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Caldas University M.A Program in Didactics of English

Cartagena, Colombia

Personal views on current first and second language acquisition theories by students in the M.A program on Didactics of English at Caldas University at San Buenaventura University in Cartagena, Colombia.

Professor Ph.D. Carlos Man Ospina Nova

cminnova@yahoo.com 2015

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TITANIC TRUE LIES, Noam Chomsky’s LAD.

Language Acquisition Device

Kelly Margarita Campo Cajar

Noam Chomsky expressed that children are

born with the innate ability to acquire and use language at

an early age (1960). The theory about Universal Principals

supports the idea of innate acquisition of language since it

gives the same basis to all of them. For instance,

grammatical categories such as nouns, verbs and adjectives

are present in every language.

The innate ability denies somehow the theory of

interaction (Long, 1980) that is implied in the process of

acquiring a language, where participants of equal status

share similar needs. Socio-cultural factors directly affect

the use of language. There is a well documented case of a

feral child, Genie Wiley, who was a victim of abuse

neglect and social isolation (NIMH, 1970). Her father

decided to isolate Genie because he thought she was

mentally retarded. Genie´s isolation causes a strong

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traumatic effect on her skills to communicate and her little use of language made it

difficult for her mental abilities to be assessed. The national institute of mental health

provided scientific research in Genie´s case to help her to overcome the abuse and

segregation she went through. They demonstrated that Genie was not a mentally retarded

child and that her behavior was caused by the harsh situation she experienced at her early

and critical brain development.

Because of Genie and other feral children, it is easy to infer that LAD is not a

rightful language theory. According to authors like Vygostky, Jean Piaget, and Michael

Long language acquisition is a process that requires self-evolution, through the different

periods of childhood, life, lots of exposure and interaction.

Neuroscientists like Richard Davison expressed that brain functions are shaped by

both good and bad experiences (Jenna Goudreau, 2012). Infancy and early childhood are

important periods in shaping brain development, besides adolescence is a key phase of

life during which critical consequential choices are often made (Davinson, 2011). There

is a special and unique connection between brain and feelings. Language acquisition is

one of the most complex processes that needs interaction, normal brain functioning,

experiences, stimuli and feedback. It does not build by itself or in isolation.

The following aspects define how to acquire a second language: language

proficiency, the ability of a person to speak or perform in an acquired language; learners’

needs represent the gap between what the learner wants to get out of the learning

experience and his or her current state of knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm (Noessel,

2003) ; motivation “Motivation is a key part of learning a language,” says Davidson; and

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class interaction is a practice that enhances the development of the two very important

language skills which are speaking and listening among the learners. This device helps

the learner to be competent enough to think critically and share their views among their

peers (Ghosh, 2010).

Feral children, scientific research in brain development and its relationship with

motivation, and the influence that Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934) has had on second

language acquisition (SLA) research is reflected in studies which emphasize the

important role played by semiotic mediation in social interaction within social, cultural,

physical, and historical contexts. All that evidence studied and showed give us the right

to say that Noam Chomsky’s LAD is a Titanic true lie.

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Action Storm:

Seven Effective Actions to Acquire a Second Language

Surjey del Carmen Montes Perez

According to my experience and after reading

about Vygotski, Suzuki, Bruner, and others, and

lectures of this topic, I propose seven actions to

acquire any second language (L2). The following

actions can improve English teaching in L2.

1. Create a great environment. It is necessary to

organize the place in order to have all materials you

need. Music is also important to improve the learning

conditions. This strategy can help students with

traumas as Genie Wiley or polyglots like Tim Doner to feel confident and develop

their language skills (LS).

2. Speak in L2 all time or try to do it. If teachers talk in L2 into and out the

classroom about meaningful and interesting topics for learners. They can listen to

the new language and acquire it naturally. Teachers have to be patient with their

students’ speaking process. Students will have a “silent phase” (Krashen, 1982).

After that, they will start to use L2 every day.

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3. Give learners the chance to develop the four LS. Teachers can create

games and fun activities that involve listening and speaking or reading and

writing. On the one hand, listening and speaking activities help to identify and

imitate new sounds. Playing with words that have similar sounds (as Tim Doner)

increases the vocabulary and improves pronunciation. On the other hand, the

importance of reading and writing is that these skills help to develop critical

thinking and mental structures of learners. In addition, they can know new words,

cultures, points of view, concepts, and discover new worlds.

To choose the topics for activities, teachers can develop a research

method in SLA in their classrooms. They will apply diverse data collection

techniques such as observations, questionnaires, and interviews. Analyzing

these data, they can know learning styles, interests, dreams, goals, and needs.

