What is language?

Language is the unlimited creation of interpersonal sense. Interpersonal sense is a mental construct shared by individuals.

• The activity of which all healthy human beings are capable is human language – French langage.
• A historical and cultural instantiation of human language is an individual language (or specific language or conventional language) – French langue.

Two tasks:

1. He¹ learns to think and communicate by use of a semiotic system, viz. human language.
2. He learns the system of the specific language used in his environment.

What is language acquisition?

• The simultaneous occupation with the tasks at both the above levels is primary language acquisition.
• The exclusive learning of a specific language, uncoupled from task #1, is only possible after primary language acquisition and therefore is second-language acquisition, third-language acquisition and so forth.

¹ In this presentation, the pronoun he implies nothing for the sex of its referent.