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Maybe I just quibble about the detail, but in my opinion the process of learning my own native language is still considered to be "language learning", hence it's sufficient to asking here. I think changing the site name to "Foreign language learning" will avoid this.

What's your thought?

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  • The title of the site on Area51 is "Beta Q&A site for students, teachers, polyglots, and anyone interested the techniques of second-language acquisition." I'm not sure this means there's a hard rule against questions about learning a first language. Certainly, we want to allow posts about FLA as it relates to SLA studies. And if your FLA question is also relevant to SLA, it would certainly be on-topic. Beyond that, without knowing your specific question, it's hard to form an opinion.
    – Flimzy
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 6:39
  • oh, so do we agree that learning native language is on-topic here? I thought that only learning second ones is on-topic...
    – Ooker
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 6:47
  • 1
    I don't agree or disagree. I'm saying I don't know your question well enough to form a judgment.
    – Flimzy
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 8:10
  • I don't even have an example. It just comes in mind and I think that I should ask the community
    – Ooker
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 8:29
  • @Flimzy Examples related to native language learning would be reacquisition (e.g. after long time abroad, after a serious accident) and language issues related to dyslexia.
    – Tsundoku Mod
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 16:58
  • @ChristopheStrobbe: Most (all?) questions we have about learning a native language so far are about teaching children their first language.
    – Flimzy Mod
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 18:22

2 Answers 2

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Yes, they are on-topic

The description might be a bit misleading, especially at second-language acquisition. But, the title speaks for itself.

Asking questions which deal with learning of any language is(should be) perfectly on-topic, even if it's learning or getting better at a native language.

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1

I wouldn't be too happy with a question on this site that was "only" about the English language (my native language), because there are English Language and English Language Learners sites on Stack Exchange.

But I feel that a question about an English word or construction as it is derived from, or otherwise relates to a second (non-English) language, would be on topic.

2
  • So a question about learning when to use who and whom would be off-topic if you posted, but on-topic if I posted it? Just because I am not a native English speaker? That doesn't seem logical.
    – ANeves
    Commented May 5, 2016 at 9:05
  • Or do you maybe feel that questions about English are more easily off-topic than questions about Mongolian, because there is ELL and ELU but not MongolianLanguageLearning/M.L.Usage? That doesn't feel like a solid argument, either. Can you clarify?
    – ANeves
    Commented May 5, 2016 at 9:06

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