EXPLAINING SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING Iby Lisa Kaci, Josephin Oberhokamp, Hendrik Fitzner & Camilla Honerlage

Table of content

1. Questions2. Behaviourism

Mimicry and memorization3. The innatist perspective

Universal Grammar “Monitor Model”

4. Psychological theories Cognitivist/developmental perspective Information processing Connectionism The competition model

5. Discussion

Questions

1. What are the steps with which Behaviorism explains language? Name them and give an example.

2. What are the two different theories about the nature of Universal Grammar?

3. What are the 5 hypotheses of Krashen’s “Monitor Model? Explain two of them briefly.

4. To what refer “declarative knowledge” and “procedural knowledge”?

5. What does the Competition Model explain?

Behaviourism

Theory of learning

Very influential between the 1940s and 1970s

Nurture Environment has great importance

Behaviourism

Explains learning in terms of: Imitation Practice (mimicry) Reinforcement

Formation of habit = language development

Behaviourism

Video: Learning English, Spanglish

Video: Some funny guy learning English

Behaviourism

Influence on development of audiolingual teaching and material

great emphasis on mimicry and memorization

Behaviourism

Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis assumes:

First and target language similar

Target language is learned with ease

First and target language different

Target language is learned with difficulty

Behaviourism

But: learners did not do the predicted errorsAll learners made nearly the same errors

Influence of first language is the process of finding similarities

Criticism on Behaviourism and CAH Behaviourism + Contrastive Analysis

Hypothesis are inadequate explanations for second language acquisition

Universal Grammar

Noam Chomsky

Innate linguistic knowledge which consists of a set of principles common to all languages

Explanation for second language acquisition?

Universal Grammar

Lydia White: best perspective for second language

acquisition; but nature of Universal Grammar is altered

Robert Bley-Vroman/Jacquelyn Schachter: Not a good explanation for second language

acquisition: critical period is passed Vivian Cook

Learners have more knowledge than input could give them

Universal Grammar

Different theories about its nature

Nature and availability of Universal Grammar are the same in first language acquisition and second language acquisition

Universal Grammar that is present to second language learners has been altered in its nature by acquisition of other languages

Monitor Model

Stephen Krashen

Model of second language acquisition

Influenced by Chomsky‘s theory of first language acquisition

Monitor Model

Based on 5 hypotheses:

1. Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis2. Monitor Hypothesis3. Natural Order Hypothesis4. Input Hypothesis5. Affective Filter Hypothesis

Monitor Model

Psychological theories: cognitivist/developmental perspective Since 1990 central role in second language

acquisition Computer as metaphor for mind

Capacities for storage, integration and retrieval No specific module in brain for

acquisition/learning UG as explanation for first language

acquisition Less successful for second language

acquisition

Psychological theories: cognitivist/developmental perspective Theories:

Information processing

Connectionism

The competition model

Information processing

Norman Segalowitz: Second language acquisition as the building

up of knowledge for automatic use of speaking and understanding

Learner first pays attention to any aspect of language for understanding/production controlled processing

Experience/practice easier process of information quicker automatic access

Information processing

Slow access Under control of

attention Limited in

capacity

Quick access Requires little

attention Needs little

capacity to perform

Controlled processing Automatic processing

Information processing

Robert DeKeyser: Second language acquisition as “skill

learning” Learning starts with declarative knowledge Becomes procedural knowledge through

practice Processes become

proceduralized/automized like other skills Parallel to development from controlled to

automatic processing

Information processing

Involves acquisition of isolated facts and rules knowing that

e.g. knowing that a car can be driven

Requires practice Involves processing of

longer units and increasing automization

knowing how

e.g. knowing how to drive a car

Declarative knowledge Procedural knowledge

Information processing

Example: car driving Begin learning to drive a car

Close attention to every action/decision Aware that performances can easily be

disturbed (e.g. talking) Practice skill improves

Automization Experienced driver

Able to pay attention to previously disturbing events

Information processing

Restructuring Changes in language behavior Quality changes in learner‘s knowledge

New forms are not just added to old Regular systematic reorganization and

reformulation Sudden burst of knowledge or backsliding

Systematic aspect of learner‘s language incorporates too much or wrong things saw + ed

Connectionism

Innate: only the simple ability to learn

Very important: the role of the environment

Connectionism

Emphasis is on the frequency

Encountering of specific linguistic features in the input

How often features occur together

Connectionism

Knowledge of language built up through exposure

“connections” build up

Stronger connections the more often something is heard chunks

The competition model

Explains first language and second language acquisition

Hypothesis:

“language acquisition occurs without the necessity of a learner‘s focused attention or the need for any innate brain module that

is specifically for language“

The competition model

Language use and language meaning important

Learners understand how to use “cues”

word order, grammatical markers and animacy of nouns

The competition model

Example: „Box push boy“

Depends on the mother tongue, how second languages are learned Example: “Il giocattolo guardail il bambino”

Two/three year old Four year old

Uses cues of animacy and their knowledge of the way things work in the world.

Children will give a SVO interpretation to strings of the words.

Questions

1. What are the steps with which Behaviorism explains language? Name them and give an example.

2. What are the two different theories about the nature of Universal Grammar?

3. What are the 5 hypotheses of Krashen’s “Monitor Model? Explain two of them briefly.

4. To what refer “declarative knowledge” and “procedural knowledge”?

5. What does the Competition Model explain?

Bibliography

Doughty, C. J. & Long, M.H. (eds.) (2003). The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Gramley, S. & Gramley, V. (eds.) (2008). Bielefeld Introduction to Applied Linguistics. Bielefeld: Aithesis.

Lightbown, P. M. & Spada, N. (2006). How Languages are Learned. 3rd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mitchell, R. & Myles, F. (1998). Second Language Learning Theories. London: Arnold.

Richards, J.C. & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Saville-Troike, M. (2006). Introducing Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.