Psycholinguistics

Psycholinguistics

1. Psycholinguistics is the field of study in which researchers investigate the psychological processes involved in the use of language, including language comprehension, language production, and first and second language acquisition.

   • Positive & Negative Transfer
     • Positive transfer occurs when the prior knowledge benefits the learning task, that is, when a previous item is correctly applied to present subject matter. Negative transfer occurs when the previous performance disrupts the performance on a second task.
   • Krashen's 5 hypothesis
     • Acquisition-Learning
       • According to Krashen there are two independent systems of foreign language performance: 'the acquired system' and 'the learned system'.
         • The "learned system" or "learning" is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge 'about' the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules. A deductive approach in a teacher-centered setting produces "learning", while an inductive approach in a student-centered setting leads to "acquisition".
     • The Monitor
       • explains the relationship between acquisition and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar.
         • The 'monitor' acts in a planning, editing and correcting function when three specific conditions are met:
           • - The second language learner has sufficient time at their disposal. - They focus on form or think about correctness. - They know the rule.
     • The Input hypothesis
       • The Input hypothesis is only concerned with 'acquisition', not 'learning'. According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses along the 'natural order' when he/she receives second language 'input' that is one step beyond his/her current stage of linguistic competence.
         • For example, if a learner is at a stage 'i', then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to 'Comprehensible Input' that belongs to level 'i + 1'. Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic competence at the same time
     • The Affective Filter hypothesis
       • embodies Krashen's view that a number of 'affective variables' play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition. These variables include: motivation, self-confidence, anxiety and personality traits.
         • Krashen claims that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, a low level of anxiety and extroversion are better equipped for success in second language acquisition.
           • Low motivation, low self-esteem, anxiety, introversion and inhibition can raise the affective filter and form a 'mental block' that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition.
     • Natural Order hypothesis
       • the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a 'natural order' which is predictable. For a given language, some grammatical structures tend to be acquired early while others late. This order seemed to be independent of the learners' age, L1 background, conditions of exposure, and although the agreement between individual acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of language acquisition.
         • Krashen however points out that the implication of the natural order hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus should be based on the order found in the studies. In fact, he rejects grammatical sequencing when the goal is language acquisition.
   • ANALIZING A CLASS VIDEO
     • Comprehensible input
       • He started out asking question for example Who is intelligent, smart, brave etc… and asked to raise up their hand the person who raised their hand had to understand and then provided instructions to make teams. When he was organizing the students and giving instructions to put the backpack in a specific place. His language was simple and easy to understand and students where able to follow instructions
     • Affective filter hypothesis
       • At the beginning he started out talking to the students in a fun and interactive way by letting them know how to participate and this makes a bigger confidence between the students, he motivates them to get up and do physical activity not just be sitting down and forced to learn.
     • Learning / acquisition hypothesis
       • Because the teacher was only speaking English and has no translation in his class the students are forced to concentrated on the interaction and the communication, they will not be waiting for the translation in a subconscious way as they will be concentrated in the communicative act
   • Noticing Hyphothsis
     • is a concept used in second language acquisition proposed by Richard Schmidt in 1990. Schmidt identified three aspects of consciousness which encompasses awareness, intention, and knowledge. In that, noticing is considered as a low level of awareness. According to Schmidt, two levels of awareness include awareness at the level of noticing and awareness at the level of understanding. He claimed that while awareness at the level of noticing is the vital and sufficient condition for language learning, awareness at the level of understanding can facilitate second language acquisition but it is unnecessary.