Steven Krashen Hypothesis On Second Language Acquisition

Many popular theories of second language acquisition have been analyzed throughout history. The socialization of L2 learners, their present emotional state that is present at time of acquisition, as well as the comprehensible input and output with the use of scaffolding play a major role in second language acquisition. Let us also not forget the importance of written expression as well as reading comprehension with these L2 learners. Each play a role in language development. However, I believe that in acquiring a language, one must use a variety of techniques that work together to create a balance within the learning environment. Furthermore, all L2 learners learn differently and so a variety of resources will need to be used based on the ability of each student. There are many theories that have been developed by highly qualified experts in the field on linguistics. However, I will address those areas that I agree with as I present my personal theories on second language acquisition.

The affective filter is a mental curtain that may close impeding language input from reaching language acquisition device or open thus facilitating the intake of language input; the filter consists of three groups of variables: anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence the levels of which affect the strength of the filter.

Behaviourists believe that learning a language is no different from learning anything else. It becomes a habit by the stimulus-response-reinforcement-repetition process (Cook, 2001). The behaviourists also claim that we learn by imitation and by association (Lightbown & Spada, 2006). However, psycholinguists argue that imitation is not enough because it is not only the mechanical repetition but also natural exposure that children acquire language (Cook, 2001).

Guidelines to teaching a foreign language highlight all of these elements. Listening, reading, writing, and speaking are all taught and tested at beginner, intermediate, advanced, and superior levels so that these different learning methods are highlighted and executed at varying levels. Children also learn and are shown new ways of looking at the world through the varying strategies. In fact, correlation studies have shown that “students who have had several years of foreign language do better on SATs, particularly the verbal part” (WALKER). As root words, prefixes, suffixes, conjugation, and noun agreements are taught in new languages, it is easier to see connections to the structure of one’s first language. The knowledge of a language one is raised speaking and understanding is simply obtained through experience. However, learning a second language emphasizes the parts of language that come naturally in the first. It takes self-motivated work and dedication to learn a second language later in life, so the outcome of attaining a comprehensive grasp on a foreign language early on pays off in multiple ways.

Many popular theories of second language acquisition have been analyzed throughout history. The socialization of L2 learners, their present emotional state that is present at the time of acquisition, as well as the comprehensible input and output with the use of scaffolding play a major role in second language acquisition. Kirsten Hummel states, “The one most effective way to increase L2 competence was by exposure to ‘comprehensible input’.” (Hummel, 2014, p. 73) Let us also not forget the importance of written expression as well as reading comprehension with these L2 learners. Each plays a role in language development. However, I believe that to acquire language one must use a variety of techniques that work together to create a balance within the learning environment. Furthermore, all L2 learners acquire language differently and so using a variety of resources that are based on the ability of each student is neccesary. There are many theories that have been developed by highly qualified experts in the field of linguistics. However, I will address those areas that I agree with as I present my personal theories on second language acquisition.

Learning a new language has many benefits; career advancement, bridging communication gaps, and strengthening life skills. “What theory implies, quite simply, is that language acquisition, first or second, occurs when comprehension of real messages occurs, and when the acquire is not ‘on the defensive’” wrote Steven D. Krashner (1981)

Some linguistic models try to explain the development of second language acquisition. The three most common models are (1) the Universal Grammar Model, (2) the Competition Model, and (3) the Monitor Model. The Universal Grammar Model refers to the system of principles, conditions, and rules that are properties or elements of all human languages. At the same time, each language has grammatical rules that vary from one language to another. Thus, Chomky states that different languages have a limited possibility of different grammatical structures (1975). Therefore, second language learners base their second language acquisition on universal principles common to all languages, and on the force of the particular rules of each language. All of those can be concluded that as a human, especially as children, we have vary form of rules in language, in this case is second language.

