Native Language Learning vs. Foreign Language Learning (Series)
母語學習 vs. 外語學習 (系列)
It is often believed that our “native language(s)” and our “foreign language(s)” are just different languages learnt in the same way, with the same cognitive processes in the brain.
This is a gross misconception because, actually, the cognitive processes involved in learning a native language and those involved in learning a foreign language are completely different.
Our “native language knowledge” is gained and stored implicitly, in a brain area that has evolved for this specified purpose, whereas our knowledge of “foreign language(s)”, if we ever learn any, is gained and stored explicitly, through more general mechanisms of learning and memory.
Part 1:
Native languages and foreign languages are learnt differently
Part 2:
The “native language machine” in our brains
大眾通常認為，無論學習「母語」還是「外語」，在我們大腦中的認知過程都一樣，不過是以相同的方法來學習不同的語言。
這是個非常嚴重的誤解。實際上，學習「母語」和學習「外語」所涉及的認知過程完全不同。
我們是用大腦中特別的「母語區域」，自然和被動地吸收及儲存「母語」知識的；「外語」知識（如有的話）則是通過一般的，即學習其他知識的認知過程，有意識地學習及儲存的。