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Theoreticalapproaches toexplaining L1learning.
Behaviourism(Skinner, 1957)
Mid 20th C
HABIT FORMATION - learners'responses to external stimuli
arepositively reinforced
STIMULUS - RESPONSE -REWARD/(PUNISHMENT)
Audiolingualism + Behaviourism-
sentence pattern through drills Accuracy (over fluency); often
used as
a measure of progress
Intolerance of error = bad habitformation
De-contextualised language
Little communicative function
Innatism(Chomsky, 1957, 1959, 1965;
Lenneberg, 1967)
All languages share certainfundamental principles
Chomsky - genetically "programmed"
with an innate language learningfaculty
LAD (LANGUAGE ACQUISITIONDEVICE)
Abstract principles of biologicalmechanism
Adjusted for individual languages
According to PARAMETERS
Accounts for L1 acquisition
Idealised description of competence
Role in L2 acquisition is much lessclear
Language acquisition during CriticalPeriod (Lenneberg)
Interactionism(Piaget, 1952; Vygotsky, 1978)
Language used = Knowledge acquiredthrough physical interaction
(Piaget)
Thought = Internalized speech,emerged in social
interaction(Vygotsky)
Importance of child-directed speech
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Theoreticalapproaches toexplaining L2learning.
SecondLanguage
Acquisition(SLA)
Emerging in the wake of the failure ofBEHAVIOURISM
Based on linguistics, psychology,neurology and sociology
Data = OUTPUT learners produce,INPUT they are exposed to +
physical,psychological, contextual factors
Theories fall into three broad groups:
1. Universal Grammar (this is not atheory though)
2. Cognitive Learning Theory3. Sociocultural Learning Theory
BUT see also theories based on L2 errors
ContrastiveAnalysis
Hypothesis(Lado, 1957)
Language development = habitformation leading to positive or
negativetransfer (from L1)
UniversalGrammar
(White, 2003)
UG same in L2 or altered by otherlanguage acquisition
Natural Order/ Order of
Acquisition /Order of
Development(SLA)
The order in which grammar items arethought to be acquired
Irrespective of the learners firstlanguage/age/order in which
they are taught
Natural Order is;
1. -ing/plural -s/verb to be2. auxiliary be / articles
the/a/as3. irregular past
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4. regular past / third person sing -s /5. possessive -s
Prompted Krashens NATURALORDER HYPOTHESIS
Rules of language acquired in particularorder regardless of the
order in whichthey are taught
1970s KrashensHypotheses
Krashen ACQUISITION = non-conscious and "natural" process
ofinternalising the rules of a language1. LEARNING = conscious,
usually
classroom, study, includingattending to rules of grammar
2. Natural Order Hypothesisacquire rules of language in
apredictable order
3. Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis
acquisitionusing language/learningknowing about language
4. Monitor Hypothesisthe acquiredsystem is able to
producespontaneous speech, the learnedsystem is used to check what
isbeing spoken.
5. Input HypothesisMust becomprehensible in order to learn
6. Affective Filter Hypothesis-negative emotional response
to
environment impedes learning
Cognitive Theories(De Keyser, 1998; Pienemann,
1999; Ellis, 2002; Bates &MacWhinney, 1981 )
No special language module
Same learning processes
Importance of learning context & use ofprior language
knowledge
Information Processing approaches:SLA = building up of knowledge
calledon automaticallyAttention
Limited Processing CapacityPractice; Declarative
Knowledge;Procedural Knowledge;
AutomaticityRestructuringTransfer-appropriate processingThe
noticing hypothesisUsage-Based approaches:Linguistic experiences =
frequency ofitems in input + frequency of itemsoccurring together
(NOT rule)Saliency (cues)
The Interaction Hypothesis
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Sociocultural Theory(Vygotsky, 1990; Lentof, 2001)
Learning = social process
Social interaction the learner is assistedfrom dependency
towards autonomy
All learning = MEDIATED throughsocial and cultural activity
Scaffoldingpeer interaction with amore capable other
Through shared activity the learner isable to function
independently - fromother regulation to self-regulation
ZPD - difference between what alearner can do without help and
whathe or she can do with help
