THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN FIRST LANGUAGE LEARNING AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING
Abstract
This study focuses on the first language and foreign language, especially the distinctions. Language learning can be applied to the first language, second language and foreign language. Therefore, we often hear of terms encounter about first language learning, second language learning, and foreign language. Generally, languages of learning devided be two, are first language learning and second or foreign language learning. There are many distinction between first language learning and foreign language learning.
Language is one of the important components in human life, because it has important role, that is for communication. In the world there are many kinds of language. The language occurs in human interaction, such as Arabic, English, French, Chinese, and, etc. From those various language, there is only one that is used as an international language, namely : English in Indonesia, English becomes a foreign language that has been taught in many schools and courses. English is a foreign language, and the native language (first language) are various. It depends on the area or region. The first language in Indonesia are Javanese, Sundanese, and many more.
To learn English as foreign language, it need a process. Learning English as foreign language is not same with learning first language or mother tongue. First language learning is natural, while foreign language learning is more formal and artificial. There are some distinctions between first language learning and foreign language learning. This article will explain the distinction of both of them, are the distinction about student-teacher ratio. Learning facilities, place of study, time teaching hours, situation, motivation, critical period, characteristics, the exposure to the target language, and availability of native speakers or models.
Discussion
1. The Distinction About Student-Teacher Ratio
The meaning of student-teacher ratio is the proportion between teachers and students. In first language learning (it is also called language acquisition), the proportion between teachers and students is ideal. It means that the students are little, even only one child, and the teachers are so many. The teacher in first language learning minimum two people, namely mother and father. Because of the only one child who are studying and the teachers are many, the child can receive the lesson of mother tongue maximumly. The child is not difficult to wait for a queue and be easy to understand his first language.
The opposite condition occurs in foreign language learning. The amount of the students is too many. They are almost forty five students per class, while the teacher is only one. In the result, the foreign language learning of English will fate many difficulties for example, limitedness of chance to try and practice speaking or conversation. If the time too practice is only thirsty minutes, every will not get enough time to try speaking.
In foreign language learning, there will be a more concerned situation if one teacher handles teen parallel classes of English. In the last session of the lesson, the teacher will appear to be very tired. She is unconscious to teach the students to speaks English.
The situation like this will not be effective in foreign language learning. In the result, the students have difficulties in mastering English as foreign language and is not easy to understand it.
2. The Distinction About Learning Facilities
Learning facilities means facilities or equipment that are used to study. Every learning need facilities to support the study and for its success. In first language learning, the learning facilities are good enough. It can be said like that because all environments, families, and society become main supporter for its success. Children usually learn the mother tongue directly. They learn speaking and writing actively and also learn listening and reading passively.
When children learn foreign language as English, they don’t find the learning facilities completely. Subhan, in his book children language acquisition, states that learning facilities for English learning in most schools in Indonesia are limited. Will say that their facilities to learn English at schools is limited.
The study that should be understood by the students is that the limitedness of facilities may not increase their spirit to study English. They have to create the practice are by themselves and in creative creating. According to Subhan in his book, although the learning facilities are limited, the lectures of English in Universities in Indonesia can get success in learning English as foreign language.
3. The Distinction About Place of The Study
The meaning of place of study is a place where children study the target language. When the children study mother tongue, place of study can be everywhere. It can be in the bed room, in the living room, in the garden, in a bus, in a field, and other places. This conditions can occur because the teacher of mother tongue are parents, friends, neighbour, and whoever who use first language. Places which are flexible, are the additional value for first language learning. They are relax, natural, and exciting.
In foreign language learning, place of study is limited at the school. Because of schools have strong rule and limited hours, the chance for students to try or practice English is not available. Besides that, the learning at schools is not relax. It caused by the result of the students study is not optimum.
4. The Distinction About Time, Teaching Hours
Because the place that is flexible, can learn in everywhere, the firsts language learning has more time. In other words, time is not limited to create such hours if teaching hours to be plenty, much, unlimited for children, teaching hours is same with learning hours.
Otherwise things happen in foreign language learning time is limited to teach foreign language. It means that time limited to study. Such conditions must create whip for parent to encourage children or for finding time itself to add an ability of foreign language with learning own, listening to the radio, watching TV, or read books in intensive and then practicing on their own or group.
5. The Distinction About Situation
The meaning of situation is mood or learning situation. In first language learning, the situation to study is natural, nature, not engineered.
