Final answer:
The stages of second language acquisition include Preproduction, Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency, and Advanced Fluency. These stages are affected by factors such as age, exposure, and innate learning ability, with an interplay between environmental influences and biological predispositions for language learning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of acquiring a second language involves several stages that learners typically go through. These stages are:
- Preproduction: This is the silent period, where the learner might have some receptive vocabulary but does not speak much.
- Early Production: The learner can use short words and phrases but has limited vocabulary and grammar.
- Speech Emergence: Basic communication skills are developed, and the learner starts to use simple sentences.
- Intermediate Fluency: Language skills are more advanced, and the learner starts to think in the second language.
- Advanced Fluency: The learner demonstrates the near-native level of proficiency.
It is important to note that these stages are influenced by several factors, including the learner's age, exposure to the language, and individual differences in learning ability. Theories such as Chomsky's Universal Grammar suggest an innate biological capacity for language learning which is very prominent during the so-called critical period of childhood. Later in life, this natural ability declines, but second language acquisition can still be successful, especially with effective strategies and immersion.
Psychologists like Skinner and Chomsky have debated whether language learning is due to reinforcement or innate capability. Current research suggests it is a combination of both environmental influences and inborn linguistic abilities.