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Introduction to Language
Acquisition
Interests
Theories of L1 acquisition
(1) Behavioristic Approaches: focus on the
publicly observable responses
(a) assumptions:
(i) Children come into the world with a tabula rasa, a clean
slate bearing no preconceived notions about the world or
about language as to be shaped by their environment and
slowing conditioned through reinforcement
(ii) Effective language behavior is the production of correct
responses to stimuli.
(iii) If a particular response is reinforced, it then becomes
habitual or conditioned.
Theories of L1 acquisition
(b) Verbal Behavior by B.F. Skinner (1957): a behavioristic
model of linguistic behavior extended from operant conditioning
*Assumption:
(i) an operant (an utterance) is emitted without necessarily
observable stimuli;
(ii) that operant is learned by reinforcement such as from another
person.
(iii)verbal behavior is controlled by its consequences(rewards or
punishment or no reinforcement)
*Criticism: Behaviorism cannot explain creativity of child language
(by Noam Chomsky)
Theories of L1 acquisition
(2) The Nativist Approaches
(a) innateness hypotheses
(i) Assertion: language acquisition is innately determined.
(b)
Theories of L1 acquisition
(3) Functional Approaches (language use and
cognitive/affective domains by constructivism)
(a) Two emphases:
(i) Seeing language as one manifestation of the cognitive and affective
ability to deal with the world, with others and with
the self.
(ii) Nativism as being unable to deal with the deeper levels of meaning of
language constructed from social interaction but with the forms of
language.
Schools of thought
Typical themes
Behaviorism
Tabula rasa
Stimuli: linguistic responses
Conditioning
reinforcement
Nativism
functionalism
Constructivist
Social interaction
Cognition and language
Function of language
Discourse
Schools of thought
Typical themes
Structuralism &
Behaviorism
Description
Observable performance
Scientific method
Empiricism
Surface structure
Conditioning, reinforcement
Generative linguistics
Acquisition, innateness
Interlanguage systematicity
Universal grammar
Competence
Deep structure
Constructivism
Interactive discourse
Sociocultural variables
Cooperative group learning
Interlanguage variability Interactionist
hypotheses
Part I L1 Acquisition
2. Issues in L1 acquisition
(1) -Competence: ones underlying knowledge of the system
of a language
- Performance: actual production (speaking, writing) or
the comprehension (listening, reading) of linguistic events
Criticism:
(i) competence defined by Chomsky consists of the abilities of an idealized
hearer-speaker, devoid of any performance variables
(ii) dualism are unnecessary and the only option for linguists is to study
language in use (by Firth and Halliday)
(iii) heterogeneous competence by Tarone: that all of a childs skps and
hesitations and self-corrections are potentially connected to
(4)Universals
(a) language is universally acquired in the same manner
(b) the deep structure of language at its deepest level may be common
to all languages.
(c) Universal linguistic categories e.g. word order, morphological
marking tone, agreement
(d) Principles & parameters of UG:
(i) a childs initial state is supposed to consist of a set of
universal principles (e.g. structure dependency) which
specify some limited possibilities of variation, so-called
parameters which need to be fixed in one of a few possible
ways.
-> a childs task of language learning is manageable
because of certain naturally occurring constraints
(ii) language cannot vary in endless ways since parameters
determine ways in which language can vary. E.g head
parameter (English- head first; Japanese head last)
(7) Imitation:
(a) surface imitation as a strategy in early language learning as
supported by behaviorism
(b) deep imitation: true value in meaningful semantic level- the deep
structure of language
e.g. children often repeat the correct underlying deep
structure with a change in the surface rendition
(9) Input: adult and peer input to children seen not as important
as the influence of LAD to explain how children acquire
language successfully by nativists but in fact ungrammatical
input is largely ignored and finally transfer correct forms to
speech
Part
(3) Cognitive
considerations
(a) intellectual development (Piaget)
(i) three stages: sensorimotor stage (>2);
preoperational stage (2-7); operational stage (7- 16)(concrete
operational stage 7-11; formal operational stage 11-16)
(ii) for the critical period: at puberty, one is capable of
abstraction by Piaget; benefits of deductive thinking for adult
learners by Ausubel
(b) affective, rather than cognitive factors, that facilitate adult
learners second language acquisition
(i) adults are aware of their learning and can use strategies to
help themselves to be successful
(ii) dominance of the left hemisphere after puberty contributes
to a tendency to overanalyze and to be too intellectually
centered on SLA
2. Human learning
(1) Classical Behaviorism by Pavlov: respondent conditioning that is
concerned with respondent behavior that is elicited by a preceding
stimulus