4. Design an “Art Storm” Club. In this space, learners can explore and

discover their talents while they acquire L2. Teacher and students can create

performances and art exhibitions in which participants can develop their LS and

different abilities. Furthermore, they will interact by making their own materials,

writing scripts, and practicing or playing their roles. These activities may help

students with mental disabilities to figure their problems out in a good way.

5. Plan an L2 project about an interesting topic. In this case, teachers will

apply the “action research design” (Griffee, 2012) to conduct the project. After a

conscious and in-depth observation, teacher identifies the topic. The project can

explore some questions. Then students can look for information to solve them.

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For example, my students love and play sports. They can develop a

project about sports they play in Cartagena. They can discuss, read, and write

about this topic with my guide. At the end, learners can present the processes

and results to the community at school.

6. Integrate L1 and L2 cultures to the classroom. Language is immersed in

a cultural background and is a product of social interaction (Molina, 2015). For

this reason, teachers must include culture in SLA. Teachers can introduce real-

life situations and develop cultural festivals. In this way, learners can know

traditions, customs, gastronomy, history, and other cultural elements of both

languages. Teachers can give students the opportunity to explore their

intercultural competences with respect, tolerance, and inclusion of different life

styles.

7. Increase the possibilities of interaction and communication among

students. The six actions above can help teacher and learners to interact and

communicate in L2 every day. These activities will be developed in a social-

affective environment in which children and adults can feel confident, motivated,

comfortable, and supported. To see more about this type of acquisition activities,

visit the following link for a clear and succinct description:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/293744129/ELT-Games-d2-2

https://www.scribd.com/doc/293744556/Great-Interaction-and-Communication-

Activities

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Kiling Fears

Facing Second Language Acquisition Inhibitions

Deisy Arteaga

Language learning is a demanding and intensively studied

disciple. According to Brown (1944), a certain degree of

concern or anxiety is a positive factor in second language

acquisition. From this perspective, the best way to support

students’ learning process and deal with the different factors

is the implementation of some techniques that help to build

up confidence and enhance different strategies that will

make students comfortable and possibly acquire the

language in an effective way.

Utilizing TPR, Cooperative Learning, Language experience and Academic scaffolding

will let the teacher turn the class into something productive and appealing to students.

Since they are willing to take risks, no matter how many mistakes they make, they get the

meaning of what they are acquiring. The teacher should not only think about the formal

aspects of the language, but also of the different levels and learning styles.

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Taking feral cases into consideration, in which children are isolated from the rest of the

world, it is important to point out that a child raised in solation or any other type of

metaphoric deserted island, alone, without social interaction, without language, and thus

lacking language empathy, is a sentient being(Daniel Dennet). A real case of this

situation is Genie Wiley, a child whose brain got impaired because she was kept away

from any social interaction. This event had as a consequence the interference in the

acquisition and development of her native language.

On the contrary, Tim Donor is a case of a teenager who had the opportunity to acquire the

language by interacting with other people, traveling to other countries and using his own

learning strategies. All these aspects mentioned before helped Tim Donor to develop

communicative skills and made him a polyglot.

As noticed in the cases stated before, affective factors play and important role in

language acquisition, according to Gallagher (1964) who proposed a model of productive

thinking in which an individual operating under high motivation might overcome the

effects of an inadequate environment. This means that teachers should promote group

discussions, social and oral activities instead of pen and paper assignment only. As a

result, a variety of activities will be compiled to match the students´ needs. This shall

help the teacher to diminish the affective filter, reduce participant anxiety and reinforce

their self-confidence and all the abilities these new students possess.

So to plan an effective course it is important to consider that students are not only

intellectual but also social and an emotional beings. Thus, this is the starting point that

will make the class and the material used something engaging. For example, using

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illustrations that are related to different cultures and diverse contexts will help students to

connect their experience to the new language acquisition process. For a teacher to be

competitive nowadays, he or she should constantly research and find out the different

approaches and adjustments required to create a rich environment in the classroom that

helps students to improve affective factors and increase their learning desire.

References

Griffee, D. (2012). An Introduction to Second Language Research (ebook).

Retrieved 11 26, 2015, from http://www.tesl-

ej.org/pdf/ej60/sl_research_methods.pdf

Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition.

