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Foundations of SLA

Foundations of SLA. Multilingualism vs. monolingualism Multilingualism: - ability to use two or more languages Monolingualism: - ability to use only one language

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Foundations of SLA

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  1. Foundations of SLA

  2. Multilingualism vs. monolingualism • Multilingualism: - ability to use two or more languages • Monolingualism: - ability to use only one language • The number of multilingual individuals is more than the number of monolingual ones. The number one most spoken language in the world is Chinese, and the number one language mostly learned is English (Zhu, 2001 and Crystal, 1997).

  3. According to Cook, 1992: • Multilingual competence: - compound state of mind with two/more grammars • Monolingual competence: - knowledge of only one language

  4. Some motivations that may influence L2 learners in learning a language: • Invasion or conquest of one’s country • A need/desire to contact speakers of other languages in economic or other domains • Immigration to a country • Adoption of religious beliefs and practices • A need/desire to pursue educational experiences • A desire for occupational or social advancement • An interest in knowing more about peoples of other cultures

  5. We can only estimate the numbers of L1 and L2 speakers because: • Linguistic information is often not officially collected • Answers to questions seeking linguistic information may not be reliable • There is lack of agreement on definition of terms and on criteria for identification

  6. The nature of language learning • Simultaneous vs. sequential multilingualism • L1 acquisition, people are still arguing on how children can acquire their first language. • THe most widely held view by the mid of 20th century was that children learn language by imitation (stimulus-response theory).

  7. The Role of natural ability • Innate capacity: - part of language structure is genetically “given” to every human child. - humans are born with a natural ability. • To explain why L1 development follows essentially the same sequence: - children’s language development is a gradual process of acquiring a more and more complex set of structures

  8. Child grammar: - it is possible to systematically describe the kinds of utterances a child can produce or understand at a given maturational level. • The progress of language development usually begins to slow sharply at about the age of puberty (Critical Period Hypothesis)

  9. The role of social experience • Children will never acquire such language-specific knowledge unless that language is used with them and around them, and they will learn to use only the languages used around them, no matter what their linguistic heritage. • Appropriate social experience, including L1 input an interaction, is thus necessary condition for acquisition.

  10. L1 and L2 Language Development

  11. Initial state: - innate ability for L2? • Intermediate States • Interlanguage: the development of learner language • L1 learner is closely related to cognitive maturation while L2 is not, why? Because L2 learners gave already reached a level of maturity.

  12. One of the processes involved in the interlanguage development: - transfer of prior knowledge from L1 to L2 (cross-linguistic influence), which are of 2: • Positive Transfer: - when an L1 structure or rule is used in an L2 utterance and that use is appropriate or “correct” in the L2. • Negative Transfer (interference): - when an L1 structure or rule is used in an L2 utterance and that use is inappropriate and considered an “error”

  13. Facilitating Conditions: • Feedback: including correction of L2 learner’s errors • Aptitude: including memory capacity and analytic ability • Motivation: need and desire to learn • Instruction: explicit Teaching in school settings. • FINAL STATE • native-like/ near-native competence or fozzilisation

  14. Logical problems of language learning • Most linguists and psychologists assume that language achievement must be attributed to innate and spontaneous language learning construct and/or processes. • Universal Grammar (Chomsky, 1965) • Innate linguistic knowledge must underlie language acquisition. Why? 1. Children’s knowledge of language goes beyond what could be learned from the input they receive. - Positive evidence and no negative evidence

  15. 2. Constraints and principles cannot be learned 3. Universal patterns of development cannot be explained by language-specific input.

  16. Framework for SLA

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