Language Acquisition

and
Language Learning

Compiled by
Dea Silvani
NIM. 22205269001
 Krashen’s Hypotheses about Language Acquisition

>
01.
Acquisition -
02. <

Natural Order
Learning

>
03.
Monitor
04. 05. <

Input Hypothesis Affective Filter

Hypothesis

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01
Acquisition -
Learning
 What is Language Acquisition?

The process by which humans acquire

the capacity to perceive and
comprehend language , as well as to
produce and use words and sentences to
communicate.
 Acquisition

requires
Subconscious Similar to the process
meaningful
Process that children undergo
when learning their
interaction in
native language. the target
language
 What is Language Learning?
Learning a language is a conscious process,
much like what one experiences in school. New
knowledge or language forms are represented
consciously in the learner's mind, frequently in
the form of language "rules" and "grammar" and
the process often involves error correction.
Language learning involves formal instruction,
and according to Krashen, is less effective than
acquisition.
 Acquisition vs Learning

Sub-conscious
by environment
Acquisition (Ex: games,
Picking up words
Movies, radio)

SLA

Conscious by
Knowing about
Learning instructors
Correct errors
Grammar rules
02
Natural Order
Hypothesis
Natural progression/order of language development exhibited by infants/young
children and/or second language learners (child or adult).

● Level l: Pre-Production Stage (Silent Period): Minimal comprehension, no verbal

production.

● Level II: Early Production Stage. Limited Comprehension; One/two-word

response.

● Level III: Speech Emergence Stage. Increased comprehension; Simple sentences;

Some errors in speech.

● Level IV: Intermediate Fluency Stage. Very good comprehension; More complex
sentences; Complex errors in speech.
 Language Learning in early childhood (Lightbwon & Spada, 2011)

● In the first three years (vocalization, cooing and gurgling, babbling, understanding few
repeated words, producing and combining words).
- Grammatical morphemes
(e.g. Present progressive –ing (Mommy running), plural –s (two books), auxiliary be
(He is coming), etc.
- Negation
(e.g. No milk – Daddy no comb hair/He don’t want it– You didn’t have breakfast)
- Questions
What Where and Who Why How and When
(e.g. Cookie? You like this? Why you don’t have a doll? Do you like ice cream?
Are these your dolls?)

● In the pre-school year, children master the basic structure, learn vocabulary, use language
in social environment, and develop metacognitive awareness.

● In the school year, children learn to read, develop vocabulary mastery, acquire different
language registers
● The behaviorist perspective :
Imitation : word-for word repetition of all parts of someone else’s utterance
Mother : Shall we play with the robots?
John : Play with robots

Practice : repetitive manipulation of forms

Cindy : He eats carrots. The other one eat carrots. They both eat carrots.

● Innatist perspective (Universal Grammar)

Children are biologically programmed for language and that language develops in the child just the
same way that other biological functions develop (Chomsky). Animals and humans acquire certain
kinds of knowledge and skills at specific times in life (Chomsky’s Critical Period Hypotheses).

● Interactional/ developmental perspectives

Piaget (1951) : Language can be used to represent knowledge through physical interaction with the
environment. (The development of cognitive understanding : object permanent, stability of
quantities, logical inferencing)
Vygotsky (1978) : ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development)
03
Monitor
Hypothesis
 Monitor Hypothesis
● Learning (as opposed to acquisition) serves to develop a monitor- an error detecting
mechanism that scans utterances for accuracy in order to make corrections
● Language acquisition instruction should avoid emphasis on error correction and grammar.
This might inhibit language acquisition, particularly at the early stages of language
development.
● The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning.

● The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar.

 Three conditions for a successful monitor :

The acquirer/learner Having time to

The acquirer must be
must know the rule
focused on correctness
use the
monitor
Implication of monitor hypothesis to language
learning

Krashen recommends using

the monitor at times when it
does not interfere with
communication, such as
while writing.
 04
Affective Filter
Optimal input occurs when
the "affective filter" is low
 The affective filter is a screen of emotion that can block
language acquisition or learning if it keeps the users from being
too self-conscious or too embarrassed to take risks during
communicative exchanges

'affective variables' play a facilitative, but non-causal,

role in second language acquisition include:
motivation, self-confidence and anxiety.
 Affective Filter Hypothesis
Low motivation, low self-
esteem, and debilitating
Krashen claims that
anxiety can combine to
learners with high
'raise' the affective filter
motivation, self-
and form a 'mental block'
confidence, a good self-
that prevents
image, and a low level of
comprehensible input
anxiety are better
from being used for
equipped for success in
acquisition. In other
second language
words, when the filter is
acquisition.
'up' it impedes language
acquisition.
05 The Input Hypothesis

We acquire language only when we

understand language that contains
structure that is “a little beyond”
where we are now.

This is possible because we use

more than our linguistic competence
to help us understand.
● The input hypothesis says that we acquire by “going for meaning” first, and as a
result, we acquire structure.

● Examples of input hypothesis : caretaker speech (L1) and simple codes such as
teacher’s talk and foreigner talk (L2)

● It also states that speaking fluency cannot be taught directly. It emerges over
time, on its own.

● The best way to teach speaking, according to this view, is simply to provide
comprehensible input.

● Early speech will come when the acquirer feels “ready:” It is typically not
grammatically accurate.

● Accuracy develops over time as the acquirer hears and understands more input.
 6. Second The study of the acquisition of a
Language non-primary language; that is, the
acquisition of a language beyond
Acquisition the native language. (Gass and
Salinker, 2008)
 SLA vs Foreign Language Learning (Ringbom, 1980)

In a foreign-language learning situation, the

language is not spoken in the learner's
immediate environment, although mass
media may provide opportunities for
practicing receptive skills. The learner has
little or no opportunity to use the language in
natural communication situations.
In a second-language acquisition situation, the
language is spoken in the immediate
environment of the learner, who has good
opportunities to use the language by
participating in natural communication
situations.
 In addition, the Cultural Adaption / Cultural Shock cycle for students, upon introducing
themselves to a new language and its culture is to experience the following:

1. Honeymoon: The sojourner is intrigued by the differences she or he perceives and is excited about
everything.

2. Disintegration: The differences between the cultures lead to confusion, isolation and loneliness. New
cultural cues are misread, and withdrawal and depression can occur.

3. Re-integration: The new cues are re-integrated but even though the individual has an increased ability
to function in the new culture, he rejects it and experiences anger and resentment and acts hostile and
rebellious.

4. Autonomy: The person is able to see the differences between the two cultures in a more objective way,
is able to deal with them and therefore feels more self-assured, relaxed and confident.

5. Independence: The social psychological and cultural differences are accepted and enjoyed (ibid.). And
the person is able to function in both the old and the new culture; he has achieved bi- culturality.
 PRINCIPLES OF SLA (Ellis, 2008)
1. Instruction needs to ensure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of formulaic
expressions and a rule-based competence.
2. Instruction needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning
3. Instruction needs to ensure that learners also focus on form
4. Instruction needs to focus on developing implicit knowledge of the second language
while not neglecting explicit knowledge
5. Instruction needs to take into account the learner’s built-in syllabus
6. Successful instructed language learning requires extensive second language input
7. Successful instructed language learning also requires opportunities for output
8. The opportunity to interact in the second language is central to developing second
language proficiency
9. Instruction needs to take account of individual differences in learners
10. In assessing learners’ second language proficiency, it is important to examine free
as well as controlled production
THANK YOU