Retrieved 11 27, 2015, from

http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

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“Eternal Sunshine Of Memories” The Role Of Memory In SLA

Milsa Torres Baquero Memory plays an important role in the process of second language acquisition because learning a second language implies developing knowledge through skills such as listening, reading, writing and speaking. These skills can be developed through words that humans use to express the ideas and decode messages. When people are born, they learn their mother’s tongue by hearing and trying to acquire the language. At this time we store information and relate ourselves with new information while the second language is explicitly learned through rules at formal school. It is for this reason that when a person is learning a language, memory is an important factor which can be used to show their performance. According to Houston (2001), there are three kinds of memories in our mind: sensory memory, short-term memory and long term memory. Short term memory or better known as working memory plays three important roles before messages are transferred to long term memory or permanent memory. There are three important roles of working memory in learning a language: language processing, namely language comprehension, language production, and vocabulary acquisition, after which new vocabulary will be transferred here. We saw this in Tim Doner’s presentation. His method to learn a second language is learning and memorizing words and then putting them in a context. This methods show the importance of storing words in memory. We know that according to Anderson’s Theory, intelligence is made of small units of knowledge that in total produce complex thinking. If we want to develop critical thinking in students, it is necessary to improve knowledge through a process of interaction that involves reading extensively to create their own learning. This way, all words students store in their brain are put in a context and are related to other words they know in order to develop their second language skills.

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Memory is the base to build interaction in different ways. One depends on the other. In order to participate in a successful interaction our brain must be able to remember how to use previous knowledge, vocabulary and grammar structures that you have stored in your brain to construct meaningful messages. Taking into account that the brain stores emotional and negative memories in the amygdala and these are transferred to the long term memory and the Hippocampus, the normal seat of memory, teachers can help students to consolidate long term memory with activities that involve emotion. This process can help them to associate emotional learning and memory. To conclude, the relation between memory and language is an important factor in understanding how the cognitive system helps people acquire a second Language competitively. Although it is obvious that students have individual needs and goals, people with good memories are often seen as knowledgeable, smart, competent, dependable and suitable to reach the goals that they take up.

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Language Big Bang, The Nature of a Language.

Mayra Silva Ortega

Language is a social construction that responds to a stimulus from the environment.

According to Noam Chomsky’s theory, language is

seen as an innate ability that does not need to be

developed by other factors such as stimuli, responses

and behaviors. It is needed to have into consideration

that when children acquire their mother tongue they

do it in a natural way. Some other authors refute it by

demonstrating social interaction is extremely

necessary when talking about language acquisition.

ACT( Adoptive Control of Thought) language

learning ability is the sum of every single component

of it and the representation it has for the human

being. That is to say, language is the addition of all linguistic categories and their

functions in speech. Taking into consideration the Behaviorist approach (Skinner, 1948)

children copy their language from their parents, so they need contact with a specific

setting to evolve the skill or innate mechanism (LAD) Language Acquisition Device (

Chomsky, 1960).

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When a speaker is acquiring his mother tongue, they not only collect the information

from the environment but also, construct it from different linguistic categories; nouns,

verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. It is not possible to get a language without interacting

within and around an environment. On the other hand, affectivity is also considered one

of the most important aspects to acquire a language. So does motivation or the reasons a

learner has to understand and communicate using it.

Genie Wiley was a girl that lost the ability to communicate because of forced isolation

and lack of contact with her parents. That is another reason to prove interaction and

affectivity are so important to enrich the skill of communicating in a first or second

language. Now it is necessary to think again about LAD where syntax comes as an

internal function of the brain. When a person learns how to speak, they do it gradually.

The brain grows in the same way vocabulary and internal structures do. Language is

considered a tool to communicate and express needs, feelings and emotions.

In the acquisition of a second language it is definitely necessary to know that motivation

and conviction are key to achieve learning goals. Language could be acquired only

within a critical period stretching from early infancy to puberty. That is to say, the brain

is more prepared to assimilate vocabulary and social conventions of the language.

The relationship between how people learn their first language (L1) and how they acquire

a second one (L2) is crucial in the way it defines the nature of the acquisition of a mother

tongue in order to take some characteristics from one to the other. That is to say, that it is

also possible to reply some methods of how L1 is acquired to put in practice in L2. Since

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language is a social construction, the generative explosion of language comes about when

output takes a role in the acquisition process.

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Knowledge Hungry Second Language Acquisition

