Foundations of Language and Language Acquisition
Domain I tests how language is structured and how learners acquire a second language. Expect items on the five language subsystems, on major SLA theories, and on the distinction between social and academic language.
Core rules and concepts
- Subsystems: phonology (sound system, phonemes), morphology (word formation; free vs. bound morphemes), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning), pragmatics (language in context).
- Krashen's monitor model: acquisition vs. learning; natural order; monitor; comprehensible input (i + 1); affective filter.
- Cummins: BICS (conversational fluency, about 1–2 years) vs. CALP (academic language, about 5–7 years); interdependence and threshold hypotheses.
- Interlanguage and error analysis: learners build rule-governed systems; errors are often developmental (overgeneralization) rather than transfer from L1.
Worked example
A fourth-grade EL says, "Yesterday she goed to the store." The student has internalized the regular past-tense rule and overapplied it to an irregular verb. This is developmental overgeneralization, not L1 interference (unless the L1 has an analogous pattern, which must be checked). It shows rule learning is progressing. The teacher recasts the correct form ("Yes, she went to the store") and keeps the conversation going rather than drilling the error.
Traps
- Labeling every error as L1 interference; many are developmental.
- Treating fluent BICS as evidence of academic proficiency.
- Confusing competence (underlying knowledge) with performance (what is produced under pressure).
- Assuming an accent signals low proficiency; pronunciation and proficiency are separate.