ABSTRACT
It may seem unusual to include a discussion of child language acquisition in a book on second language acquisition. We do this in part for historical reasons. The field of second language acquisition has in large part been dependent on the research conducted in the field of child language acquisition. Many of the same questions have been and continue to be addressed. For example, are the patterns that first and second language learners use similar? Are the developmental paths similar? Are there parts of language that are innate for both first and second language learners? What is the role of the environment in learning? What is the role of perception in learning? However, this is not to say that all questions are appropriate or relevant to both areas of inquiry. There are a number of questions that relate to one or the other field, but not to both. For example, in child language acquisition, but not in SLA, the question of when language begins is an issue. In second language acquisition, but not first, one must deal with the role of the first language. In first language acquisition, but not second, one must consider the role of cognitive development as a factor in acquisition; for example, which comes first?
