Stephen Krashen

The natural approach

to teaching & learning L2

A map of Australia before Cook

Krashen mapped a very educated guess

Krashen’s map

Krashen's theory of

second language

acquisition consists of

five main hypotheses

1. the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis,

2. the Natural Order hypothesis,

3. the Monitor hypothesis,

4. the Input hypothesis,

5. and the Affective Filter hypothesis.

Map idea 1 – we need to acquire

language

What’s the difference?

Acquisition Learning

implicit, subconscious explicit, conscious

informal situations formal situations

uses grammatical 'feel' uses grammatical rules

depends on attitude depends on aptitude

stable order of acquisition simple to complex order of

learning

Map idea 2 – Natural order

“we acquire the rules of language in a

predictable order”

Map idea 3 – The Monitor

we check, edit & correct according to

what we have learned

The Monitor kicks in if

1. we have time

2. focus on correct form

3. we know the rules

Then we check, edit, correct

Input

Comprehensible input

i =

current

level

i+1

i + ….

Acquires

a second

language

Input

Input too difficult

i =

current

level

i + 1

i+5

Map idea 4

- THE INPUT HYPOTHESISGive me something I can understand

Well actually, a little bit more than I

understand (I + 1)

Some similarities to Vygotsky’s

Zone of Proximal Development

Map idea 5 – the Affective Filter

self-confidence, motivation, anxiety

affect learning

The 5 map ideas

Of course Krashen’s map was not perfect

but neither was Cook’s. (e.g. Tasmania!)

Krashen drew a new map for

English teaching – the natural

approach