Acquiring and learning are two completely different terms but, more than that, they are processes that use distinct cognitive levels. Even when the topic has been explained time and time again, since it's a common discussion among teachers, the terminology is still misused. They are more often than not treated as synonymous. We will take on the subject from two points of view to clarify the difference between these two.
Pretty much everything can be explained linguistically. There's a reason why a particular word was assigned to each of these processes and, if we break down the meaning of the term, we will be able to understand it a little better.
acquisition: the act or process of gaining a skill, habit, or quality.
This is a concept mostly used in business and, when a company acquires a new asset, they look for the biggest gains at the lowest possible cost.
Language acquisition happens naturally and it asks very little of us since it operates within our short-term memory. When it comes to our mother tongue, we perceive and comprehend the language, keeping it in that compartment. The more we use it, the more we practice, we start to get a sense of what is right and what is wrong. We are able to detect when a word or a complete sentence "doesn't sound correct". If we are asked to describe the grammar or explain the language rules that it's breaking, there's a huge chance we won't be able to give a proper answer.
learn: to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
If the acquisition of a language is the gaining of a skill, learning means understanding it. The definition itself lets us know that we need so much more than just the reception of information; it has to be directed, reviewed and practiced until we reach a level of understanding. One of our main goals here at Spanish55 is to provide the appropriate guidance to help our students reach their maximum potential.
The second point of view is a little more complex. The distinction between learning and acquiring can also be explored on a neurobiological level. What does that mean? That now we are going to talk about the type of processes, and the different parts of the brain that these two require.
(annahamilton.me)
For many, many years, the hippocampus has been studied to understand its full functionality. We're going to focus on the ability it has to process memories. That's where our short-term memory goes before it turns into long-term. It includes our capability to remember lines or speeches.
Acquisition happens on a subconscious level. Think about the brain as a container, this big box that we keep throwing words into, without differentiating between verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. They are just strings of letters that can be used in a certain order or to name different things. This container has no reservation, it keeps receiving without discrimination. Yet, if some words usually come in together, it will get a sense that they most likely are always supposed to be in that order. When the same expression is suddenly in a different arrangement, it does detect that maybe something is wrong.
An acquired language provides us with a feeling of what sounds right.
On the other hand, Wernicke's area is in charge of the reception of speech, while Broca's area helps with the production of it.
Language learning requires us to be focused on and connected to the communication system we are about to gain. And it has to be considered as such, a communication system, with a very strict manual that needs to be studied carefully in order to comprehend every part of it. It's all about knowing the rules and developing two main skills: the ability to follow them while using the language, but also recognizing when they are being broken. Learning emphasizes the form while acquisition focuses on the meaning.
Now, it is important to rectify that, as different as these two concepts may sound, they are not opposites. One does not exclude the other. On the contrary, they are complementary. The ultimate goal would be a language acquired through a properly guided learning process.
Pretty much everything can be explained linguistically. There's a reason why a particular word was assigned to each of these processes and, if we break down the meaning of the term, we will be able to understand it a little better.
acquisition: the act or process of gaining a skill, habit, or quality.
This is a concept mostly used in business and, when a company acquires a new asset, they look for the biggest gains at the lowest possible cost.
Language acquisition happens naturally and it asks very little of us since it operates within our short-term memory. When it comes to our mother tongue, we perceive and comprehend the language, keeping it in that compartment. The more we use it, the more we practice, we start to get a sense of what is right and what is wrong. We are able to detect when a word or a complete sentence "doesn't sound correct". If we are asked to describe the grammar or explain the language rules that it's breaking, there's a huge chance we won't be able to give a proper answer.
learn: to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
If the acquisition of a language is the gaining of a skill, learning means understanding it. The definition itself lets us know that we need so much more than just the reception of information; it has to be directed, reviewed and practiced until we reach a level of understanding. One of our main goals here at Spanish55 is to provide the appropriate guidance to help our students reach their maximum potential.
The second point of view is a little more complex. The distinction between learning and acquiring can also be explored on a neurobiological level. What does that mean? That now we are going to talk about the type of processes, and the different parts of the brain that these two require.
(annahamilton.me)
For many, many years, the hippocampus has been studied to understand its full functionality. We're going to focus on the ability it has to process memories. That's where our short-term memory goes before it turns into long-term. It includes our capability to remember lines or speeches.
Acquisition happens on a subconscious level. Think about the brain as a container, this big box that we keep throwing words into, without differentiating between verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. They are just strings of letters that can be used in a certain order or to name different things. This container has no reservation, it keeps receiving without discrimination. Yet, if some words usually come in together, it will get a sense that they most likely are always supposed to be in that order. When the same expression is suddenly in a different arrangement, it does detect that maybe something is wrong.
An acquired language provides us with a feeling of what sounds right.
On the other hand, Wernicke's area is in charge of the reception of speech, while Broca's area helps with the production of it.
Language learning requires us to be focused on and connected to the communication system we are about to gain. And it has to be considered as such, a communication system, with a very strict manual that needs to be studied carefully in order to comprehend every part of it. It's all about knowing the rules and developing two main skills: the ability to follow them while using the language, but also recognizing when they are being broken. Learning emphasizes the form while acquisition focuses on the meaning.
Now, it is important to rectify that, as different as these two concepts may sound, they are not opposites. One does not exclude the other. On the contrary, they are complementary. The ultimate goal would be a language acquired through a properly guided learning process.
