to what extent is learning a second language like learning a first language? what can we learn from first language development with respect to the contents and methods of second language courses?
the marvelous capacity for acquiring competence in one's native language within the first few years of life has been a subject of interest for a very long time. linguists, psychologist, and even language teachers have paid their attentions to the first language learning and have attempted to draw analogies between first and second language acquisition in order to justify certain teaching methods and techniques and contents of second language on the basis of first language learning principles.
observations, studies or research have been made extensively by many different groups of people-linguists, psychologist, language teachers and writers on applied linguistics - to see if learning a second language is like learning a first language. the results of studies and observations have revealed the fact that learning a first and second language is similar in some respects and different in the others. for example, points out that there are both similarities and differences between learning the first and second language.