Topic 2. General theories on learning and acquisition of a foreign language. The concept of interlanguage. The treatment of errors.

Subtopics Authors and books Dates 1. Introduction

2. Second language vs. foreign language

Jan Amos Komensky (Comenius)

17th C

Contents FLE FLA

Other relevant info/key words The study of the subject of FLT & FLL has developed increasingly Teaching was the active skill & learning the passive one Today the active role of learner is an established principle Acquisition (natural, unconscious way) vs. learning (what takes place in classroom when following an structured course) FLnot a native language in a country. Not a medium of communication in a country SL non-native but widely used for communicative purposes The dividing line between ESL & EFL fluctuates Concerned with the procedural aspects of the transmission of knowledge Centred on the teachers Focuses on the learner Shed light on those classroom conditions that might further or hinder the learner appropriation of a FL Learning is a social construct apart from mental process Classroom as an active & dynamic environment in which social & academic goals are pursued FLL is seen as a process of imitating & reinforcement learners establish habits. L2 can be influenced by L1 positive transfer vs. negative transfer (interference). Imitation alone doesnt provide a means of identifying the task facing learners go beyond the limitations of the model sentences. Cognitive psychology explains the processes involved in SLA. Lg. is not seen as a unique & separate form of knowledge but a complex cognitive skill. Stages in which learners acquire knowledge of the L2: o L1 o Interlanguage o L2

English: L2 in India and FL in Spain

3. Foreign language education and foreign language acquisition

4. Second language acquisition theories

4.1. Behaviourism

Skinner

1950s-1960s

4.2. Cognitivism

Anderson (1983)

1970s

John Anderson (1983). Declarative knowledge (static) internalize rules vs. procedural knowledge (dynamic)procedures to process L2 info for acquisition &use. 3 stages: o Cognitive: learner engages in conscious & mental activity to make sense of the new lg. o Associative: use the previous knowledge. L2 for communicative purposes but errors. o Autonomous: performance in L2 is close that of a native speaker. Fluency.

4.3. Creative construction theory 4.4. The monitor model

Dulay & Burt (1977) Krashen (1982)

1977

1980s

5. The interlanguage theory

Selinker (1972)

1970s

The transfer of rules from the MT is not an evidence of error & poor habit formation but a strategy for interpreting & constructing the new lg. system. Learners internal processing mechanisms operate on the SL input and are not dependent on the production of lg. Learners can acquire lg. by understanding samples of the target lg. 1) The acquisition-learning hypothesis Acquisition (subconscious) vs. learning (conscious). Acquisition enables learner to achieve SL competence. Learning focuses on formal grammatical rules & the correction of errors. Teacher provides the learner with situations to acquire linguistic structures 2) The monitor hypothesis Monitor device that learners use to edit and reform their lg. production. When learner communicates in L2 acquired system. 3) The natural order hypothesis Formal grammatical structures are acquired in a predictable order. 4) The input hypothesis Acquisition takes place as a result of the learner having understood input that is just beyond his/her current level i+1. 5) The affective filter hypothesis Lg. acquisition will not occur if the learner is anxious, not motivated &non confident mental block. System employed while the learner is progressing in the acquisition of the L2 towards NS competence in the TL. Separate linguistic system based on the observable output resulting from the learners attempted production of a TL norm. Main points: o Learners develop an IL system. o It is not NL or TL. o IL system is formed by L2 rules acquired & rules checking for validation or rejection. Characteristics: Permeablethe rules that constitute the learners knowledge are open to evolution Dynamicits changing constantly Systematicbased on coherent rules which learners construct and select predictably

5 processes central to SL learning & acquisition Lg. transfer: errors from MT. e.g. this book likes me Transfer of training: errors due to the lg. learning process itself (E.g. textbook). Strategies of SL learning: errors due to strategies to learn. E.g. use all the verbs in present simple Strategies of SL communication. E.g. coin words Overgeneralization: application of commonly occurring grammatical rules improperly. E.g. ed in irregular verbs

6. Treatment of errors

Corder (1967) Chomsky (1966) Lado (1957) Selinker (1992)

Corder Viewpoints Behaviourism Cognitivism Errors reveal the learners underlying knowledge of the lg. to date (competence). Mistakes product of chance circumstances (performance).

Learners errors were considered undesirable & to be avoided. Errors were considered & wrong response to the stimulus. Teachers concentrate on memorization. If learners make any mistake, teachers correct them immediately. Discarded by N. Chomsky (1957) human learning cannot be explained by simply starting off with a tabula rasa state of mind. Universal grammar: innate capacity. Learners were encouraged to work on more conscious grammar exercises based on certain rules and deductive learning began to be focused again. Increasing concern in the monitoring & analysis of learners lg.

Error analysis Contrastive analysis (Lado) 2 languages were systematically compared. Individuals tend to transfer the forms & meanings & their distribution of their NL & culture to the FL & culture. Those elements that are similar to the NL will be simple & vice versa. Contrastive analysis hypothesis: o Where 2 lg. were similar, positive transfer would occur. o Where they were diff., negative transfer or interference would occur. Corder (1967) & Selinker (1992) Emphasis on learning. In L1 acquisition childs incorrect utterances are interpreted as evidence that hes in the process of learning. This is applicable to SLA. For learners themselves errors are indispensable since the making of errors can be regarded as a device used to learn. Selinker: 2 contributions of Corder o Errors are systematic. o Necessary positive factor indicative of testing hypotheses.

7. Conclusion

Over the centuries, many changes have taken place in language learning theory search of a highly effective language teaching method or approach One set of schools (e.g., Total Physical Response, Natural Approach) notes that first language acquisition is the only universally successful model of language learning An opposed view (e.g., Silent Way, Suggestopedia) observes that adults have different brains, interests, timing constraints, and learning environments than do children According to the LOE 2/2006 3rd May and the Decree 231/2007 31st July, students have to acquire at least one foreign language and the basic communicative competences to express and understand simple everyday messages

8. Bibliography

Howatt, A. (1984). A history of English Language teaching . Oxford: Oxford University Press. Richards, J., & Rodgers, T. 2001. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. London: Longman Krashen, S. D., and Terrell, T. D. 1983. The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom. Oxford: Pergamon Corder, S. 1981. Error Analysis and Interlanguage. London: OUP Ellis, R. (1997). Second language acquisition. New York: Oxford University Press www.wikipedia.org www.cal.org