SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITIONSECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

AFFECTIVE FACTORS IN SLAAFFECTIVE FACTORS IN SLA

Does/is the learner;Does/is the learner;

1.1. Know at least one language? Know at least one language?

2.2. Cognitively mature?Cognitively mature?

3.3. Have a well developed metaling. awaremess?Have a well developed metaling. awaremess?

4.4. Have an extensive knowledge of the world?Have an extensive knowledge of the world?

5.5. Anxious about making mistakesAnxious about making mistakes

6.6. Exposed to an environment s/he has to speak or not?Exposed to an environment s/he has to speak or not?

7.7. Have time to practice?Have time to practice?

8.8. Receive corrective feedback in terms of grammar?Receive corrective feedback in terms of grammar?

9.9. Receive corrective feedback in terms of meaning?Receive corrective feedback in terms of meaning?

10.10. Have access to modified input?Have access to modified input?

LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS AND LEARNING CONDITIONSLEARNER CHARACTERISTICS AND LEARNING CONDITIONS

+ usually-- usually absent? sometimes

EXPLAINING SLA: BEHAVIOURISMEXPLAINING SLA: BEHAVIOURISM

AUDIOLINGUALAUDIOLINGUAL method method Classroom activities that emphasize mimicry and Classroom activities that emphasize mimicry and

memorizationmemorization Repeated practice of sentence patterns and dialoguesRepeated practice of sentence patterns and dialogues

The Contrastive Analysis HypothesisThe Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis

EXPLAINING SLA: BEHAVIOURISMEXPLAINING SLA: BEHAVIOURISM

The Contrastive Analysis HypothesisThe Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis

comparison of linguistic structures in the learning task between the native comparison of linguistic structures in the learning task between the native language and the target language.language and the target language.

since learning is habit formation, similar patterns will be learned more easily.since learning is habit formation, similar patterns will be learned more easily.

ReactionReaction: InterLanguage Approach – comes from the innatist perspective: InterLanguage Approach – comes from the innatist perspective

INNATISMINNATISM

A UG approach to SLAA UG approach to SLA The Hypothesis:The Hypothesis: UG principles are available to SLL after critical period, but may be UG principles are available to SLL after critical period, but may be

altered by the acquisition of the first languagealtered by the acquisition of the first language The Problematic Aspect: The Problematic Aspect: Experiments on CPHExperiments on CPH

The Interlanguage approach (Corder (1967), Selinker(1972))The Interlanguage approach (Corder (1967), Selinker(1972))

Learners were viewed as active and rational agents who engaged in the discovery of underlying L2 rules.

Error analysis

Krashen’s monitor modelKrashen’s monitor model

INNATISMINNATISM

KRASHEN’S MONITOR MODELKRASHEN’S MONITOR MODEL

1.1. Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis:Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis:

2.2. Monitor Hypothesis: Monitor Hypothesis: Learned system is an editor for the acquired system

3. Natural order hypothesis: Unfolding in certain sequences

4. The Input Hypothesis: the famous i+1, whatever it is !

5. Affective filter hypothesis: may be the best part of the whole theory!!

Some criticism: can be tested empirically?how do we differentiate between acquired or learned?

APPLICATION OF KRASHENAPPLICATION OF KRASHEN

The Communicative ApproachThe Communicative Approach

No No apparent instruction of grammar forms apparent instruction of grammar forms Content based curriculum design/skill based rather than grammar based ordering Content based curriculum design/skill based rather than grammar based ordering of topicsof topicsExposure to comprehensible inputExposure to comprehensible input

(a) the core ingredient of additional language learning is meaningful, comprehensible input;

(b) the processes of additional language acquisition are implicit and subconscious and any explicit and conscious processes that may be summoned in the classroom can only help careful monitored performance but will have little effects on true language knowledge or on spontaneous performance

(c) the main obstacles to additional language learning for adults stemfrom affective inhibitions.

COGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACHCOGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH

Information ProcessingInformation Processing

building up of knowledge that can eventually be called on automatically forbuilding up of knowledge that can eventually be called on automatically for speaking and understanding. speaking and understanding.

learners have to pay attention at first to any aspect of thelearners have to pay attention at first to any aspect of the language that they are trying to understand or producelanguage that they are trying to understand or produce..

learners at the earliest stages will use most oflearners at the earliest stages will use most of theirtheir resources to understand the main words in a messageresources to understand the main words in a message..

Through Through experience and practice, information that was new becomes easier toexperience and practice, information that was new becomes easier to process, and learners become able process, and learners become able to access it quickly and even automatically.to access it quickly and even automatically.

This frees them to pay attention to other aspects of the language that, inThis frees them to pay attention to other aspects of the language that, in turn, gradually become automatic. turn, gradually become automatic.

'practice' needed for the development of automaticity is not limited to the production of language.'practice' needed for the development of automaticity is not limited to the production of language.