From a Radical Cognitivist View Mayra Carolina Maza Martinez

Second language acquisition has been a highly studied and debated topic. Through history, many authors have contributed to the search for its understanding, from the behaviorism-oriented theories and its idea of language being learned as any other behavior through a process of stimulus, response, and positive or negative reinforcement (Skinner 1940s) to the social interactionism perspective which focuses on the tremendous role of the social environment in the language acquisition process. From the 60s to the 90s, the cognitivist era was consolidated and history-changing ideas emerged with it. Richard C. Anderson, an American Educational Psychologist, dismissed the idea of language being an innate ability and presented it as a component of human being´s cognitive structure. According to his work, language is the sum of its different parts as intelligence is the gathering of small units of knowledge which explains his ACT model, Adaptive Control of Thoughts. According to ACT-R all knowledge begins as declarative information. Procedural knowledge, on the other hand, is learned by constant meaningful practice from already existing knowledge. It supports three fundamental types of learning: generalization, discrimination and strengthening. R.C Anderson´s theory appears in foreign language classes by understanding declarative information as a learning process and procedural as the acquisition per se. Initial explanatory stages in a class produce understanding of topics. Then acquisition is possible only through meaningful and regular practice of sequential and divided sub-parts of a whole until it is gradually and naturally assimilated and internalized by learners. In successful cases, such as in those of polyglot children, cognitivism has evidenced its valuable contribution to their language acquisition processes. Timothy Doner, a much known case of multiple-language user is a New York student who possesses the ability to

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speak over 20 languages; he used cognitivist memory-retention techniques as LOCI which combines the use of organization, visual memory, and association. Extremely different cases such as feral kids who have been isolated and deprived from human interaction during the critical years of their childhood can also be explained by cognitivism. Genie Wiley, victim of severe abuse and neglect for 13 years, presented considerable difficulties to produce completed and structured statements after months of treatment. Different types of mnemonic techniques such as music, expressions, poems and images could have been very useful in one-to-one work with her; pictures, song and jingles could not only trigger her cognitive structure but also affective aspects. Jerome Bruner is also a key representative of the cognitive revolution. This American Psychologist provided meaningful and valuable contribution to psychology, education and language by presenting enlightening ideas such as the Language Acquisition Support System Theory, also known as LASS. This term was coined as an answer to Noam Chomsky´s LAD, Language Acquisition Device and it suggests that human being´s innate ability to acquire a langue is backed by the child´s social support network and interaction. During the process of encoding information in the brain and facing language acquisition processes, different types of representations are developed by stages which are Enactive, Iconic and Symbolic meaning learning through movements, images and abstract symbols respectively, (Jerome Bruner, 1957) For educational purposes, Bruner´s presented the concept of Spiral Curriculum which suggested the study of content by stages from the most basic and elementary ideas to progressively and carefully passing to complex and advanced ones. They are to be taught divided by chunks and repeated frequently along the whole learning process. If a research project were to be developed regarding Second Language Acquisition, Jerome Bruner´s theory is definitely to be considered as its main theoretical foundation. The study would be focused on how a second language is acquired and the best methodological approaches to enrich the process. The project´s results will consolidate a language acquisition program that aims at providing the necessary resources and apply the appropriate methodology that directly triggers language assimilation.

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THE FIGHT

The Behaviorist Theory:

the hub of many language teaching and learning theories.

Karen Julio Cárdenas

Many theories are put forward to describe First (L1)

and Second Language Acquisition (L2). When these

theories are compared and contrasted, some

valuable results and implications appear. These

results are helpful in the field of language education

to design syllabi and classroom activities. To begin

with this plan, it is necessary to do some research in

order to choose the best aspects of Second

Language Acquisition to be applied in class.

Language teachers should consider the setting where

the teaching and learning process takes place, the

students’ needs and interests. The Behaviorist

theory, as the hub of all teaching and learning

theories, states that L1 and L2 are learned through

stimulus, response and reinforcement (Skinner,

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1951).

In order to develop students’ ability in L2, comprehensible input (stimulus)

is needed. Rapidly, the teacher will get a response from them, and consecutively,

it is important to give them a reward. Students really appreciate it when the

teacher says a kind word or simply with giving them a pat on the back. They get

more motivated in the learning process.

A great example of this theory is Genie’s Wiley story. A girl who was

isolated by her family for 13 years. She did not receive any stimulus from his

family as verbal or non verbal communication. When she was found and therapy

began, she could learn many words quickly with the help of some scientists.

Also, she was stimulated in this new world where she found herself, so different

from the four walls where she was shut in. But it was not enough! Her traumatic

upbringing and her brain could not help her. Her time to acquire the language

was wasted.

At this point, a counterargument for the behaviorist theory appears. The

main strategies of this theory can only be true for the early stages of learning. For

this reason, as teachers, it is essential to take advantage of the time given in

language classes. It is necessary to provide our students with many stimuli as

possible to get the best results in the teaching and learning process, and

successively in the acquisition of the Second Language.

To reach the objective mentioned before, some elements that could work

in classes and in any job opportunity is using the right techniques in your English

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teaching process. Use different strategies with your learners according to their

level. Such as, using mnemonics, issue topics, drillings, create life situations, use

authentic material, readings, translations, mutual monitoring and above all, make

sure you include fun while learning the language (Smolov, 2012).

