Introduction.

Nowadays is really important for us to have the necessary skills, new competences to

establish interaction with the people that is why, language it has been a matter for scientists

in the last decades. Many of them have provided different point of view about if a person is

able to acquire a first language, so then, what happen when people have to learn a second

language; furthermore, the students?, is there any factor that contributes to the process of

acquire a second language?, also if people are not able to learn a second language, this

statement it is true o false?.  The aim of this review is to, analyze and explore different

theories that explain how a student can acquire a second language. In addition, the paper will

address an insight of the main theory assessed by Krashen (Second Language Acquisition)

and the different hypothesis of it, also there are others views from a psychological

perspectives focus on motivation as well as attitude, among others. The reaction paper

addresses questions concerned on how students come to internalize the linguistic features of

another language, and how they make it work during the process of understanding and

production of language.

Summary.

Through the years, some authors have been constantly studying the process of how a second

language can be acquired, especially for older students. According to the text, it will be given

current methods which would point out their contribution they have had in the process of a

second language acquisition. The text called “Written and Second Language Acquisition”

(chapter 2) explains one of the most well known Krashen’s Theory of Second Language

Acquisition”, from a psychological perspective. The chapter 2 copes with internal and

external implications  in language acquisition, that attempts to make a distinction about the

developing of a second language,  that includes the differences between learning  and

acquiring a second language. The first hypothesis called learning, according to Krashen

(2003) argues that the language is a conscious process, it means that “students are aware on

the process of learning, that takes place in or out of school”1, on the contrary, the second

1 The learning/acquisition hypothesis, Krashen, “Written and second language acquisition” chapter 2, pag 36.

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hypothesis called acquisition, is related to a subconscious process and it can be acquired day

by day, very similar to the process children undergo when they acquire a first language.

Another aspect of acquire a second language is through the natural order, this means that

some features of the language appears first than others, for example, at the beginning children

produce vowel sounds, later on consonants and so on. As a sequence, we find the monitor

hypothesis, Krashen suggests that we learn a language in a community, which allows us to

check what we say and write. Moreover, there is the input hypothesis, in this point, Krashen

talks about how students are exposing to language in real context, at the same time, Swain

establishes “that students also need the opportunities to produce comprehensible output”2.

The last theory talks about the affective filter, as Krashen mentioned before, the development

of the language will be under the influence by the appropriate environment for students.

It is necessary to draw attention to Schumann’s Theory which complement with Krashen’s

ideas. Schuman takes into account the psychological factors, such as motivation, attitude and

culture shock, that is “students with low motivation and negative attitude toward members of

the mainstream culture are less to acquire the language of the mainstream”3. Furthermore,

the last hypothesis called the Critical period emphasizes the idea that there is limits in the

process of acquire a second language, in other words, adults can learn a second language the

same as children; however, adults retain their accent.

Evaluation.

Krashen’s theory was a useful source to build up the basis of what we know now as a second

language acquisition. As Krashen assessed, human beings are capable of learn a second

language, and it is important to clarify this point. On one hand, because according to

Lennenberg and his Critical period hypothesis, people at a certain time are not able to acquire

a second language, , because there are some cognitive systems that are not develop anymore,

besides “children are better learners than adults”4; nonetheless, if that would not be possible,

how is that there are people teaching a second language, what is more, how can students

develop the skills to produce a second language?. On the other hand, through analyzing

Krashen’s thoughts, we also consider the idea that we overlook some details for acquire a

second language, for instance when we think back on how we started to learn a second

2 Swain, 1985.3 The affective filter, Krashen, “Written and second language acquisition” chapter 2, pag 39.4 The critical period hypothesis, Lennenberg, “Written and second language acquisition”, chapter 2, pag 41.

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language, we might infer that it was just a matter of vocabulary and some grammar rules, but

on the contrary, we started learning a second language when we find out something that

makes sense for us. As has been said to learn a second language is necessary create the

comfortable environment and provide the students the enough input to produce language.

Conclusion.

It can be concluded from what Krashen and the other authors have stated that, acquire a

second language it is possible for all humans, the difference is underlined in the way in which

every student learn. As far as we know until now, we as teachers our main focus is on the

students, we need to foster not only the capacity to learn and understand a new language,

but also build up a good atmosphere; in order, to become them proficient users of the

language, so this responsibility is up to us. Finally, the texts made us understand that people

have innate and brain abilities to develop another language, which is not an issue that

someone would find in a book or a notebook, instead, in the environment itself.

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REACTION PAPER

“People cannot learn a Second Language.”

Cristian Diaz Ancaten – Makarena Sanchez Campos

April, 5th, 2013.

English teacher Lucía del Rosario Ubilla Rosales

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