Language Acquisition vs.

Learning a Language

Magda Enriquez-BeitlerOne Click! Your Solution

Communication is a pre-requisite for learning

Linguistic knowledge

Metalinguistic knowledge

Discussion

The Behaviorist

Model

The Chomsky

Revolution

Several implications for instruction

1 - The need for a Language acquisition-rich environment.

2- The learner needs to communicate and is pushed to communicate.

3 - There is abundant opportunity for negotiating meaning.

4- There is abundant opportunity for children to communicate in a social context.

Krashen & The NaturalApproach

Krashen focuses on

Input'interlanguage

+ 1' level =

Emotional preparedness for acquisition to take place

ComprehensibleInput

THE NATURAL APPROACH

5 Hypothesis

Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis

1

"There are two independent ways of developing ability in second languages. 'Acquisition' is a subconscious process identical in all important ways to the process children utilize in acquiring their first language, ... [and] ‘learning’... [which is] a conscious process that results in 'knowing about' [the rules of] language" (Krashen 1985:1).

Natural Order Hypothesis

2

The acquisition of grammatical structures proceeds in a predicted progression. Certain grammatical structures or morphemes are acquired before others in L1 acquisition and there is a similar natural order in L2

Input Hypothesis

3

People acquire language best by understanding input that is a little beyond their present level of competence

Monitor Hypothesis4

1.        Second language learners have two means for internalizing the target language:

1 - 'acquisition' which is a subconscious and intuitive process of constructing the system of a language. 2 - conscious learning process in which learners attend to form, figure out rules and are generally aware of their own process. The 'monitor' should play a minor role editing and making alterations or corrections as they are consciously perceived. Students should do as much acquiring as possible for the purpose of achieving communicative fluency. Krashen suggests three conditions for its use: ( 1)   there must be enough time( 2)   the focus must be on form and not on meaning (3)   the learner must know the rule

Affective Filter Hypothesis

5

The learner's emotional state is like an adjustable filter which freely passes or hinders input necessary to acquisition. The filter is 'affective' because the factors which regulate its strength are self-confidence, motivation and anxiety state

Characteristics of an Effective Program

Supportive whole-school contexts

High expectations for language minority students

Frequentstudent interaction

Intensive staff development programs

Expert instructional leaders and teachers

Teachers withhigh commitment

Emphasis on functional communication

Organization of the instruction

Principals supportive

of their instructional

staff and of teacher

autonomy

Involvement of majority and minority parents

The ESL Classroom

Teachers adapt their language to the proficiency level of the students.

Teachers use English as the medium for providing content area instruction,

There are abundant opportunities for teachers and students to negotiate meaning.

Instruction focuses on content rather than language.

Teachers use gestures and visual aids to help students understand.

Principles operating in an ESL classroom

Focus is on meaning rather than on form. There is no overt error correction. Linguistic modifications, such as simplified or caretaker speech and controlled vocabulary and sentence length are used.

Subject matter concepts are presented using contextual clues, such as demonstrations, experiments, and map activities, to help convey meaning

Conversational interaction is interesting and relevant to the students

Components of an ESL Lesson

Students are allowed a pre-speech stage or silent period and do not have to speak until they are ready (Krashen and Terrell 1983, Krashen 1984, 1985).

All instruction is in English and is simplified to ensure comprehension.

Simple sentences are used with a set of already developed standard directions

Vocabulary is controlled

The teacher should speak at his/her normal rate of speech, the pauses between sentence boundaries (i.e., where there would be a comma, period, or question mark if speech were written down) can be lengthened slightly. .

Emphasis is on the development of reading, writing, and thinking skills.