Some of the strategies discussed before were put to work by Tim Doner, a

youth who is 20 years old and can speak 25 languages. The most amazing is

that he really had fun learning. His stimulus comes from himself, his self-

motivation to learn. His reinforcement is to practice what he has learned with

other people. His reward is that those people can understand him or simply when

somebody makes a positive post in his video of Youtube.

To conclude, it is clear that the Behaviorist Theory is the centre of many

teaching methods. It has exerted a great impact by influencing, for instance

Audiolingual Method, Total Physical Response, and Silent Way. It was proven

that the more stimuli are given to children, the better acquisition they will have in

their First or Second Language. In the Second Language Teaching area,

Behaviorism establishes the background basis of exercises, the learner is

stimulated with either written or oral input, language is seen as stimulus and

response. If teachers want to get success making students acquire the Second

Language, the conditioning state wins the fight because it leads the learners to

imitate, to practice, to reinforce, and to get habituated to the language.

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References

Malone Susane, 2012. Theories and Research of Second Language

Acquisition. Bangkok.

Jack C. Richards. Theodore S. Rodgers (2001). Approaches and methods

in Language Teaching (Second Edition). Cambridge University Press.

Larsen-Freeman, Diane (2000). Techniques and principles in Language

Teaching

(Second Edition). Oxford University Press.

Dmitri Smolov (2012). How to Master successfully any Language of the

World. Free-eBooks.net

Tedx (Director). (2014). Breaking the Language Barrier [Motion Picture].

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=xNmf-

G81Irs

Wiley, G. (Producer), & TLC (Director). (2003). 'Wild Child :The Story Of Feral

Children' [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZolHCrC8E

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University of Caldas – University of San Buenaventura

Master´s Program in English Didactics

Luz Helena Madera Gonzalez

It is a mystery how primitive human beings grasp

language and how they do when it comes to acquiring a

second language. There is no written evidence of this

fact. We just have to trust the explanations of some

linguists who have worked hard to offer a clear and

concrete hypothesis. According to this idea, we should

ask how linguist Stephen Krashen responds to this

question: What is the perspective related to second

language teaching? In order to explain how certain

languages theories work, Krashen used some ideas

developed by Noam Chomsky and he created a method

which is intended to develop communicative skills; his 2L Monitor Model.

This model is based on the hypothesis which claims that there are two

distinctive ways of developing communicative competence in a second language. These

are language acquisition and language learning. Acquisition is an unwitting process that

has to do with the development of language proficiency through understanding language

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and through using language for meaningful communication. And learning has to do with

a process in which conscious rules and grammar about a language are developed.

The matter is how to work with these principles and make learners develop

abilities in the second language. The secret may lie on working with the cognitive

(language aptitude, learning strategies), affective (attitudes, motivation, anxiety)

metacognitive, and demographic factors. Therefore, teaching a language can be seen as

working strategies that develop intelligence, memory, concentration, and the social nature

of the learner. “The learning of a foreign language involves far more than simple

learning skills, or a system of rules, or grammar; it involves an alteration in self –image,

the adoption of new social and cultural behaviours and ways of being, and therefore it has

a significant impact on their social nature of the learner” (Marion Williams 1994:77).

We can focus on two opposite case studies that explain this fact: one of them is

the scientific case of Genie Wiley, a thirteen years old girl who was born with a normal

capacity to learn. Nobody talked to her for 8 years during which time she was tied up to

her bed in a room without any human contact. In this case, the cognitive abilities for

acquiring a second language decreased because of the lack of interaction. The other one

is the case of Tim Doner, a senior at the Dalton School in New York. Tim is fluent in 25

languages. He amazingly acquired those languages. In this case, the development of

language depends upon how he is exposed to language and the resources applied for

training his brain; all this exposure leads to brain plasticity.

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Finally, these two cases are supporting the idea of two different ways of

developing ability in another language. Language competence implies the appropriate

exposure acquired in a natural way through interaction. Secondly, the knowledge of some

rules is necessary for understanding language. Likewise, the brain plays an important role

that has to do with learning. That is to say, it is important for processing the information

that is obtained by experimenting day by day through the perception of the senses,

memory and communication with other speakers.

REFERENCES

http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash-english.html Stephen Krashen's Theory of

Second

Language Acquisition

https://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8E Ginie Wiley-TLC Documentary (2003)

http://j.mp/TxT14TimDoner Breaking the Language Barrier /Tim Doner/TED

xTEEN 2014

Zoltán, D.2008.Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom. New York:

Cambridge University Press.

