SCHOOL:

NOMBRES:

PSYCHOLOGY AND LANGUAGE LEARNING

FECHA: OCTUBRE – FEBRERO 2008

1

Lic. Eliana Pinza

Languages

When we talk about what is being acquired in SLA, it is not enough just to talk about the language itself. We must also include the social and cultural knowledge embedded in the language being learned, that is required for appropriate language use.

Social contexts of Second Language acquisition

Communicative competence

What a speaker needs to know to communicate appropriately within a particular language community

It involves knowing: Vocabulary, phonology, grammar, and other

aspects of linguistic structure. When to speak (or not), what to say to whom, and

how to say it appropriately in any given situation. The social and cultural knowledge which enables

speakers to use and interpret linguistic forms.

Language community refers to a group of people who share knowledge of a common language.

There are two levels of context that affect language learning which are:

Microsocial Factors (potential effects of different surrounding circumstances)

Macrosocial Factors (relates SLA to broader cultural, political, and educational environments)

Microsocial factors Variation in learner language

L2 learner language is highly variable sometimes due to changes that occur in what learners know and can produce as they progressively achieve higher levels of proficiency.

There is a variation in learners’ L2 production at every stage along the way of their social context.

Linguistic contexts

Psychological contexts

Elements of language form and function associated with the variable element. For example: COMING BRING

Factor associated with the amount of attention which is being given to language form during production, the level of automacity versus control in processing, or the intellectual demands of a particular task.

For example: THIS IS A NICE CAR

Microsocial contextsFeatures of situation and interaction which relate to communicative events within which language is being produced, interpreted, and negotiated.

These include

• level of formality• participants’ relationship to one another

• if the interaction is public or intimate.

Linguistic and psychological perspectivesVariation that occurs in learners’

language as they develop increasing competence over a period of time

Social perspectives Variation occurs in

different contexts at a single point of time

Microsocial contexts

ACCOMMODATION THEORY

Speakers change their pronunciation and even the grammatical complexity of sentences they use to sound more like whomever they are talking to

Native speakers tend to simplify their language when they are talking to an L2 learner who is not fluent

L2 learners may acquire somewhat different varieties of the target language when they have different friends

Input and Interaction

Language input to the learner is necessary for either L1 or L2 learning to take place

Followers of behaviorist learning theories

Input is important to form the stimuli and feedback which learners respond to and imitate

Nature of input modification Language addressed by L1 speakers to L2

learners is different from the one addressed to native speakers

Utterances by native speakers to language learners are grammatical, simplified input may omit some obligatory elements. For example: ___ you like it?

FOREIGNER TALK• Long pauses • Careful articulation• Retention of full forms

Nature of interactional modifications

Social interaction is essential for L1 acquisition

“No children can learn their initial language just by listening to tape recordings, radio broadcast or

television programs.”

• For L2 learners interaction is essential but not absolutely necessary

Useful types of modifications Repetition allows nonnative speakers more time for

processing and an opportunity to confirm perception.

Paraphrase allows NNSs to cast a wider net for words they recognize and may increase their vocabulary

Expansion and elaboration offers models of important utterances that permit NNSs to produce language

Sentence Completion and frames for substitution provide NNSs with words of language from NSs which they can use in subsequent turns to talk.

Vertical construction allows NNSs to construct discourse beyond their current independent means.

Comprehension checks and requests for clarification by NSs focus NNSs’ attention on segments of sentences which are unclear

FeedbackFeedback from NSs makes NNSs aware that their use is not acceptable and provides a model for correctness.Corrective feedback is necessary for most learns to reach native-

like levels of proficiency

Negative feedback

oDirect correction: what cannot or must be saidexplanations related to points of grammar and use

“That is the wrong word”

Intake to cognitive processing

Input contributes to acquisition only if it becomes intake not if it goes in one ear and out the other.

According to the interaction Hypothesis, social interaction facilitates SLA because they contribute to the accessibility of input for mental processing: “negotiation for meaning”

Some learners are more successful than others includes the degree of access to social experience which allows for negotiation of meaning and corrective feedback.

Interaction as the genesis of languageAccording to Sociocultural Theory, learning

occurs when simple innate mental activities are transformed into more complex mental functions.

This transformation involves:

Symbolic mediation (a link between a person’s current mental state and complex mental functions) that is provided by language

The results of learning through mediation include learners’ awareness of their own mental abilities and more control over their thought processes.

Interpersonal interaction (communicative events and situations which occur between people)

According to S-C Theory, mental functions that are beyond an individual’s current level must be performed in collaboration with other people.

