ACCULTURATION THEORY BY SCHUMANN

ACCULTURATION THEORY BY SCHUMANN

1. The Pidginization Process: A Model for Second Language Acquisition (1978)

   • degree of a learner’s success in second language (L2) acquisition depends upon the learner’s degree of acculturation

2. Acculturation

   • • It predicts that the degree of a learner’s success in second language (L2) acquisition depends upon the learner’s degree of acculturation.
       • social and psychological factors influence acculturation process
         • environmental-oriented model
           • Theory is about learners in society (immigrants) and not about students in society.

3. social distance

   • consists of eight factors
     • Social dominance
       • Degree of equality (subordination or domination) between the host and guest cultures.
         • If both groups are equal –less social distance- better conditions to learn
     • Integration pattern or  Assimilation, preservation, and adaptation
       • Assimilation (giving up your own lifestyle in favor of another) /acculturation/preservation (how much of your own culture you hold on to)
         • The best condition for L2 acquisition is obtained when the 2LL group wants to assimilate into the TL group.
           • • Less integration between two cultures- more distance- difficult to learn TL
     • Enclosure
       • Amount that the two groups share the same social facilities (low enclosure), or have different social facilities (high enclosure)
         • Social institutions -schools, churches, workplaces, clubs etc.
           • More sharing - more favorable the conditions for L2 acquisition More integration –less distance- better learning
     • Cohesiveness
       • Intra group contacts (cohesive), or inter group contacts (non-cohesive) The guest community tends to stay as a cohesive group.
         • The smaller and less cohesive the 2LL group, the more likely the contact with the TL group and the more favourable the conditions for L2 acquisition
     • Size
       • If the size of the learner’s group is large -Tends to facilitate intragroup contact rather than inter-group contact -Language learning difficult
     • Congruence
       • The more similar the culture of the two groups, the more likely there will be social contact and thus language acquisition.
     • Attitude
       • The more positive the views of the 2LL group toward the TL group, the more favourable will be the conditions for L2
     • Intended length of residence
       • The longer L2 learners plan to remain in the L2 environment, the more likely it is that they will feel the necessity of learning the TL
   • An individual’s position or perceived position, In relation to the target language group . This distance is not static

4. Five affective factors – psychological distance

   • Language shock
     • Disorientation caused by learning a new linguistic system
   • Culture shock
     • Stress, anxiety and fear caused when entering a new culture, the routine activities suddenly become major obstacles
   • Culture Stress
     • Prolonged culture shock, such as, homesickness, and questioning self-identity.
   • Motivation
     • Instrumental motivation: Learning new language because you need to/ require to learn it
       • Integrative motivation: Learning new language in order to meet with, talk to, learn from or find out about new language Admirers
   • Ego permeability
     • The degree to which an individual gives up their differences in favor of the target language group

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