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The Repetition Avengers, The revolution of a marvelous language

Yina Carolina Murillo Zabala

The Audio-Lingual method had its

origins during World War II when it

became known as The Army Method. It is

also called the aural oral approach. It is

based on the structural view of language

and the behaviorist theory of language

learning. The behaviorist theory Is a

school of psychology based on the

proposition that all things which organisms

do including acting, thinking and feeling

should be regarded as behaviors. It

contends that learning occurs through

associations, habit formation and

reinforcement sometimes Abbreviated as

SRR.

This positive reinforcement helps students to develop accurate pronunciation of

grammar, develop correct learning habits, respond quickly and assertively in speech

situation and gain knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to use with grammar patterns.

Nevertheless, the Audio-lingual method has been dismissed since then because of the

difficulty that students had at the moment of transferring learnt patterns to real

communication. It was based on false assumptions such as that learning structures and

grammar were the starting point for the student, mistakes were bad and should be avoided

because they were considered bad habits. Thus, the study of language would not amount

to more than studying the “parole”, the observable data.

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Mastering a language relies on Acquiring the rules underlying language performance:

the linguistic, sociolinguistic and discourse competences.

Chomsky (1999) was one of the first who rejected this approach. With his theory of

Transformational Grammar he stated “language is creative and generated, not a habit,

language derives from innate aspects of the mind and from how humans process

experience through language”. For instance, taking into account the horrific story of

‘Genie’, the feral child who suffered at the hands of her sadistic father, I would say that

this girl, because of her condition, could not be able to communicate by herself and

stimulation of her brain could not be achieved. For that reason the audio-lingual method

should not be implemented on her because she could not respond quickly and accurately

in speech situations with knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to use with grammar

patterns. Another important point of view, is tim doner’s language method which is a

clear example of how important acquisition of a second language is through interaction.

He mentioned that he used his own techniques to learn different languages through the

association of sounds, repetition, and exposure to real life situations. Since he noticed his

own process, he revealed that everything he did would help him to maintain his

pronunciation, and more importantly, help him keep the many languages separate in his

mind.

On the other hand, by applying the audio-lingual method in the English class I would

implement game-type activities in which students have to respond to questions using

the repetition and structural patterns exposed in this method. The teacher stands in

front of a class of learners sitting at their desks. She/ he asks one learner, ‘Carlos, how

are you?’ The learner responds, ‘Fine, how are you?’ The teacher continues, asking

different learners, who respond in turn. Then, if the learner is unable to produce the

response, the teacher models an utterance, mouthing the syllables first and aloud if

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necessary. In the meantime, as an English teacher, if I were in charge of an

international Company and would have to teach English and use the audio-lingual

method, I would carry out this game in order to show a different perspective about the

acquisition of a second language. Learners should always be stimulated through the

use of activities to keep them interested in what they are going to learn. In conclusion,

the audio-lingual method of repetition has been influenced by the behaviorism theory

which claimed that any human behavior can be learned and performed through a

process of stimulus, response and reinforcement.

REFERENCES

Malone,D.(2012)Readingforday2,topic2LAtheories.Retrievedfrom

https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=424992577710756&eid=ASuxODT-eWGLZcG-

D1MMobUpCBfx1UzgjQ0tfLYb1xl-wAasByIf82Ljuc-0VbLEA_w&inline=1&ext=1450136083&hash=ASukhOire4syoqno

Methods of teaching and learning (2011) Retrieved from

http://methodsofteachingandlearning.blogspot.com.co/2011/02/audiolingual-methodstructural-method.html

Huff, C (2014) Tim doner’s language Method retrieved from http://languagefan.com/timdoner/ Elysia, M (2014) The Horrific Story of ‘Genie’: the Feral Child Who Suffered at the Hands of Her Sadistic Father. Retrieved from http://firsttoknow.com/the-feral-child-who-suffered-at-the-hands-of-her-sadistic-father/

SOURCES

Davinson, R. (2011). Richard Davinson, blog. Retrieved on December 12, 2015, from

http://richardjdavidson.com/news/how-it-came-to-be/

Ghosh, A. (2010, 08 31). examiner.com. Retrieved on December 10, 2015, from www./article/classroom-interaction-part-1-definition-objectives-types-teacher-s-role-and-merits

Jenna Goudreau, F. S. (26 de April de 2012). Forbes. retrieved on December 9, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/26/the-emotional-life-of-the-brain/

Noessel, C. (2003). Interaction Design Institute. Retrieved on December 10, 2015, from http://www.interaction-ivrea.it/theses/2002-03/c.noessel/need.htm

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Social Interactions and Sociocultural Theories

José Fernando Garcia

Benavides.

