Second Language Acquisition

Second Language Acquisition

1. Input Hypothesis

   • Stephen Krashen
   • We all acquire language in the same way. When teaching a toddler new words, we often will point to an object and name it. Therefore, we need to have a similar system for SLA students. If we simply speak English repeatedly to a student who is not proficient in it, then repeating our words emphatically will not help them. However, if we were to provide students a visual aid to help convey our message, then not only will they have a greater understanding of the content but the language as well.

2. Six Stages of Language Acquisition

   • Kristina Robertson & Karen Ford
   • Pre-Production: aka "the silent period"; When the student takes in the new language but does not speak it.
     • Early Production: The individual begins to speak using short words and sentences, but the emphasis is still on listening. There will be many errors.
       • Speech Emergent: Speech becomes more frequent, words and sentences are longer, but the individual still relies heavily on context clues and familiar topics.
         • Beginning Fluency: Speech is fairly fluent in social situations with minimal errors. New contexts and academic language are challenging still.
           • Intermediate Fluency: Communicating in the second language is fluent, especially in social language situations. The individual is able to speak almost fluently in new situations and in academic areas, but where are gaps in vocabulary knowledge and some unknown expressions.
             • Advanced Fluency: The individual communicates fluently in all contexts and can maneuver successfully in new contexts and when exposed to new academic information. The individual may use expressions incorrectly at times, but is essentially fluent and comfortably communicating.
   • Knowing these stages, teachers can use more effective strategies appropriate for each stage in order to ensure that SLA students receive the support they need while trying to acquire a second language.
   • I found the Can Do Chart very useful.

3. BICS v. CALP

   • Jim Cummins
   • BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills
   • CALP: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
   • People are able to pick up certain aspects of a language at varying proficiencies. They may learn conversational skills faster than academic test-taking vocabulary.
   • In the video, it was mentioned how teachers were confused that some of their SLA students seemed to be excelling in English conversationally but lagging behind in their test scores. This theory can help explain that and help teachers realize that the appearance of the mastery of English does not always mean SLA students have mastered it nor that they do not need help.

4. L1 & L2 Acquisition

   • Those who are learning a second language actually experience things in much the same way as those who are learning a first language. For instance, both require interaction understand more when input is modified, develop language in predictable stages, and make developmental errors. However, they differ substantially as well. For example, L2 Learners are usually cognitively developed, have a greater knowledge of the world, can learn and apply rules more easily, and is familiar with one or more cultures, but they made also have a problem with motivation to acquire a new language and are more likely to be anxious.
   • A second language is best learned between the age of 2 and puberty.
     • Lateralization, theoretically complete by puberty, makes it more difficult to learn a second language.
   • C. B. Balaban
   • Proficiency
     • Gramatical Competence
     • Sociolinguistic Competence
     • Discourse Competence
     • Strategic Competence
     • Proficiency in BICS (ability to converse and understand everyday discussions) may take between two to three years. Meanwhile, proficiency in CALP (ability to write, speak, and listen at an academic level) make take anywhere from four to ten years.

5. Universal Grammar

   • All human language rests on innate building blocks of language, such as verbs, nouns and adjectives, though different languages use them in different ways. As we are exposed to more and more syntax (sentence structure), we develop an innate sense of syntax rules that conform to our language.
   • Noam Chomsky
   • Native speakers often know the limitations of their language; that is, which syntactic expressions are acceptable and which are restricted. Language learners, however, do not have this innate knowledge.
   • By recognizing these basic building blocks of all languages that we often don’t think too much of, we can not only be more conscious of how to help SLA students but also how to relate English to their first language.

6. Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis

   • Stephen Krashen
   • Acquisition: developing ability in a language by using it in natural communicative situations
   • Learning: having a conscious knowledge about grammar
   • When learning a language, students are taught the formal aspects of said language, such as spelling regularities, mechanics, word forms, suffixes and prefixes.Most learning occurs inside of the classroom, though classrooms may foster acquisition too.
   • ELLs pay little attention to grammatical forms and instead concentrate on understanding and communicating meaningful messages.
   • Both learning and acquisition are important in classroom language development, but Krashen feels "language acquisition is the central, most important means for gaining linguistic skills even for an adult." Therefore, teachers must foster language acquisition as well as learning by promoting discussions and activities in which students are encouraged to interact conversationally with each other.

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