Paper-12
Name: Ramiz M. Solanki
M. A. Sem:- 2
Roll No. 27
Batch: 2017-19
Enrolment No.2069108420180051
Paper No. 12 (ELT)
Assignment Topic: Krashen’s Five Hypotheses about SLA
Email Id: ramiz.solanki39@gmail.com
Submitted to: Department of English MKBU.
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Second-language
acquisition (SLA), second-language learning,
or L2 (language 2) acquisition, is the process by which people
learn a second language.
Second-language acquisition is also the scientific discipline devoted to
studying that process. The field of second-language acquisition is a
subdiscipline of applied linguistics,
but also receives research attention from a variety of other disciplines, such
as psychology and education.
A central theme in SLA
research is that of interlanguage, the idea that the language that
learners use is not simply the result of differences between the languages that
they already know and the language that they are learning, but that it is a
complete language system in its own right, with its own systematic rules. This
interlanguage gradually develops as learners are exposed to the targeted
language. The order in which learners acquire features of their new language
stays remarkably constant, even for learners with different native languages,
and regardless of whether they have had language instruction. However,
languages that learners already know can have a significant influence on the
process of learning a new one. This influence is known as language
transfer.
The primary factor
driving SLA appears to be the language input that learners receive. Learners
become more advanced the longer they are immersed in the language they are
learning, and the more time they spend doing free voluntary reading. The input
hypothesisdeveloped by linguist Stephen
Krashen makes a distinction between language acquisition
and language learning (acquisition–learning distinction),[1] claiming
that acquisition is a subconscious process, whereas learning is a conscious
one. According to this hypothesis, the acquisition process in L2 (Language 2)
is the same as L1 (Language 1) acquisition. The learning process is consciously
learning and inputting the language being learned.[2] However,
this goes as far as to state that input is all that is required for
acquisition. Subsequent work, such as the interaction hypothesis and
the comprehensible output
hypothesis, has suggested that opportunities for output and for interaction
may also be necessary for learners to reach more advanced levels.
Stephan Krashen’s Theory
of Second Language Acquisition.
- the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis;
- the Monitor hypothesis;
- the Natural Order hypothesis;
- the Input hypothesis;
- and the Affective Filter hypothesis.
Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) is an
expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language
acquisition and development. Much of his recent research has involved the study
of non-English and bilingual language acquisition. During the past 20 years, he
has published well over 100 books and articles and has been invited to deliver
over 300 lectures at universities throughout the United States and Canada.
This is a brief description of Krashen's widely known and
well accepted theory of second language acquisition, which has had a large
impact in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s.
Krashen's theory of second language acquisition consists of
five main hypotheses:
The Acquisition-Learning distinction
is the most fundamental of all the hypotheses in Krashen's theory and the most
widely known among linguists and language practitioners. According to Krashen
there are two independent systems of second language performance: 'the acquired
system' and 'the learned system'. The 'acquired system' or 'acquisition'
is the product of a subconscious process very similar to the process children
undergo when they acquire their first language. It requires meaningful
interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers
are concentrated not in the form of their utterances, but in the communicative
act.
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. According to Krashen 'learning' is less important than
'acquisition'. (See here
our in-depth analysis of the Acquisition/Learning hypothesis and its
implications).
The Monitor hypothesis 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. According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance
initiator, while the learning system performs the role of the 'monitor' or the
'editor'. The 'monitor' acts in a planning, editing and correcting function
when three specific conditions are met: that is, the second language learner
has sufficient time at his/her disposal, he/she focuses on form or thinks about
correctness, and he/she knows the rule.
It appears that the role of conscious learning is somewhat
limited in second language performance. According to Krashen, the role of the
monitor is - or should be - minor, being used only to correct deviations from
"normal" speech and to give speech a more 'polished' appearance.
Krashen also suggests that there is individual variation
among language learners with regard to 'monitor' use. He distinguishes those
learners that use the 'monitor' all the time (over-users); those learners who
have not learned or who prefer not to use their conscious knowledge
(under-users); and those learners that use the 'monitor' appropriately (optimal
users). An evaluation of the person's psychological profile can help to
determine to what group they belong. Usually extroverts are under-users, while
introverts and perfectionists are over-users. Lack of self-confidence is
frequently related to the over-use of the "monitor".
The Natural Order hypothesis is
based on research findings (Dulay & Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975; Makino, 1980
cited in Krashen, 1987) which suggested that 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.
The Input hypothesis is Krashen's
attempt to explain how the learner acquires a second language – how second
language acquisition takes place. 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, Krashen suggests that natural
communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in
this way that each learner will receive some 'i + 1' input that is appropriate
for his/her current stage of linguistic competence.
Finally, the fifth hypothesis, 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 and
anxiety. Krashen claims that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a
good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in
second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating
anxiety can combine to 'raise' the affective filter and form a 'mental block'
that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. In other
words, when the filter is 'up' it impedes language acquisition. On the other
hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for
acquisition to take place.
The
Role of Grammar in Krashen's View
According to Krashen, the study of the structure of the
language can have general educational advantages and values that high schools
and colleges may want to include in their language programs. It should be
clear, however, that examining irregularity, formulating rules and teaching
complex facts about the target language is not language teaching, but rather is
"language appreciation" or linguistics.
The only instance in which the teaching of grammar can
result in language acquisition (and proficiency) is when the students are
interested in the subject and the target language is used as a medium
of instruction. Very often, when this occurs, both teachers and students are
convinced that the study of formal grammar is essential for second language
acquisition, and the teacher is skillful enough to present explanations in the
target language so that the students understand. In other words, the teacher talk
meets the requirements for comprehensible input and perhaps with the
students" participation the classroom becomes an environment suitable for
acquisition. Also, the filter is low in regard to the language of explanation,
as the students" conscious efforts are usually on the subject matter,
on what is being talked about, and not the medium.
This is a subtle point. In effect, both teachers and
students are deceiving themselves. They believe that it is the subject matter
itself, the study of grammar, that is responsible for the students"
progress, but in reality their progress is coming from the medium and not the
message. Any subject matter that held their interest would do just as well.
Bibliography
Wikipedia, Contributers. Second Language
Acquisition. 06 October 2018. 04 November 2018
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Second-language_acquisition&id=862828567>.
https://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash-english.html
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