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Summary of Second Language Acquisition
Input, Interaction, and Second Language Acquisition
Input is defined as the language that is addressed to the L2 learner either by a
native speaker or by another L2 learner. Meanwhile, interaction is defined as the
conversation constructed by the learner and his partners. Thus, input is the result
of the interaction. Ellis ( 2000) propose three different views on the role of input
in language acquisition. They are behaviorists, nativist, and the interactionist view.
The behaviorists view emphasizes the importance of the linguistics
environment that would give learner stimuli and feedback. In addition, it views
the learner as a language producing machine who habitually and easily learns a
second language when getting the right input data.
The nativist view tries to minimalize the role of input and to explain language
development mostly in terms of the learners internal processing mechanism. It
also emphasizes on the learner as a grand initiator who is equipped by the
learners internal processing mechanisms for discovering L2.
The interactionist view consider language development as the result both of
input factors and innate mechanisms. It emphasize on how language grows from
the collaborative efforts of the learners and their interlocutors and involves a
dynamic interaction between external and internal factors.
The influence of studies of the input provided by mothers in L1 acquisition,
which together with three different views mentioned before is beneficial to
understand the direction that SLA research has followed. Mothers speech is
remarkably well formed structures which contain a few ungrammatical utterances
or sentence fragment. Further, it is characterized by a number of formal
adjustments in comparison to speech used in adult-adult conversations, and
adjustments in pronunciation. These adjustments are believed to establish a
special use of language or register called as motherese. According to Ferguzon
(1977), the motherese has there main function related to language acquisition.
They are as an aid to communication, a language teaching aid, and a socialization
function. After that, the crucial importance of the basis of adjustment constructed
by mothers is the degree of children comprehension on what is said to them and
the level of their signals on their comprehension or lack comprehension to their
caretaker.
Talking about the effect of motherese, the presented evidence suggests that the
route of L1 acquisition does not change in any significant way as a result of
differences in the linguistic environment. Though, there is much stronger evidence
for an effect rate acquisition in which the way mothers talk to their children will
influence on how rapidly they acquire the language. According to Clark & Clark,
(1977), there three types of language lessons to communicate with children;
conversational lesson, mapping lesson, and segmentation lesson.
In natural setting, input has been considered in terms of foreigner talk that is.
register used by native speakers when they address non-native speakers and study
of discourse which involves conversations between native speakers and L2