Others help the learner in language development through scaffolding (verbal guidance) which happens with a learner as an active participant.(For example, a teacher providing help to a student when performing any task)

Intrapersonal interaction (communication that occurs within an individual’s own mind)

When translating to oneself Private speech (the self-talk in which many

children are engaged) provides good evidence that even when are not interacting with other, they are assimilating input.

Audible private speech (engages adult learners) takes place where imitation or other controlled response to linguistic input is considered normal behavior.

Private writing in which individuals record language forms and other meaningful symbols on paper to help store items in memory, organize thought, solve problems without intent to communicate with other.

Macrosocial factors• How identity, status, and values influence

L2 outcomes

• Global and national status of L1 and L2 Languages have power and status at global

and national levels for both symbolic and practical reasons.

• For example, In the USA, people consider English as the single national language which is important for national unity.

The need for L2 learning at a national level is strongest when groups from other languages backgrounds immigrate to a country without prior knowledge of its dominant language

The need for L2 learning at a global level is motivated by control of and access to resources in areas of commerce and information transfer.

Boundaries and identitiesLinguistic boundaries serve

To unify speakers as members of one language community

To exclude outsiders from insider communication. Crossing a linguistic boundary to participate in

another language community and to identify or be identified with it, requires learning that language, in addition to learning the culture of that community and adapting to those values and behavioral patterns.

Institutional forces and constraints Social institutions involve power, authority,

and influence related to SLA; the forces and constraints which are related to:

social control, determination of access to knowledge, and other instances of linguistic privilege or discrimination For example: Admission to universities and

professional schools in some countries requires prior study of a foreign language (often English)

Social categories People are categorized according to

AGE SEX ETHNICITY EDUCATION LEVEL OCCUPATION ECONOMIC STATUS

They influence what experiences they have, how they are perceived by other, and what is expected of them

Circumstances of learning

The nation that learner lives in and its history, culture, and geopolitical position, and to social and economic categorizations within the society, which in turn are related to historical, institutional, and political forces and constraints, all of which are related to and reflect the status of the languages involved.

Acquiring knowledge for L2 use

Competence and Use Communicative competence combines:

Linguistic competence (knowledge of language, knowledge of the specific components and levels of a language)

Knowledge required for their appropriate use in communicative activities.

Competence requires

Cultural knowledge

Content ContextLinguisti

c elements

Language use

The ability to use language appropriately includes:

Pragmatic competence (what people must know in order to interpret and convey meaning within communicative situations)

The relationship of knowledge among domains of content, context, culture, language form and structure, and language use is dynamic, interactive and constitutive

Academic vs. interpersonal competence

Academic competence Knowledge needed by learners

who want to use the L2 primarily to

Learn about other subjects

The activities that have highest priority are receptive:

Reading Listening

Academic vs. interpersonal competence

Interpersonal competence Knowledge required of learners who

plan to use the L2 primarily in face-to-face

contact with other speakers.

The activities that have highest priority are oral:

ListeningSpeaking

Components of language knowledge

Language has been divided by linguists into the following components:

VOCABULARY (lexicon)

MORPHOLOGY (word structure)

PHONOLOGY (sound system)

SYNTAX (grammar)

DISCOURSE (ways to connect sentences and organize information)

VOCABULARY

It is the most important level of L2 knowledge for all learners to develop (for academic or interpersonal competence)

There is a core of high frequency words in a language that everyone needs to learn.

The core vocabulary in every language includes:

Function words a limited set of terms thatcarry primarily grammatical

information

Types of knowledge which contribute to effective use of context for vocabulary

learning

Linguistic knowledge

Syntactic information;

Constraints on possible word meaning;

Patterns in word structure;

Meaning of sorrounding words

World knowledge

Understanding of the concepts which the word represent

Familiarity with related conceptual frameworks

Awareness of social associations

Strategic knowledge Control over cognitive resources

MORPHOLOGY

L2 learning at the level of morphology can be important for vocabulary development as well as for achieving grammatical accuracy

Words used for academic communication are characteristically longer than words used for interpersonal communication

Suffixes may convert adjectives to verbs or nouns, verbs to nouns, nouns to adjectives or verbs, and adjectives to adverbs For example:

Friend (noun) + ly = Friendly (adjective)

Grammatical accuracy in many languages requires knowledge of the word parts that carry meanings such as tense, aspect, and number (called inflections)

For example:going worked

PHONOLOGY Proficiency in phonological perception is

required for listening if learners studying other subjects through the medium of L2

