SLA Theories

SLA Theories

1. What's the purpose of SLA theories?

   • A set of principles that tries to explain the phenomena of the language learning process.
     • Knowing the theories will help SL teachers apply the best learning methods, teach the most appropriate content, etc.
       • It should result in "learner centered" rather than "teacher centered" instruction

2. Methods differ because they emphasize different elements of the SLA process

   • To date, there is no "single" method that SLA researchers would reach a consensus about.
   • Acculturation
     • Schumann
     • Considers social and psychological integration of learner with the target language group. Pays attention to social and affective variables
       • The shorter the social distance, the better the SLA results.
       • Alberto is an example. He had a large social distance and it affected his acquisition negatively.
   • Comprehensible input
     • Krashen
     • Appropriate level (comprehensible, i+1), extensive input is needed and SLA will naturally occur.
   • Interaction hypothesis
     • Long
     • Acquisition happens when students interact in L2. Use negotiation of meaning to get modified input, which ensures that the input is at the appropriate level.
     • Also believes that significant amounts of input are needed.
   • Pushed output hypothesis
     • Swain
     • Being forced to push the language out is the trigger that helps the learner pay attention to the language and helps develop rules, or at least notice them.
   • Noticing hypothesis
     • Schmidt
     • Successful acqisition takes place when learners notice language that they produce and also what they take in.
     • Negative example was Wes in Hawaii. He will never acquire proper grammar rules because he only produced without noticing.