203511 Second Language Acquisition

1. 203511 Second Language Acquisition Week 4: Theories in Second Language Acquisition Part 2

2. Core Reading • Ellis, R. (1986) Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: OUP (Chapter 10) • Roger Hawkins (2001) The theoretical significance of Universal Grammar in second language acquisition. Second Language Research 17(4), pp. 345-367.

3. Outline • Monitor model • Variable competence model • Universal Hypothesis

4. Monitor Model • 5 hypotheses • The acquisition-learning hypothesis • The natural order hypothesis • The monitor hypothesis • The input hypothesis • The affective filter hypothesis

5. The acquisition-learning hypothesis • Adults have 2 distinctive ways of developing competences in a second language “acquired” vs. “learnt” Implicit/Subconscious Explicit/Conscious Formal properties Meaning Informal situations Formal situations To be used by a “Monitor” or an editor For Comprehension & Production • Fluency in second language performance is a result of what we have acquired, not what we have learned

6. The acquisition-learning hypothesis (cont’d) • L2 speakers can use learned knowledge to `monitor' the output of the acquired ILG, and where it is different correct that output prior to production (or after production in the case of a `self-repair').

7. The natural order hypothesis • ... this hypothesis ... states that we acquire the rules of language in a predictable order, some rules tending to come early and others late. The order does not appear to be determined solely by formal simplicity and there is evidence that it is independent of the order in which rules are taught in language classes. (Krashen 1982: 1) • Morpheme order studies (Dulay & Burt) • plural “-s” e.g. Books • progressive “-ing” e.g. John going • copula “be” e.g. John is here • auxiliary “be” e.g. John is going • articles “the/a” e.g. The books • irregular past tense e.g. John went • third person “-s” e.g. John likes books • possessive “’s” e.g. John’s book