1981. Language and Linguistics. London : Cambridge.

O‟Grady, W., Dobrovolsky, M., and Katamba, F.1997.

R.C. Gardner, 2007. Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. University of Western Ontario