Second Language Acquisition: Learning at a Breakneck Pace is Fallacious

Learning is not as easy as how we spell its word thus; Second Language learning is
way more complicated when we are not exposed much to people who also speak the
language. When there is input, the output should follow otherwise the learned content would
fall to the law of disuse or law or exercise proposed by Thorndike. Application is the best
way to learn a second language, conversing with native speakers or well-speakers of the
second language gives us the chance to improve our sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary,
and even pronunciation. Learning a second language needs a thorough process. There is no
such thing as fast-paced learning since it is critical to examine the stages or processes in
improving ourselves in terms of language learning such that erroneous word usage is deemed
grammatically incorrect, indicating a lack of application of our input.
As to Noam Chomsky, “Language is a system which relates meaning to substance. It
is a mental phenomenon that is innate.” Language is not just a tool for communication; it's a
mental faculty, deeply rooted in our brains. The Universal Grammar (UG) concept states that
we're born with a basic blueprint for language in our brains. It's like having a built-in grammar guide
that helps us understand and speak any language. Our minds contain innate structures and rules
that enable us to learn and understand language. This mental capacity allows us to process
and interpret language, generate our own sentences, and understand the nuances of meaning.
Reflecting on my experiences, I have noticed that I have this kind of ability that, despite not
actually learning the grammar, the word, I can easily incorporate and understand its meaning and I
can also determine whether the structure of my sentences is incorrect or even when I
mispronounce a word. It is some kind of innate ability that everyone has it may not be in terms
of English language but it can also be applied to our mother tongues.

Personally, with English as my second language, I did not learn to speak it fluently
through self-learning: bilingual parents, resources, instructed learning, and external exposure
are just some of the factors I consider to be the reasons why I have had the accent and fluency
when speaking the language. I am a reader who constantly discovers words, phrases, and
idiomatic expressions, and while acquiring this, I use them in my written essays, when I
speak, or even in casual conversation to produce the input I have acquired. The input
hypothesis idea states that we learn language by being exposed to language that is slightly
above our current level. This "comprehensible input" allows us to understand and gradually
build our vocabulary and grammar. When I was learning to speak English, I always loved to
listen to radios’, television shows, and videos on the internet to practice my speaking and
pronunciation of words, and additionally, people around me spoke English most of the time,
which contributed greatly to the realization of second language acquisition.

When comparing my experiences to those of other students who have not been
exposed to people who speak English, there is a significant difference in speaking
comfortably versus speaking with fear or stuttering, and learning occurs when someone is
eager to improve and acquire the second language—English. There is always discrimination
in speaking, writing, and reading when it comes to grammar and pronunciation. While I
haven't encountered outright mockery, I've witnessed discrimination against those people
learning English. Mistakes are supposed to be corrected, not laughed at. The diverse dialects
and mother tongues of the Philippines make learning English a unique challenge, especially
for those not formally studying it. The lack of consistent exposure to proper grammar and
pronunciation can lead to difficulties, and there, discrimination commonly occurs when it
should be correction rather than judgement, to educate rather than to criticize. People who are
exposed to the language more advanced than other learners tend to discriminate against
people when they have grammatical mistakes, and it has been considered a hindrance in
learning to which the theoretical concept of the Affective Filter Hypothesis applies. Our
emotions and attitude towards learning a language can greatly impact our success. If we feel
stressed, anxious, or unmotivated, we might be less open to learning. For most people who
faced discrimination during the learning process, their determination to learn the language
was greatly affected.

As children, we are great at picking up new words quickly and easily. We learned
them like a pro. Now, as an adult, it feels much harder, and we struggle to learn new words,
almost like we’re just starting out. According to the book I have read, ten-year-old kids who
grow up speaking English usually know over twenty thousand words. They've been learning
hundreds of new words each year since they were four. However, adults who aren't in school
tend to learn only about twenty-five to fifty new words each year. This shows a big difference
in how quickly kids and adults pick up new words. I believe that there is a critical period of
second language acquisition; nonetheless, it does not apply to everyone since people with
eagerness and determination to learn the language would pursue and put much effort into
speaking the language like native speakers.

By and large, learning a language does not have the jet-propelled speed. Learning a
second language takes more than just months; it takes a lifetime. Fast-paced learning does not
exist because the word "process" is associated with learning. Learning is a never-ending
process that everyone must go through throughout his or her life. We cannot compare or
discriminate against someone simply because they are learning at a slower pace or are unable
to speak the language directly. We should consider multiple intelligences when it comes to
language learning. Some people may struggle to learn a second language while excelling in
another field. We learn differently and by that, we are unique as individuals honed by our life
experiences.