PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

1.     Intelligence

Some experts of psychology give definitions of intelligence. It can defined as the development of the mind, control over the environment, and manipulation of abstractions, skills, and aptitudes. The intelligence  controls all facts of human behavior

Language is not an isolated factor; it is somehow related to all other behavioral facts of man.

1.       Intelligence is related to language acquisition. It controls the speed of language acquisition. An intelligence child fully exploits the language learning opportunities. He is quick in comprehending the language of adults and in internalizing the linguistic systems.

2.       Intelligence, as the operational principle of abstract symbols i.e. concept, enables the child to hasten the acquisition and organization of concepts on the basis of his experiences with the world outside. This process is directly related to language.

3.       Intelligence not only determines the speed of language acquisition , but also its intensity and depth. Intelligence cannot be separated from memory.

4.       Intelligence is as the organization of linguistic elements requires the Coordination principle.

5.       Intelligence enables the individual to employ language as the principle means in interacting with his social environment.

2.     RESOURCEFULNESS

Resourcefulness and problem-solving ability are all convergent principles of behavior involving multiple factors or smaller abilities. Resourcefulness is defined in terms of adjustment to the environment, relativeness, organizational and administrative ability. It is always thought of as related to verbal behavior.

►Resourceful people is when he employs his language for successful, socially acceptable adjustment.

►Resourcefulness consists of in mere social adjustment in a passive sense of the term and in the utilization of one’s language ability to control and change the social environment for the better.

►A successful professional life requires resourcefulness: the combination of intelligence and language proficiency.

►Resourcefulness means an organized utilization of one’s aptitudes, with language always making a headway.

►A resourceful child does not find it a problem to master several languages. He takes others by surprise when his intelligence  captures one after another language to which he is exposed.

For less resourceful children language acquisition is a slow, lingering process even though they  reveal signs of high intelligence in certain in certain other  aspects of behavior such as in handling mathematic symbols.

3.      CREATIVITY

Creativity or rather creative behavior  is the result of high level intellectual operation. It springs from intelligence directly. While resourcefulness is defined in terms of language, creative behavior need not have its roots in language. It is possible to come across highly creative children and adults who are not very proficiency in any language; their creativity doesn’t behavior.

Intelligence of any sort reveals itself in some form of creative behavior. An intelligence man cannot afford to be not creative and it may be said that creativity is the concretization of intelligence.

Intelligence is not a single factor but a complex of several component-abilities, creativity is a complex of several component-abilities.

♣ A creative child’s mind remains ever active and usually comes out with some surprises for the parents. It is possible to observe him manipulating his play things and objects around him, and he has always something interesting to show the parents. It also leads him to ever new ‘experiment’ with the objects around him.

♣ Creative behavior consists in levels of ingenuity rooted in the individual’s intelligence. We may not go around calling everyone a genius; but ingenious patterns  of behavior are common around use in the usual walks of life. Creativity is thinking in a new way, it also entails that the new manner of thinking is productive. Productive behavior follows from productive organization of concepts.

♣ Creative behavior consists in directing one’s thinking and doing to a well-set goal aided by definite incentive. A haphazard outcome in a random activity cannot be called creative production.

♣ Creative people are independent thinkers; they disagree with the existing systems and values. Independent thinking and non-conformity with the existing social, political, economic and moral systems and characteristic traits of very creative people.

Finally it can be concluded that language acquisition and production are creative behaviors of a characteristic kind. Even though creative behavior does not necessarily involve language proficiency, when intelligence, creativity and resourcefulness function together we find that an individual excels in everything.

4.      Motivation

Motivation may be defined as the powerful pull towards a goal, which an individual experiences. The goal of the motivation may be simple or complex, proximate or remote, psychological, emotional, social or intellectual. The strength of motivation will depend on the nature of the goal in mind.

Every deliberate human activity requires the pushing strength of motivation or motivating factors. The fact that motivation and language acquisition are highly related can be illustrated in the following manner.

♠ the first language learner is placed in a characteristic environment. The child at first is ‘dumb and leaf’ creature; the mind of the child is said to be a ‘tabular rasa’ with no impressions created on it.

Among all living things, we are agree with the human infant is the most non-specialized and helpless creature at birth.

♠ the puppy, or the kitten are so specialized at birth that it can survive by means of its own active role: the puppy can feed on its mother’s milk, eat, more around, and swim in water.

            The fundamental motivation to become a perfect human is inherent in human nature and mostly works at  its subconscious level. The infant is born in society; it needs the basic psychological requirements: food, warmth and care. It means the infant is physically and physiologically motivated to develop in itself  a device to meet these needs.

            The child, unlike  an adult trying to learn the second language, has no other alternative but learn the language. The child has the maximum language-learning motivation. This motivation functions at the subconscious level.

            Another domain of power in motivation is self-expression. It is basic need of the child’s self-personality. Self-expression enables the child to master his language earlier. It is a pleasure for the resourceful and creative child to go around using his language and becoming proficiency in its use.

            It is not only in childhood, but also as years go by the individual’s language growth and proficiency are highly influenced by his strong motivation. Strong motivation leads to better utilization of one’s faculties, and this ultimately yields greater output. It is true of learning languages, both at home and in the classroom. It is not possible to provide the school going child with as powerful a motivation as is present at the time of learning the first language. But it is within the control of educators and teachers to provide the child in the classroom with stronger motivations, both proximate and remote.