Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2022
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Spanish
First Advisor
Angela Helmer
Second Advisor
Timothy Schorn
Third Advisor
Tony Krus
Keywords
Language Acquisition, Bilingualism, Foreign Language
Subject Categories
Language Interpretation and Translation | Modern Languages
Abstract
Language separates human beings from other species in the animal kingdom. Not only does language provide humans with a means to communicate, but it represents one’s family, cultural identity, and personality. There are over six thousand spoken languages in the world today, and around half of the earth’s inhabitants speak more than one language. First language acquisition is a natural process for all humans that begins before birth. The human brain can acquire multiple languages during infancy, but many people acquire a second language after the brain has fully developed. Knowledge of more than one language allows one to make deeper connections with other cultures and is important to connect with people around the world. This thesis aims to highlight the most important factors in attaining fluency in a second language, as well as analyze previous research on second language acquisition, study abroad, negative feedback, and motivation within second language learning.
Recommended Citation
Fulton, Sydney M., "Bilingual Behaviors: Learning Context in Second Language Acquisition" (2022). Honors Thesis. 256.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/256