Comprehensible pronunciation is needed for speaking in most educational settings

Higher level of proficiency in production is required if researchers are using the second language to teach others

Priority of pronunciation remains low compared to vocabulary and syntax

As a component of interpersonal competence, proficiency in phonological perception and intelligible production are successful spoken communication

A significant degree of foreign accent is acceptable

Native or near-native pronunciation is usually needed only when learners want to identify socially with the L2 language communicative for affective purposes or for communicative goals

Transfer from L1 to L2 phonology occurs in both listening and speaking

It can be found for some aspects of

phonological systems, including syllable structure

Learners sometimes maximize a difference between L1 and L2 (exaggeration)

SYNTAX All languages have structures for making

statements, asking questions, and denying assertions.

Sentences in all languages consist of subject predicate

a verb, objects + phrases (time, place, frequency, manner, goal, source, or purpose)

The order of elements, and degree of flexibility in their order, may differ radically.

Most languages have ways to vary the basic order to some extent for various reasons, including focus, information structure, and style.

For example in English:

SVO Peter reads a book

Grammatical structures used for interpersonal functions are much more likely to be short, simple sentences.

For example:

Ok, right,

it’s, don’t

It includes: Sequential indicators (connect phrases,

clauses, or longer units of written or spoken text) For example: first, then, finally, etc

Logical connectors (indicate cause-effect, contrast, and addition of information) For example: because, on the other hand,

furthermore, etc.

DISCOURSE

Academic and interpersonal domains involve genres.

Academic genres include research, lectures, and book reviews The development of academic discourse competence

requires reading and hearing a great deal of academic texts.

Interpersonal genres include conversations, service encounters and letters The development of interpersonal discourse requires

opportunity for social interaction and the input and feedback that it produces.

RECEPTIVE ACTIVITIES

READING

• It is the most important area of activity for individuals to engage in for the development of L2 academic competence and for interpersonal functions

• It provides significant input related to technological developments, world news, and scientific discoveries

• Fluency in reading is an essential aspect of academic competence which takes time to develop in either L1 or L2.

• Developing fluency in reading requires acquiring sufficient knowledge specially of vocabulary, grammar and discourse structure

Functions for reading in academic settings

Reading to find informationReading for general understanding Reading to learnReading to critique and evaluate

LISTENING

• Listening is an important activity for learners:

To participate in oral interpersonal communication

To receive information from oral sources.

Listening to academic lectures has the potential to be reciprocal depending on whether listeners have the opportunity to participate in discussion.

Reciprocal communication requires learners to speak as well as to listen

Non-reciprocal communication requires listener to process input and construct meaning without being able to request repetition

Video-recording television programs can provide a useful source for listening practice

PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES

WRITING

• It is the most important productive activity for L2 learners to develop

• It is a common medium for testing knowledge

• Many professionals and occupations require a high level of L2 proficiency in writing

• Effective academic writing requires considerable knowledge of:

• vocabulary, morphology and syntax,

• mechanisms of orthographic representations and conventions related to style and organization.

SPEAKING

It is a very important area of activity for L2 learners if they will be using the language for interpersonal purposes.

There is need for speaking in situations where L2 learners participate in the L2 community

Tourists generally need to ask directions Immigrants need to shop for goods Foreign students need to negotiate

transactions for housing and also express in an academic or professional speech

In order to have a successful participation in conversational speech activities learners must have:

Knowledge of conversational structure

Knowledge of contextualization cues

Knowledge of communication

Linguistic, psychological, and social perspectiveson SLA focused on what, how, and why questions

What exactly does the L2 learner come to know?

A system of knowledge about second language Patterns of current elements How to encode particular concepts in the L2 Pragmatic competence

L2 Learning and teaching

Means for using the L2 in communicative activitiesHow to select among multiple language systemCommunicative competence

How does the learner acquire L2 knowledge?

Innate capacityApplication of prior knowledgeProcessing of language input

Interaction Restructuring of the L2 knowledge system Mapping of relationships or associations Automatization

Why are some learners more successful than others?

Social context Social experience

Relationship of L1 and L2 Age Aptitude Motivation Instruction

Implications for L2 learning and teaching

Consider the goals for learning an additional language

Set priorities compatible for those goals Approach learning/teaching tasks involved in

linguistic, psychological and social Understand the potential strengths and limitations

of particular learners There is no one “best” way to learn or teach a

second language Be patient. Learning a language takes time

Questions?

THANK YOU