What is the difference between First Language and Second Language? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the difference between First Language and Second Language?

Asked by Jenske , Last updated: Apr 05, 2024

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5 Answers

G. Woods

G. Woods

Traveler and writer by profession.

G. Woods
G. Woods, College student, Graduate, Southampton

Answered Dec 22, 2020

When you say the first language, you are referring to the mother tongue of the person. This means to say that this is the language that the person has grown accustomed to. This may be the first language that the person has learned because the person lives in a certain country wherein this language is commonly used. It will be easy for the person to communicate with other people using their first language.

When you say the second language, this may be an acquired language that the person has learned while growing up. This might have been learned during childhood or even when the person is longer. While a person may understand this language, a person may not speak this naturally until the person does a lot of practice or uses it more often.

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C. Adlai

C. Adlai

A professional and experienced software developer with amateur writing.

C. Adlai
C. Adlai, Software Developer, B.E (Bachelor of Engineering), California, USA

Answered Dec 21, 2020

The world is a melting pot of many different cultures and languages. This is why an increased rate of people are becoming bilingual, which means they know two languages. The languages they know are often characterized as a first language and second language. The first language is the language that you learned growing up. It is the language you spoke your first words in and the language that you may be more fluent in.

For example, a person living in the United States may have their first language as English. The second language is a language that you learned throughout your life, and as you got older. For many people in the United States, their second language is Spanish.

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F. Daniel

F. Daniel

I work for a California based MNC.

F. Daniel
F. Daniel, Content Optimization Executive, Diploma in Journalism, California

Answered Dec 15, 2020

A first language refers to one’s native language. It is also the mother tongue of a person. A first language is a language that an individual learns right from his or her birth. A second language is a language that you learn which belongs to another region or country. Most people see the need to learn a second language because it will allow them to communicate properly with those who have that language as their first language. While you can decide which language to learn as your second language, you have no power to choose which language you want as your first language.

The reason is that the learning process of the first language starts when no one has the power to decide what they want and what they do not want to learn. The journey to mastery of the first language is easy, and the process is very rapid. In contrast, it takes a lot of commitment, effort, and practice before you can gain mastery of the second language.

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Barry Mclean

Barry Mclean

Ask me anything!

Barry Mclean
Barry Mclean, Sales Manager, MBA, Ewa

Answered Aug 04, 2020

A second language can be defined as a language learned at later stages after a mother tongue. While the First language, is the language gotten my babies naturally without learning from their parents. They can have double first languages as a result of parents emanating from varying linguistic backgrounds. The first language is not in any way complex since it was gotten without effort.

Rules of grammar are mastered at an early age, though one may proceed to learn further in the classroom in order to fully master the language. The first language is not or less complex. A second language is actually a complex one because it is usually a foreign language.

A first language is learned from birth by listening to parents. A second language is learned in the classrooms, through online tutorials, and by listening to other people speak. There are many ways through which one can learn and understand the second language.

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A. Samuel

A. Samuel

Writing quality content for contentment has been my passion since i was 21. I've been pursuing it as a Content Manager and Producer.

A. Samuel
A. Samuel, Content Manager, Masters in Marketing and accounting, Florida

Answered Jul 21, 2020

The best way to differentiate between first language and second language is to think of the former as the language you learned naturally from your parent right from when you were still a baby, whereas a second language is any language you learned other than your native language. A primary language is usually regarded as a native language. You don't struggle to learn this type of language.

The learning process is very easy because you are not afraid to make mistakes. Another reason is that almost everybody in your locality is speaking the same language, so you find it easy to get yourself used to some words, sentences, and how they are used. In contrast, the learning process of any second language is a difficult one, except for some people with certain abilities.

A second language can be any language other than your native language. One of the reasons that make the learning process of a second language very difficult is because you only listen to your teacher, and in most cases, you don't have more people to speak the language to, plus the fear of making mistakes.

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