Unit 2

Question 1

What is language acquisition?

Answer 1

Broadly speaking, language acquisition is a process which can take place at any period of one´s life. FLA refers to the way children unconsciously learn their native language. SLA refers to the learning of another language (or languages) besides the mother tongue.

Question 2

How many sections does unit 2 have?

Answer 2

7.

1. Introduction.
2. What is language acquisition?
3. Relevant language acquisition theories.
4. The concept of interlanguage.
5. The treatment of error.
6. Conclusion.
7. Bibliography.

Question 3

As one of the pioneers of Behaviourism, Skinner accounted for learning in terms of…

Answer 3

1. imitation.
2. practice.
3. reinforcement.
4. and habit formation.

Question 4

Second language applications (of behaviourism)…

Answer 4

Mimicry and memorization.

Question 5

Contrastive analysis hypothesis (CAH)

Answer 5

Because language development was viewed as the formation of habits. It was assumed that a person learning a second language would start off with the habits formed in the first language. These habits would interfere with the new ones needed for the second language. The so-called “contrastive analysis hypothesis” (CAH) was born.

Question 6

Chomsky…

Answer 6

… argued that innate knowledge of the principles of a Universal Grammar (UG) permits all children to acquire the language of their environment during a critical period of development.

Question 7

… Lydia White …

Answer 7

While Chomsky did not make specific claims about the implications of his theories in SLA, linguists like Lydia White stated that UG offers the best perspective from which to understand second language acquisition, suggesting that the nature and availability of UG are the same in first and second language acquisition.

Question 8

Second language applications (of the innatist perspective)…

Answer 8

Stephen Krashen´s “Monitor model”.

Question 9

Krashen described his model in terms of five hypotheses…

Answer 9

1. The acquisition-learning hypothesis.
2. The monitor hypothesis.
3. The natural order hypothesis.
4. The input hypothesis.
5. The affective filter hypothesis.

Question 10

First, in the acquisition-learning hypothesis …

Answer 10

Krashen contrasts these two ideas when stating that we “acquire” a language unconsciously as we are exposed to samples of the second language that we understand. We “learn”, on the other hand, through conscious attention to form and rule learning.

Question 11

Next, according to the monitor hypothesis,

Answer 11

… the only function of conscious language learning is to act as an editor, or “monitor” of the spontaneous speech which is the product of acquired knowledge. Such monitoring only takes place when the speaker has plenty of time, is concerned about producing correct language and has learned the relevant rules.

Question 12

Third, the natural order hypothesis…

Answer 12

… was based on the finding that, as in first language acquisition, second language acquisition unfolds i predictable sequences. The language features that are easiest to learn are not necessarily the first to be acquired. For example, the rule of adding -s to third person singular verbs in the present tense.

Question 13

Fourth, the input hypothesis…

Answer 13

… states that acquisition occurs when one is exposed to language that is comprehensible and just a step beyond their proficiency level (the i+1 perspective).

Question 14

Finally, the fact that some people who are exposed to large quantities of comprehensible input…

Answer 14

… do not necessarily acquire a language successfully is accounted for by Krashen´s affective filter hypothesis. He referred basically to emotional states which may affect learners to “filter out” input, making it unavailable for acquisition.

Question 15

Second language applications (of the cognitivist/developmental perspective)

Answer 15

1. Interaction.
2. Noticing.
3. Processing.

Question 16

Michael Long…

Answer 16

… among others, argues that conversational interaction is an essential, if not sufficient, condition for second language acquisition.

Question 17

What is “Modified interaction”?

Answer 17

That is, the opportunity to interact with other speakers, working together to reach mutual comprehension, giving a central role to “Corrective Feedback” during the interaction.

Question 18

Richard Schmidt…

Answer 18

… suggested that nothing is learned unless it has been noticed.

Question 19

Authors like Manfred Pienemann…

Answer 19

concluded that learners restructure their L2 systems in an order of which they are capable at their stage of development.

Question 20

Second language applications (of the sociocultural perspective)…

Answer 20

Learning by talking.

Question 21

Quite recently, authors like Merrill Swain…

Answer 21

…have shown interest in how second language learners acquire language when they collaborate and interact with other speakers.

Question 22

Interlanguage is…

Answer 22

… a term that describes the language learner´s journey from their native language (L1) to acquisition of the target language (L2).

Question 23

Research seems to prove that Interlanguage is…

Answer 23

…systematic, dynamic and variable.

Question 24

Fossilization arises…

Answer 24

…when a person is making their way from bottom to top and somewhere during the process, they become stuck on one floor.

Question 25

In his book on mistakes and correction, Julian Edge suggests…

Answer 25

…that we can divide mistakes into three broad categories: “slips” are mistakes which students can correct themselves once the mistake has been ponted out to them. “Errors” are mistakes which they cannot correct themselves - and which therefore need explanation. And finally, “attempts” happen when students try to say something but does not yet know the correct way of saying it.

Question 26

The choice of feedback strategy will depend on such factors as…

Answer 26

1. The type of error; does it have a major effect on communication? It it one that the learner could probably self-repair?
2. The type of activity; is the focus of the activity more on form on meaning? If the latter, it is probably best to correct without interfering too much with the flow of communication
3. The type of learner; will the learner be discouraged or humiliated by correction? Alternatively, will the student feel short-changed if there is no correction?

Question 27

Bibliography of Unit 2.

Answer 27

1. Edge, J. (1989). Mistakes and correction. Longman.
2. Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. Longman.
3. Lightbown, P., and Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned. Oxford University Press.