From Coelho's readings, one of the processes involved in language development is learning through imitation and habit formation. First language LI is acquired by absorbing information from one's language environment. The second language is also obtained the same through imitation and habit formation with the difference being that it may be harder recognizing and producing sounds of a new language since the learners have already refined their production of sound to match the learning environment in which they first learned to talk. The sound system of L1 tends to interfere with learners of a second language as moving their mouths and tongues in unfamiliar ways is very difficult. This is increasingly hard if some sounds present in L2 are not in their L1. Age at which one learns L2 also matters as you will find those who discovered the second language after puberty has an accent in the literature.
Another difference in acquiring the first language and acquiring the second language comes when you consider learning through social interaction. Whereas in L1 adults tend to address children with an intention to communicate using modified input rather than teach, many L2 learners, on the other hand, don't get that chance as they have little or no interaction with the proficient speakers of the targeted language. So while L1 learners learn through modified inputs from adults, L2 learners need to receive comprehensible input which means learning in stages. L2 learners require to learn how to produce meaningful output and should be given an audience for them to obtain feedback that will enable them to improve the use of the foreign language and also motivate them. Their mode of learning should be more centered on the participating orally rather than merely listening, observing and following instructions. The meaning of new words and grammatical forms can be easily inferred which means that learners can relate or use previous knowledge and experience and use it to figure out implications of the language they are trying to learn.
The conditions in which one learns L1 seldom resemble those in which one learns L2. Mostly L1 is determined in its language environment or where it's the native language which makes it easier on the learner as it's the only language they hear. L2, on the other hand, is learned mostly in environments where the learners have little or no exposure to the target language which means the aim is no longer purposeful communication but memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules.
Learning L2 has more pressure applied to it depending on the reason behind the need to study it. L1 is acquired in a more relaxed environment with little expectations while L2 one has to get it right fast according to a curriculum. Learning how to read and write at the same time mostly and probably getting tested on the same makes mastering the language much harder as they are required to produce and understand the language that is beyond their current stage of development.
Age at which one acquires a second language is also a crucial factor in the speed, ease, and fluency at which one learns the language. It's believed that young L2 learners have an advantage over those who try to learn a foreign language after reaching puberty. A young L2 learner still remembers the process taken to acquire the L1 hence can apply those skills in determining the second language. They can draw from the natural and intuitive strategies they used to learn L1 as it's relatively fresh in their mind and still happening.
Also to be considered is the older you start to learn L2, the more work you have to do to catch up with your peers since no matter how old, you have to start learning the language from scratch which is evident in students who go to learn in foreign countries with foreign languages. They have to do much more work than their peers in order to catch up with them. Although older L2 students are at numerous disadvantages, they tend to understand vocabulary and grammar better than younger students who majorly are great at sounds and lack accents.
L1 acts a good foundation for learning L2. A student who fully comprehends the first language is at an advantage of determining the second expression since they can apply the skill of reading and speaking present in L1 even though they may have to read a new script and in a different direction. Learners who know and understand the use and application of rhymes and figurative language can quickly identify and learn to use them in the new language. Knowledge of verb tenses is also crucial in the learning of a new language. Understanding how the verb tenses are used in your first language can help in applying that in the second language or target language. Experts warn that those who stop developing their L1 before they have acquired competence in the second language may not be able to successfully attain proficiency in either of the words to carry out an academic task. Those who get to learn L1 and L2 at the same time may find it confusing, but it helps in getting to learn faster as fundamental concepts are identical and can be used interchangeably with a difference in script and direction.
Another process for learning or acquiring a language is through the natural cognitive process also referred to as hypothesis testing which is evident in children as they appear to seek patterns subconsciously and test the validity of the models by reproducing them in their utterances and watching the response and reactions of the adults to gauge themselves. This especially evident in the verb tenses, past and present tenses. This view believes that language is acquired with little or no teaching or careful sequencing of input. L2 learners learn in the same way too. Language development in L2 is characterized by overgeneralization. The intermediate forms of language that learners develop in the overgeneralization of language are known as the interlanguage. If a learner does not improve from the interlanguage during language learning is known as fossilization.
The motivation for learning a language is also significant. For L1 learners, the primary motivation is the need to communicate with people around them. So it's not a choice but a necessity. They have no opportunity but to learn the language as a primary survival instinct. In L2 learners, motivations vary from need, want and for fun. L2 learners whose motivation is need tend to learn faster as they have no other choice. Those who do it for fun don't have enough motivation to get it right so seldom develop their L2 skills fully.