The study of acquiring a second language has been a topic of debate since it began being studied due to ambiguous results in research. A major debatable topic is if age is, in fact, a factor when attempting to acquire a second language. The Critical Period Hypothesis works to conclude that age is a factor when attempting to acquire a first language, but has often been refuted in connection with the acquisition of a second language. Within a student’s educational journey, it is often required that he or she must learn and study a foreign language. It is thought that if these students begin learning an L2 within a certain period of time then they will be able to reach a standard to that of a native speaker. But, there have researchers who have stated that age is not a major factor when attempting to acquire a second language, rather there are numerous factors that affect second language acquisition.

Keeping the psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic characteristics in mind for my future classroom as well as some classrooms I have been in working with and observing students. This paper will talk about the best way I feel is to reach the linguistic needs of my students.

Language is the number one universal way of communication. There are about 5000 to 7000 languages currently in use in the world. Humans learn to communicate to survive and exist with other humans, but how does this process occur? Is a child predisposed to learn any form of language, or must a child be taught through reinforcements? These questions reflect the theory of nature vs. nurture or how linguistics might view this as Chomsky vs. Skinner. Linguists observe language and explain the nature

Second language acquisition is a process that is extraordinarily complex and requires the cooperation of multiple learning factors. Altogether, these factors can be divided into three main domains-cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. The cognitive domain consists deals with the factors on learning, whereas the psychomotor deals with the physical aspects of learning. Although both of these domains are essential to the learning process, this paper will focus on the third domain-known as the affective domain. (the second principle). The affective domain is “the emotional side of human behavior… [and] the development of affective states or feelings involves a variety of personality factors, feelings both about ourselves and about others with whom we come into contact” (Brown 153). The factors of self-esteem, willingness, inhibition, risk taking, anxiety, and personality factors such as motivation and the tendency for extroversion or introversion are all part of the affective domain. This paper will explain all of these factors and their impact on the process of second language acquisition.

The acquisition of the grammar and syntax of a second language are influenced by the first language knowledge instead of the learner’s critical period. For instance, a Chinese ELL student may be confused in verb transitivity, such as “I am run.” since Chinese doesn’t have the “ing” action verb tense. There is also no point at which vocabulary acquisition can be predicted to cease as Lisa (2000) mentioned in her article that “how we process our vocabulary does not change with brain maturation if it were a form of time-limited and it is influenced by a learner’s experience-expectant learning.”

There are a number of pre-existing methods that have been used before, and approach second language (L2) learning in a multitude of ways. However, in the wake of a new way of approaching the issue of L2 learning, that of the postmethod approach, it is appropriate to address the validity of these older approaches and whether their prescriptive nature still hold any weight in a modern L2 learning setting, specifically in the classroom.

Stephen Krashen is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in the theories of language acquisition and its development. His ideas have been for a long time “a source of ideas for research in second language acquisition” (Lightbown & Spada, 2006, p.38). In the early 1970s, he proposed the Monitor Model theory of second language acquisition, which is consists of five main hypotheses: the acquisition-learning hypotheses, the monitor hypotheses, the input hypotheses, the natural order hypotheses and the affective filter hypotheses. Krashen’s theory is considered to be “One of the most controversial theoretical perspectives in SLA in the last quarter of the twentieth century” (Brown, 2000, p.277). Despite Krashen’s success to make acquiring

There are three major theories of first language acquisition, which are nativist approach, behavior approach, and functional approach. There are still some scholars who challenge these theories. As to nativism, Chomsky (1965) held the view that we are born with a genetic capacity to perceive and acquire the language, and that the capacity is contained in the language acquisition device. He proposes that the language organ helps children acquire languages. In another word, the theory proposes that children are born with the knowledge of natural languages. In this theory, this language development is part of children’s maturation or growth, and this process is based on suitable speech input. Also, nativism believes that children can create language randomly, and the non-standard language proves that children have a set of grammar rules that applied serially in the brain. However, some scholars use the parallel distributed processing model (PDP) to challenge nativism and argue that our brain processes information simultaneously at many levels, so the rules of language are not applied serially in our brain (Brown, 2014). They say that PDP can better explain the neural connections happened in our brain when we perceives or use languages.