Language ‘depth’: Deep first language acquisition versus shallow second/foreign language learning, and the presence of the ‘embammic seal’ in the embammic language-non- embammic language dichotomy
Language ‘depth’: Deep first language acquisition versus shallow second/foreign language learning, and the presence of the ‘embammic seal’ in the embammic language-non- embammic language dichotomy

Summary/Abstract: First language acquisition differs radically from second/foreign language learn-ing in that it not only consists in the acquisition of formal aspects of language (structure andfunctions), which is mandatorily the case with any second/foreign language, but that it isalso immersed in what is termed here the (elusive) ‘embammic dimension’. Together, theformal and the automatic embammic elements, constitute the core of any native (first) lan-guage command. Subsequently, a native (first) language which always occurs in its ‘deepstate’ must be fully distinguished from a second/foreign language which always occurs invarious degrees of its ‘shallow state’.

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