Language acquisition is very similar to the process children use in acquiring first and second languages. It requires meaningful interaction in the target language–
natural communication–in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their
utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding. Error
correction and explicit teaching of rules are not relevant to language acquisition
(Brown and Hanlon, 1970; Brown, Cazden, and Bellugi, 1973), but caretakers and
native speakers can modify their utterances addressed to acquirers to help them
understand, and these modifications are thought to help the acquisition process
(Snow and Ferguson, 1977). It has been hypothesized that there is a fairly stable
order of acquisition of structures in language acquisition, that is, one can see clear similarities across acquirers as to which structures tend to be acquired early and
which tend to be acquired late (Brown, 1973; Dulay and Burt, 1975). Acquirers
need not have a conscious awareness of the “rules” they possess, and may self correct only on the basis of a “feel” for grammaticality.

Conscious language learning, on the other hand, is thought to be helped a great deal

by error correction and the presentation of explicit rules (Krashen and Seliger,

1975). Error correction it is maintained, helps the learner come to the correct mental

representation of the linguistic generalization. Whether such feedback has this effect

to a significant degree remains an open question (Fanselow, 1977; Long, 1977). No

invariant order of learning is claimed, although syllabi implicitly claim that learners

proceed from simple to complex, a sequence that may not be identical to the

acquisition sequence.

We must teach students with dyslexia in different way based on the types of impairment. In the case of students with physical impairment, there are no boundaries for them to learn language as normal people. In the case of students with sight impairment, we still can teach them in normal ways. As long as their hearing sense works well, they can learn language easily. On the other hand, we will find difficult circumstance when we should teach student with hearing impairment. In fact, hearing sense is the first working sense after a child is born. Such students normally will learn cue language in which they use gestures as symbols to convey messages.

It possibly happens in language acquisition. In unconscious process, we imitate and replicate the sound and tone. We never compare the target language with our first or second language. We can exemplify our younger brothers or sisters when they start to imitate and replicate their first language. We never ask them to join vocabulary or grammar class to produce their first utterance. They just say the words and sentences. Corrections are irrelevant.

We can use language acquisition process in teaching in which we emphasize the meaningful and enjoyable activities. The enjoyable activities may include games, pictorial task, matching etc. The focus is using language not using its forms. In Indonesia, we have seen that English textbooks for young learners are dominated by pictorial literacy textbook. Teachers teach English assisted by pictures, diagrams or others related images to describe the contents.

Reading, writing and speaking are interconnected. We should bear in our mind that good writers are good readers. We cannot compose writing without resources from our reading. Similarly, we will be a good speaker because we have lots of information in our long term memory. The information in our long term memory should be the residue from our writing and reading activities.

In the process of language learning, we learn English deductively. It means that we learn grammar and structure at first. Then, we produce language in the form of spoken and written. On the contrary, we have inductive process in language acquisition. In this process, we focus on the use of language. The errors and corrections are not relevant. We learn grammar based on sense without spending our time to focus on it.

Language learning and language acquisition are interchangeable for Indonesian students. We are in the middle of language learning when we enter English classes. We intend to learn the rules, characteristics and attributes of English. However, we will acquire the language from listening to English during the material presentation.

We also notice that the language acquisition process takes place in school dormitories such as Gontor. The dormitories applies bilingual languages in daily basis. Therefore the students are exposed to language environment naturally. The students only focus on how to convey the messages in their daily communication. Unconsciously, they learn language and finally they come up with fluency in both English and Arabic languages.

I believe that the student will not forget Indonesian language. Based on my observation, such student is capable to speak Indonesian and English. The reason is that they formally speak English at school or in their neighborhood. Informally, they keep exposed in Indonesian language with his parents and Indonesia community. Thus, he maintains unconscious process of language acquisition in both environments; English and Indonesian.

Both terms are significantly interconnected. Language acquisition is the result of meaningful activities. Such activities must be maintain continuously. Eventually, the activities become new behaviors.

We can use language acquisition process in teaching adult. The process must be inductively. It means that the learning focus is on the meaningful activities and language usage. Let them unconsciously get the sense of grammar, structure, attributes and characteristic of the target language. In some point, they will confess that they should use the language in a better way. This is the point in which the correction is relevant.

Campus can be a place to learn English easier as long as we set it up as an English environment. Consciously, we learn English from lectures in teaching learning process. Unconsciously, we should commit to use English during teaching learning process, communication with peers, English discussion etc.