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CHP 14 Second Language Acquisition

The document discusses key concepts in second language acquisition including: 1. The difference between learning a foreign language versus a second language, with foreign language referring to one not commonly spoken in the surrounding community and second language referring to one that is. 2. Acquisition refers to developing ability through natural communication, while learning refers to a more conscious process in an institutional setting. 3. Barriers to second language acquisition include insufficient time/focus, lack of incentive, and passing the critical period for language learning in puberty. 4. Effective teaching methods have shifted from grammar-focused approaches to more communicative ones emphasizing language functions and concepts over forms.

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237 views5 pages

CHP 14 Second Language Acquisition

The document discusses key concepts in second language acquisition including: 1. The difference between learning a foreign language versus a second language, with foreign language referring to one not commonly spoken in the surrounding community and second language referring to one that is. 2. Acquisition refers to developing ability through natural communication, while learning refers to a more conscious process in an institutional setting. 3. Barriers to second language acquisition include insufficient time/focus, lack of incentive, and passing the critical period for language learning in puberty. 4. Effective teaching methods have shifted from grammar-focused approaches to more communicative ones emphasizing language functions and concepts over forms.

Uploaded by

VivianaGosal
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Second Language Acquisition/Learning

What is the difference between learning in a “foreign language” setting and a “second
language” setting? Foreign language setting is when we learn a language that is not generally
spoken in the community surrounding us. For example, our linguistics/English class here.
Second language setting is when we learn a language that is generally spoken in the
community surrounding us. For example, Japanese stundents in an English class in Japan are
learning English as a foreign language (EFL). And if those same students were in an English
class in the USA, they would be learning English as a second language (ESL). Because in
both settings we are just trying to learn a language, second language learning is used to refer
to both.

Acquisition and Learning


Acquisition refers to the gradual development of ability in language by using it naturally in
communicative situations with others who know the language. In an acquisition experience,
young children or those who acquire a second language (L2) through long periods of
interaction with others who know the language tend to be more proficient or fluent in the
language.
Learning refers to a more conscious process of accumulating knowledge of the features, such
as vocabulary and grammar, typically in an institutional setting, with teachers. (mathematics,
for example, is learned, not acquired).
Learning activites are used when teaching a language in schools tend to result in more
knowledge about the language than the fluency in actually using the language.

Acquisition Barriers
For most people, their L2 acquisition is substantially different from their L1 acquisition
experience and that could be due to some barriers, such as:
- Insufficient time; a few hours of school time each week usually during teenage or
adult years.
- Insufficient focus; a lot of other things going on.
- Insufficient incentive; a language is already available for everyday communicative
requirements.
- The critical period for language has passed; it becomes very difficult to fully acquire a
language during puberty as our inherent language capacity gets dominated by features
of L1 and as a result a loss of the flexibility or openness to receive features of L2.
Although there are barriers to the L2 acquisition, very few adults seem to reach to a native-
like level of proficiency using the L2. Some may achieve great expertise in writing but not
speaking. This may suggest that some L2 features such as grammar and vocabulary are easier
to learn than others such as pronounciation.

The Age Factor


After the critical period for language acquisition has passed, around the time of puberty, it
becomes very difficult to acquire another language fully. But, against this statement, it has
been demonstrated that students in their early teens are quicker and more effective L2
learners in the classroom than, for example, seven-year olds. It could be that the effective
learning of an L2 requires a combination of factors.

Affective Factos
Even during the optimum age for L2 learning, there may exists a different kind of acquisition
barrier/affective factors, that are as follow:
- Self-conciousness and stressed
If there’s any embarrassment or unwillingness in the production of sounds of an L2, it
may dominate whatever physical and cognitive abilities there are.
- Being uncomfortable and lacks empathy with the L2 culture
Feeling no identification with its speakers and customs and not wanting to sound like
an American strongly inhibits learning.
- Unmotivated
Dull textbooks, unpleasant classroom surroundings, exhausting schedule of study or
work.

Focus on Teaching Method


The Grammar-Translation Method
- Here, the learning target is vocabulary lists and grammar rules.
- Encourages memorization
- Emphasizes written rather than spoken language.
Outcome: although this method produced many successful L2 users, it leaves the students at
loss in terms of the actual use of the language in everyday conversation.

The Audiolingual Method


- Emphasizes the spoken language
- Involves the presentation of L2 structures (from simple to more complex) in the form
of repeating oral drills for hours in a language laboratory.
Outcome: isolated practice of oral language drills is totally different from the actual use of
spoken language in interaction in addition to being very boring.

Communicative Approaches
- Emphasizes language functions (what it is used for) rather than language form
(correct structures)
- Organizes lessons around concepts (asking for things) in different social settings
rather than (forms) in differect sentences.
Outcome: such changes have fit with attempts to provide L2 learning materials that has
specific purposes such as English for medical personnel.

Focus on the Learner


Just as children acquiring their L2 produce certain types of ungrammatical form at times, so
we might expect the L2 learner to produce similar forms at certain stages.
Transfer
- Means using sounds, expressions or structures from the L1 when performing in the
L2.
- If the L1 and L2 have similar features (example; marking plural on the ends of
nouns), then the learner may be able to benefit from the positive transfer of L1
knowledge to the L2.
- Negative transfer the use of a feature from the L1 (that is really different from the L2)
while performing in the L2, in contrast to positive transfer.

Interlanguage
- The interim system of L2 learners, which has some features of the L1 and L2 plus
some that are independent of thr L1 and the L2.
- Example, the Spanish L1 speaker who says in English “She name is maria” is
producing a form that is:
o Not used by adult speakers of English,
o Does not occur in English L1 acquisition by children,
o And is not based on a structure in Spanish.
- Fossilization: the process where by an interlanguage, containing many non-L2
features, stops developing towards more accurate forms of the L2.

Motivation
Motivation is very important in language learning.
- Instrumental motivation = to achieve some goal
o Graduation requirement
o Read scientific publications
o Find a better job
- Integrative motivation = social purposes
o Become an accepted member in a community

Input and Output


Input = the language the learner is exposed to.
To be beneficial for L2 learning, input has to be comprehensible, by being simpler in
structure and vocabulary. This type of foreign talk may be beneficial at early stages, not only
for immediate communicative success, but also for providing comprehensible examples of
the basic structure of L2.
Output = the language the learner produces.
The opportunity to produce comprehensible output in meaningful interaction is another
important element in the learner’s development of L2 ability, yet it is one of the most difficult
things to provide in large L2 classes.

Task-Based Learning
One solution has been to create different types of tasks and activities in which learners have
to interact with each other, usually in small groups or pairs, to exchange information or solve
problems.
Communicative Competence
Communicative competence = the general ability to use language accurately, flexibly, and
appropriately. There are 3 components for reaching communicative competence, that are:
1. Grammatical competence
Involves the accurate use of words and structures. How to use the grammar, syntax,
and vocabulary of a language.
2. Socioliguistic competence
How to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and
the relationships among the people communicating.
3. Strategic competence
How to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps
in one’s knowledge of the language, how do I know when I’ve misunderstood or
when someone has misunderstood me? What do I say then? How can I express my
ideas if I don’t know the name of something or the right verb form to use?

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