Languages Acquisition and Languages Learning: When, Where, Why, How?

Abstract

This study investigates the distinction between language acquisition and language learning, focusing on how these concepts are understood by secondary school students and teachers in Kindele Quarter, Kinshasa (Mont-Ngafula). The main objective is to examine when, where, why, and how languages are acquired and learned, as well as to identify common misconceptions surrounding these two processes. A qualitative research design was employed, using a structured questionnaire administered to thirty-five respondents selected from an initial sample of sixty students and teachers. The data were analyzed thematically and presented in descriptive tables.

The findings reveal a widespread confusion between language acquisition and language learning among participants. Most respondents incorrectly associated language acquisition with environmental locations such as home rather than recognizing it as a subconscious cognitive process occurring in the brain. Similarly, language learning was not clearly understood as a conscious and formal process, but was instead linked to informal contexts. The study also highlights limited understanding of key linguistic concepts such as grammar, pragmatics, and the communicative function of language.

The results confirm that insufficient background knowledge in linguistics contributes significantly to these misconceptions. The study concludes that there is a need to strengthen linguistic awareness in both teacher training and classroom practice. It recommends the integration of basic linguistic theory into language education and the promotion of communicative teaching approaches to bridge the gap between theory and practice.