Theories attempt to explain how

individual mental functioning is related to

cultural, institutional, and historical contexts.

Therefore, the focus of the sociocultural

perspective is the role participation in social

interactions and culturally organized

activities plays in influencing psychological

development.

Some authors have differed in their ideas about language acquisition. For

example, Chomsky decided to focus on the deep structured and abstractions. He says

children could not learn a language through imitation alone because the language spoken

around is structured according to the context. Also, Vygotsky emphasized interaction to

help children learn. In 1990, Swain argued that “comprehensible output”, when the

learners talk in L2 is the “gap” and a difference between L2 and what they need to say.

After that, they modify the L2 speech and pay attention to L2 grammar.

Those theories have contributed to the learning acquisition process and recently

sociocultural theory has been taken into consideration in the design of online distance

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education technologies. Research on the social context of learning has provided sufficient

evidence that traditional teacher-centeredness would be inappropriate in an online

setting. Trying to leave teacher-centered classes, learning languages in an online setting

became so important for learning many languages (like Tim Doner’s case) through

watching videos, singing songs, experiencing games, doing exercises. That way, learners

become competent when they interact with society. Also, it is an advanced toll when the

learner is immersed in that target language. That is acquisition of a second language and

subsequently it would be useful for learners to demonstrate their skills when they are

required.

On the one hand, these types of learners have the privilege of studying that way

due to their motivation for grasping language. On the other hand, not always, things

happen in a good way.

According to Chomsky, everybody is born with a Language Acquisition Device

(LAD) except for those who were born with brain damage. Sometimes, the learning

process is interrupted by unusual events like Genie Wiley’s case who had a psychopathic

father who locked her up for thirteen years. Something that is demonstrated is that human

beings have learning stages and they have to be developed. Otherwise, the brain does not

at the first stages of learning or it may be impaired.

If research were done on second language acquisition, it should be applied to how

teachers correct their students in the in the best way not to interrupt the acquisition

process or make them feel frustrated. The way teachers give feedback should be

reconsidered.

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According to Hendrickson framed question (1978) about correcting errors such as

should learners' errors be corrected? when should learners' errors be corrected? who

should do the correcting? and how should errors be corrected? These questions have been

formulated for a research in order to focus on error treatment in second language

classrooms and the way teachers should correct their learners and give the suitable form

of feedback to them.

There have been authors who express their ideas about error correction. A.J. Hoge

said that learners must not be corrected whatsoever. They just have to receive input

through listening. Korčáková, (2005) stated that errors depend on the context of the

usage. Also, as language develops, errors eventually disappear. There are types of

corrective feedback such as explicit correction, recast, elicitation, repetition, among

others.

What seems to be normal is that teachers must correct students or at least let them

correct themselves. Something that teachers have to consider that they are a resource, not

a judge. Error correction and feedback help people from each field of life. If there were a

vacant for a coordinator or for a person who knows how to train teachers for international

tests, the person with this knowledge would be ideal to get that post because he or she

besides having the basis of language, has the strategies to correct and to give feedback.

Finally, these both error correction and feedback are important in order not to

cause traumas or any disgusting situation because the correction or the feedback was not

suitable. Anyone can improve with positive feedback, too. Positive feedback tells you

what you are doing right or what works. If you know that, you can do more of it. It is true

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that you will not improve as much if you only get positive feedback. You also need to

know what isn’t working or what you are not doing well. It is always better to start giving

positive feedback.

References

Malone, S. (2012). Theories and Research of Second Language Acquisition “A strong foundation and a good bridge”. Retrieved from http://www.sil.org/sites/default/files/files/theories_and_research_of_second_language_acquisition.pdf

Hendrickson, J. (1978). Error correction in foreign language teaching: Recent theory, research, and practice. Modern Language Journal, 62, 387-398.

Tedick, D. and De Gortari, B. (May 1998). Research on Error Correction and Implications for Classroom Teaching. The Bridge: From Research to Practice, 1(3) 1-6. Retrieved from http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/acie/vol1/may1998.pdf

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English Learning Adventure

Wilfrido Muñoz Julio

First of all, students have to know how to

read and write in their mother tongue.

When this is so, they will transfer those

skills to learn, comprehend, interpret,

analyse and argue in a second language.

Children with strong foundation in their

mother tongue develop stronger literacy

abilities in the other language used.

Secondaly, pupils need to know strategies

to read and write. These techniques such as

scanning for specific information and

skimming through a reading that are

essential to get the main ideas of each paragraph to understand the whole of a text. Also

they have to learn how to plan and organize a document with cohesion and coherent

words. After all of this, they are capable of putting these abilities their mother tongue in

practice and develop in a second language. According to Bruner “learning should be

actively discovered by students rather than being passively assimilated. They should be

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encouraged to find their own, formulate conjectures and express their points of view

orally and in writing in any language”.

