Explaining Second Language Learning I

1. Explaining Second Language Learning I by Lisa Kaci, Josephin Oberhokamp, Hendrik Fitzner & Camilla Honerlage

2. Table of content • Questions • Behaviourism • Mimicry and memorization • The innatist perspective • Universal Grammar • “Monitor Model” • Psychological theories • Cognitivist/developmental perspective • Information processing • Connectionism • The competition model • Discussion

3. Questions • What are the steps with which Behaviorism explains language? Name them and give an example. • What are the two different theories about the nature of Universal Grammar? • What are the 5 hypotheses of Krashen’s “Monitor Model? Explain two of them briefly. • To what refer “declarative knowledge” and “procedural knowledge”? • What does the Competition Model explain?

4. Behaviourism • Theory of learning • Very influential between the 1940s and 1970s • Nurture  Environment has great importance

5. Behaviourism • Explains learning in terms of: • Imitation • Practice (mimicry) • Reinforcement  Formation of habit = language development

6. Behaviourism • Video: Learning English, Spanglish • Video: Some funny guy learning English

7. Behaviourism • Influence on development of audiolingual teaching and material  great emphasis on mimicry and memorization

8. Behaviourism • Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis assumes:

9. Behaviourism • But: learners did not do the predicted errors All learners made nearly the same errors • Influence of first language is the process of finding similarities

10. Criticism on Behaviourism and CAH • Behaviourism + Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis are inadequate explanations for second language acquisition

11. Universal Grammar • Noam Chomsky • Innate linguistic knowledge which consists of a set of principles common to all languages • Explanation for second language acquisition?

12. 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

13. 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

14. Monitor Model • Stephen Krashen • Model of second language acquisition • Influenced by Chomsky‘s theory of first language acquisition

15. Monitor Model Based on 5 hypotheses: • Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis • Monitor Hypothesis • Natural Order Hypothesis • Input Hypothesis • Affective Filter Hypothesis

16. Monitor Model

17. 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

18. Psychological theories: cognitivist/developmental perspective • Theories: • Information processing • Connectionism • The competition model

19. 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

20. Information processing Controlled processing Automatic processing • Slow access • Under control of attention • Limited in capacity • Quick access • Requires little attention • Needs little capacity to perform

21. 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

22. Information processing Declarative knowledge Procedural knowledge • 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Connectionism • Innate: only the simple ability to learn • Very important: the role of the environment

26. Connectionism • Emphasis is on the frequency • Encountering of specific linguistic features in the input • How often features occur together

27. Connectionism • Knowledge of language built up through exposure • “connections” build up • Stronger connections the more often something is heard  chunks

28. 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“

29. The competition model • Language use and language meaning important • Learners understand how to use “cues”  word order, grammatical markers and animacy of nouns

30. The competition model • Example: „Box push boy“ • Depends on the mother tongue, how second languages are learned • Example: “Il giocattologuardailil bambino”

31. Questions • What are the steps with which Behaviorism explains language? Name them and give an example. • What are the two different theories about the nature of Universal Grammar? • What are the 5 hypotheses of Krashen’s “Monitor Model? Explain two of them briefly. • To what refer “declarative knowledge” and “procedural knowledge”? • What does the Competition Model explain?

32. 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.