An Introduction to the Second Language Acquisition

An Introduction to the Second Language Acquisition

1. What is the second language?

   • The process by which people learn a second language. Second language refers to any language learned by a person in addition to his first.

2. What factors affect SLA?

   • Internal factors: Are those that individual language learner brings with hi mor her to the particular learning situation
     • Age: Second language acquisition is influenced by the age of learner.
     • Cognition: The students with greater cognitive abilities will make the faster progress.
     • Personality: They are less likely to take advantage of opportunities to speak or to seek ou such opportunities.
     • Experiences: Learners who have acquired general knowledge and experience are in a stronger position to develop a new language than those who haven't
     • Native language: Students who are learning a second language which is from the same language family as their first language have in general

3. Critical Period Hypothesis

   • This hypothesis is linked with age, since it affirms that there is a period of growth, from early childhood to adolescence, in which it is easier to acquire the knowledge of a native language.
     • A very clear evidence for this statement is that level 2 students who begin to learn as adults cannot achieve the native speaker's competence in grammar or pronunciation, as it can be achieved more easily by a child or adolescent.

4. History of Second Language Theories and Approach

   • Krashen's theory called the monitor model has achieved considerable popularity among second language teachers in the United States. On the other hand, the theory has been seriously criticized for various reasons by researchers and second language theorists.
     • 1) The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis:
       • The adult students have two ways to internalize the target language. The first is "acquisition", a subconscious and intuitive process, similar to the process used by a child to "learn" a language. The second is the "learning" process in which students attend to form, decipher rules, and are generally aware of their own process.
     • 2) The Monitor Hypothesis
       • The Monitor is believed to alter the output of the acquired system before or after the statement is actually written or spoken, but the statement is fully started by the acquired system.
     • 3) The Natural Order Hypothesis
       • In this order of "natural" acquisition is the result of the acquired system, which operates free of conscious grammar, everything that is acquired comes naturally.
     • 4) The Input Hypothesis
       • The understandable entry is the path to acquisition, and grammar information in the target language is automatically available when the entry is understood.
     • 5) The Affective Filter Hypothesis
       • What is acquired in the second language cannot use understandable information if there is a "mental block" that prevents them from making the most of it, acting as a barrier to acquisition: if the filter is "down", the input reaches the LAD and turns into acquired competence; If the filter is "up", the inlet is blocked and does not reach the LAD.

5. Affective mastery of the acquisition of a second language.

   • The development of affective states or feelings involves a variety of personality factors, feelings both about ourselves and about others with whom we come into contact. Understanding how humans feel, respond, believe, and value is an important aspect of a second language acquisition theory.
     • Anxiety: Anxiety is associated with feelings of uneasiness, frustration, self-doubt, apprehension, or worry
     • Empathy: Is the projection of one's own personality into the personality of another to understand it better.
     • Motivation: Is commonly considered as an internal drive, drive, emotion, in learning a second language, a student will succeed with the right motivation.

6. Sociocultural perspectives on second language acquisition

   • The acquisition of a second language is also the acquisition of a second culture, since one must know well the culture of the language that one is learning is not the same culture in other countries and cities, dialects, foods, dances and human behavior change .

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