Exposure to, and comprehension of, a language feature may also be countedExposure to, and comprehension of, a language feature may also be counted as practice. In information processing, as practice. In information processing, practice involves cognitive effort onpractice involves cognitive effort on the part of the learner, but it need not necessarily be available for the learnerthe part of the learner, but it need not necessarily be available for the learner ’s ’s introspection. It can occur below the level of awareness.introspection. It can occur below the level of awareness.

COGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH: ConnectionismCOGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH: Connectionism(also emergentist)(also emergentist)

No innate abilityNo innate ability the emphasis is on the frequency with which learners encounter specific linguistic features in the input

and the frequency with which features occur together. (Neural) Networks between situational and linguistic contexts = connectionism presence of one situational or linguistic element will activate the other(s) in the learner's mind The more learners hear a linguistic structure, the stronger the connections between the linguistic items

between those structures learners might get subject verb agreement correct, not because they know a rule but because they have

heard examples such as 'I say' and 'he says' so often that each subject pronoun activates the correct verb form.

Transfer appropriate processing Empiricist, associationist, generalist view.

COGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH (also emergentist) COGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH (also emergentist) A neural network consists of large number of units joined together in a pattern of connections. Units in a net are usually segregated into three classes: input units, which receive information to be processed, output units where the results of the processing are found, and units in between called hidden units. If a neural net were to model the whole human nervous system, the input units would be analogous to the sensory neurons, the output units to the motor neurons, and the hidden units to all other neurons.Each input unit has an activation value that represents some feature external to the net. An input unit sends its activation value to each of the hidden units to which it is connected. Each of these hidden units calculates its own activation value depending on the activation values it receives from the input units. This signal is then passed on to output units or to another layer of hidden units. Those hidden units compute their activation values in the same way, and send them along to their neighbors.

COGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH: SLA APPLICATIONSCOGNITIVE SCIENCE APPROACH: SLA APPLICATIONS

““structures that are easier to process, that take up less amount of mental effort, are structures that are easier to process, that take up less amount of mental effort, are acquired first by the learners” acquired first by the learners”

Which Cognitive Abilities require what kind of mental effort?Which Cognitive Abilities require what kind of mental effort?

1. 1. Paying attention to and noticing structuresPaying attention to and noticing structures: : requires a good deal of mental effort, requires a good deal of mental effort, so learners can’t pay attention to every single detail at first. Only pay so learners can’t pay attention to every single detail at first. Only pay

attention to main words, do not realize the morphological markers.attention to main words, do not realize the morphological markers.

2. 2. Automatization:Automatization: Noticed structures get easier to process. Does not require a Noticed structures get easier to process. Does not require a lot of mental effort to process them.lot of mental effort to process them.

3. As information and strucutures are automatizes, mental focus can be given to meaning 3. As information and strucutures are automatizes, mental focus can be given to meaning and text processing. and text processing.

4. Transfer appropriate processing4. Transfer appropriate processing

COGS PERSPECTIVE: SLA APPLICATIONSCOGS PERSPECTIVE: SLA APPLICATIONS

Interaction hypothesisInteraction hypothesis

Modified conversational interactionModified conversational interaction

1. interactional modification makes input comprehensible1. interactional modification makes input comprehensible2. comprehensible input promotes acquisition2. comprehensible input promotes acquisition3. interactional modification promotes acquisition3. interactional modification promotes acquisition

Types of interactional modificationTypes of interactional modificationelaborationelaborationslower speech rateslower speech rategesturesgesturescomprehension checkscomprehension checksclarification requestsclarification requests

self-repetition/paraphraseself-repetition/paraphrase

COGS PERSPECTIVE: SLA APPLICATIONSCOGS PERSPECTIVE: SLA APPLICATIONS

Noticing HypothesisNoticing Hypothesis

nothing is learned unless it has been noticed. Noticing doesnothing is learned unless it has been noticed. Noticing does not itself result in not itself result in acquisition, but it is the essential starring point.acquisition, but it is the essential starring point.

The extent to which learners' awareness of language affects theirThe extent to which learners' awareness of language affects their second language second language development?? development??

Consciousness??Consciousness??

Processability HypothesisProcessability Hypothesis““structures that are easier to process, that take up less amount of mental effort, structures that are easier to process, that take up less amount of mental effort, are acquired easier by the learners” are acquired easier by the learners”

THE SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACHTHE SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACH

Lev VygotskyLev Vygotsky Language development as a result of social interactionsLanguage development as a result of social interactions Conversations motivate thinking, which makes learners to gain control over Conversations motivate thinking, which makes learners to gain control over

their mental abilities.their mental abilities. It is through interaction that higher order thinking emerges, the place where It is through interaction that higher order thinking emerges, the place where

this is most likely to be facilitated is the zone of proximal development; ZPD.this is most likely to be facilitated is the zone of proximal development; ZPD. ZPD: ZPD: the distance between the actual developmental level [of the learner] as determined

by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers

More capable peers (and teachers) aid or ‘scaffold’ learners in the ZPD, thus contributing a socially oriented rationale for interactive and collaborative pair and group work (Lantolf 2000).

Task-based cirriculum: learning by doing, semantic and procedural syllabi