Additionally, learning should be stimulated in order for children to feel comfortable and

delighted with the different situations presented to develop and learn any information in

whatever context. Opposite to the case of Genie Wile who was in isolation for a long

time without being in contact with anybody and without much brain stimulation. It was

still, in a passive way and it was not correctly developed.

In this order of ideas, to help students acquire a second language, teachers should create

natural environments that aim at targeting language aspects. They should include relevant

information such as vocabulary, authentic material and language that capture students´

attention. They should use comprehensible input when presenting new words in order for

learners to make association, for instance, between new words and their meaning.

Therefore, language terms will be presented not only as text, but also as audio and

pictures or gestures that convey meaningful information.

Teachers should work with active class where students interact and are involved in their

process of learning in which they participate in different games, listen to songs,

dialogues, role playing and other with the objective that teenagers acquire a second

language through a positive and meaningful context.

In the same way, students should be competent in a second language. The need to use

language to accomplish communicative competence, that is to convey ideas well

structured and with sense in a particular context. In accordance with Canale and Swain

(1980), communicative competence as a synthesis of an underlying system of knowledge

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and skill needed for communication. In their concept of communicative competence,

knowledge refers to the (conscious or unconscious) knowledge of an individual about

language and about other aspects of language use. According to them, there are three

types of knowledge: knowledge of underlying grammatical principles, knowledge of how

to use language in a social context in order to fullfil communicative functions and

knowledge of how to combine utterances and communicative functions with respect to

discourse principles. This way students are proficient when they have developed

linguistic, sociolinguistic, strategic and pragmatic competence.

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Terminator’s Language Advantages of The Communicative Approach

Jairo Alonso Mendoza Padilla

Communicative language teaching emerged

in the 70’s and the 80’s since learning emphasis

changed from grammar to speaking. This

communicative language method, which is still

used at schools, is based on what the students need

in real situations. Its learning is based also the

social interaction inside and outside the classroom.

We all know that a variety of methods exist to

acquire a second language, but it is very important

to identify the right way to use it in our daily

practice. The fact of selecting an appropriate method lets the students learn faster and

more easily.

The communicative method, whose main supporters were Canale, and Swain,

1980, offers the learners the opportunity to grasp learning by practicing instead of

studying syntax and rules as if they were receiving class with old style, making feel them

bored and frustrated. This method certainly encourages students to speak and feel free

without thinking about structures and mistakes but meaning. This is the main reason of

the communicative approach since it is used to develop speaking skills in learning. As an

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example of the good results in this field, there is a youth Tim Doner, who learnt different

languages by himself by using social interaction, Tim was all the time exposed to real life

situations in order to improve his communicative skills. He met people from all over the

world and had his own strategies to learn new words wherever he went.

However, it does not work the same for everyone, this is the case of genie Wiley,

a young who was locked to a bed for 13 years with no human contact and no social

interaction around her. In this case she could not be exposed to social interaction since

her affective side had more importance than than the communicative one. As a result of

these two case studies, it could be said that SLA is not determined only by a method but

also by some others aspects such as social interaction, cognition, personal factors and

even the desire to learn.

Since communicative competence is our aim, it is essential that students be given

every opportunity to practice interacting. In this kind of classroom “teacher talking time”

(TTT) must be kept to a minimum. This is not to say that the teacher shouldn’t speak at

all, but TTT should be controlled and appropriate. The classroom should be learner

centered due to the fact that the teacher’s role is to facilitate student communication

which is done through careful selection of materials and activities according to the aims

of the lesson in which they are used. It means that the interaction should usually be

student to student and should include the teacher only where necessary. During most

classroom activities the teacher will monitor and intervene only when necessary.

There are many different types of activities that can provide listening, Reading

and writing. Activities used in the classroom must be selected carefully as if they are

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above the level of the students they can destroy self-confidence and if below they can

bore the students. Activities usually involve the students working together either in pairs

or in small groups.

We should now understand that the teacher's job is to get their students to

communicate using real language by providing them with instruction, practice, and above

all opportunities to produce English in activities which encourage acquisition and

fluency. During the teaching process with communicative approach, the classes should be

fun for both teacher and students and enabling students to communicate successfully.

In short, this terminator communicative approach method has no rival. who could

destroy it on account of its great weapons like strategies, abilities and qualities that make

one of the best methods ever seen before to acquire a second language.

References

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/communicative-approach

http://www.monografias.com/trabajos18/the-communicative-approach/the-communicative-approach.shtml