In foreign language learning, situation must be engineered, structured, and conditioned. In the school, children regulary have seat in the class, be calm, and ready to accept foreign language learning from the teachers.
If situation noisy usually teachers can’t to teach unless student lessons to be calm and regulary back.
6. The Distinction About Motivation
Motivation is a motivation or push the relative strength and an action underlying. Related to language learning, motivation can be devided be integrative and instrumental. Integrative is someone learn language with the purpose for self confound, integrating ourselves into the culture studied to speaker. When children learn first language, they have integrative motivation because they want to go into the culture and community family and community (for examples Betawi, Javanese, Sundanese, Madura, Minang, or the other. So children are learning first language to be called the children Betawi, Javanese, Sundanese, Madura, Minang).
In foreign language learning as English, motivation is instrumental (As tools). Student learning English in Indonesia for instrumental motivation, namely as tool for achieving something like a job, passes exam, scholarship, recognition of community, convenience to foreign affairs, to easily further study (5-2/5-3) and the other.
Instrumental motivation devided be two :
(1) the strong one
(2) the weak one
We must choosing the strong one, based on research of India and Indonesia, instrumental motivation the strong can deliver student test for success international standard (TOEFL)
Seen from the source, motivation can be shared into two part:
1. Internal motivation
2. External motivation
Internal motivation held for more powerful than the self student arrival, while external motivation considered less powerful because from outside are parents, teachers, friends, etc.
The note important is motivation can be more powerful if continues, otherwise motivation can weaken if not continued.
7. The Distinction About Critical Period
Critical period is the critical or the most good for use in language learning. In first language, critical period there in age 2-10. If that period have been overcome, children difficult having the mother tongue with good, their pronunciation more not fluent so not as good as the native speakers.
The critical period in foreign language there in age 12-13. If that period have been overcomes, students haven’t pronunciation as good as the native speakers. May be only can approach. This evidenced by students of university at language English department wich is the average students learn English after critical period overlooked intensive. May be they knowing about English intricacies well like vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, and writing. But, when they do conversation or speaking not well or their pronunciation is not English, but Indonesian, Sundanese, or Javanese
8. The Distinction About Characteristics
Characteristics is characteristics attached’s personal student learning. In first language learning, interst and their memory is very good. The children is constantly and ask to his mother and his father about what they looks. At the time is Golden opportunity for parents to teach first language and anything can be inserted to children’s memory. The experienced by children will spotting long time, and may be no lost during life.
When learn foreign language learning, interest of children less focus or began to spread so need to learn coaching interest of foreign language from teacher. Memory children also started decreasing and this also need directions and because many vocabulary and grammar basics to memorize by the student. A good age in youth or adult is the power of thinking. The power of thinking must be always trained. So be more sharply. Therefore, grammar be more important to teach, because they dominate grammar well and their power of thinking will be making a new sentence by sentence with creative.
9. The Distinction About The Exposure to The Target Language
The exposure to the target language is environment and direct contact with the target language learned. In first language training, the exposure to the target language said is high because children can find the environment and direct contact with mother tongue with easy and not limit on people but can with books, reading, article, the program of radio, TV, songs or the other in DIY and Central Java, for example, a child that study Javanese language can get is from circles and direct contact from their parents, friends, families, people, book, like cindelaras or the other.
In foreign language learning, the exposure to the target language is low.
10. The Distinction About Availability of Native Speakers or Models
Availability of native speaker or models is availability native speaker or model, its clear. In first language learning, children with easy to find native speaker or model because their parents is native speakers and the same good model, similarly, family, community and teachers are still one average rate.
Conclusion
English is a foreign language that has been taught in Indonesia. As a foreign language, its learning is different from first language learning. First language learning is natural, informal and not be structured, while foreign language learning is more formal, artificial, conditioned and structured. Language learning has some factors that influences its success. For example about the teachers, situation, facilities, and others. There are some distinctions between first language and foreign language learning. They are about student-teacher ratio, learning facilities, place of study, time teaching hours, situation, motivation, critical period, characteristics. The exposure to the target language, and availability of native speakers or models.
Based on the some distinctions above, we can make conclusion that first language learning is more successful than foreign language learning. At English teacher candidates, we should understand about some factors in first language learning which are suitable for foreign language learning. So, we can apply them into the foreign language learning and take its benefit when we teach English. So, it is expected that the foreign language learning can be successful as the first language learning.
Subhan, Bustami. 2003. Children Language Acquisition and English Language Teaching. Yogyakarta : LPPDMF.
