The Role Of Psycholinguistics in Second Language Acquisition in Toddlee's

Psycholinguistics is a field that studies the relationship between language and mental processes in the production and reception of language. In toddlers, language acquisition is greatly influenced by their environment, including the language they hear from those around them as well as from media such as music, movies, and advertisements. In this process, children naturally imitate and learn languages without realizing they are doing so.

Children under five years old can quickly learn a second language through their surroundings. For example, they can immediately respond to the background sounds of a movie they like or imitate words they frequently hear in songs. Their ability to absorb information from their environment makes the role of family and the surrounding environment crucial in supporting their second language development.

Psycholinguistics in Language Acquisition

Psycholinguistics explains how individuals learn and use language. The process of language acquisition involves the abilities of hearing, speaking, reading, and writing, which are closely interconnected. For toddlers, the first stage is hearing, followed by speaking. At this stage, children imitate words they often hear from those around them, even though they do not fully understand their meaning.

Biological factors, social environmental factors, intelligence, and motivation play significant roles in the language acquisition process. Psycholinguistics allows us to understand how children learn languages through their social interactions, as well as how these factors influence the development of their language skills.

Case Study: Ahmad, a Toddler in Mandailing Natal

This study highlights a toddler named Ahmad, who lives in the Siabu area of Mandailing Natal. Ahmad, who is two years and four months old, shows remarkable language imitation skills. Although he is not yet able to speak fluently, Ahmad frequently mimics words he hears from people around him and from digital media.

For instance, Ahmad often imitates movements and words from videos he watches on YouTube. He can independently access the application and play videos using voice commands. The influence of the digital environment has become a key factor in Ahmad's second language acquisition.

Conclusion

Language is a crucial communication tool in daily life, and language acquisition, both for the mother tongue and a second language, is highly influenced by the environment in which a child grows. Through a psycholinguistic approach, we can understand how toddlers like Ahmad learn language from their interactions with their environment and media. It is important for families and communities to create a supportive environment so that the process of language acquisition in children can develop effectively.