(2) Operant Conditioning by Skinner: operant behavior is one in which one
operates on the environment; a concern about the consequences that
follow the response
(3) Meaningful Learning Theory by Ausubel: learning takes place in a
meaningful process of relating new events or items to already existing
cognitive concepts
(i) any learning situation can be meaningful if: learners have a
meaningful learning set and the learning task itself is potentially
meaningful to the learners
(ii) a meaningfully learned, subsumed item has greater potential for
retention
(iii) forgetting is a second stage of subsumption for
--- an economical reason through cognitive pruning where a
single inclusive concept than a large number of more
specific items is retained
--- language attribution: the strength and conditions of initial
learning; motivation; use of a L2
the
Behavioristic
1.classical:
(Pavlov)
respondent conditioning
elicited response S->R
1.operant: (Skinner)
governed by consequences
emitted response
R-> S (reward)
No punishment
Programmed instruction
Cognitive
Constructivist
(Ausubel)
meaningful=powerf
ul
rote=weak
subsumption of
new items under a
more inclusive
conceptual system
association and
retention
systematic
forgetting
cognitive pruning
(Rogers)
fully
functioning
person
learn how to
learn
community of
learners
empowerment
Classroom
learning
Age difference
the ability to
perceive a
particular,
relevant item or
factor in a field
of distracting
items
a more
analytical, more
independent,
competitive, and
self-confident
person
analysis,
attention to
details,
mastering of
drills in
classroom
learning, better
in deductive
lessons
Adults:
Use more
monitoring or
learning
strategies for
language
acquisition(cons
cious attention
to forms)
More socialized,
empathic, and
perceptive of the
feelings and
thoughts of
others,
Natural, face to
face
communication,
the kind of
communication
rare in the
average
language
classroom
Children: use
strategies of
acquisition
(subconscious
attention to
functions)
Definition
field
independence
* significance
1. FI and FD are not in complementary
distribution within an individual
2. Both styles are important
3. to assume a persons general inclinations in a
given context with an appropriate style
Right-brain dominance
Remember names
Remember faces
Deductive-> analytical
Inductive->holistic
Linear processing
impulsivity
Intuitive styles
A quick, hunch-based decision
maker
Fast reader
Willing to guess
Visual
Prefer reading, studying
charts, drawing, and other
graphic information e.g.
Korean students
auditory
Prefer listening to lectures
and audiotapes
Socioaffective
In specific learning
tasks for more direct
manipulation of the
learning material
itself e.g. repetition,
translation, note
taking
Social-mediating
activity and
interacting with
others e.g.
cooperation, question
for clarification
Metacognitive
An executive
function involving
planning for
learning, thinking
about the learning
process, monitoring
of ones production
or comprehension,
and evaluating
learning after an
activity
7. Personality factors
(d) Anxiety
(i) trait anxiety (permanent predisposition to be
anxious)/ state anxiety (situationally anxious)->
language anxiety
(ii) debilitative(harmful anxiety)/
facilitative anxiety (helpful anxiety e.g. concern
over a task to be accomplished->
competitiveness)
(iii) three components of language anxiety:
1. communication apprehension
2. fear of negative social evaluation
3. test anxiety
(f) Extroversion: the extent to which a person has a deepseated need to receive ego enhancement, self-esteem,
and a sense of wholeness from others
(i) introversion: the extent to which a person derives a
sense of wholeness and fulfillment apart from a
reflection of this self from other people
(ii) introverted passive; extrovertedbright and
empathetic
(iii) extroversion as a factor in developing oral
communicative competence
(2) motivation:
(a) three views of motivation:
Behavioristic
Cognitive
Constructivist
Anticipation of
reward
Desire to receive
positive
reinforcement
External,
individual forces
in control
Driven by basic
human needs
(exploration,
manipulation,etc)
Degree of effort
expended
Internal,
individual forces
in control
Social context
Community
Social status
Security of group
Internal,
interactive forces
in control
intrinsic motivation
extrinsic motivation
anticipation of a reward
from outside
for short-term retention
maybe instrumental
8. Sociocultural factors
(1) stereotypes/ overgeneralizations:
(a) Reality is perceived through ones cultural pattern?
- too oversimplified
(b) Our cultural milieu shapes our world view (how do stereotypes
form)?
(c) Stereotype-thinking towards a culture and people in it can be
accurate in depicting the typical member of a culture but not
for particular individuals so cultural differences need to be
understood.
(2) Attitudes: implied by stereotyping toward the culture or language;
developed in early childhood and be the result of parents and peers
attitudes
(a) group-specific attitude-> an integrative orientation
(b) positive attitudes-> enhance proficiency
(c) negative attitudes-> positive by direct exposure to reality
errors
a noticeable deviation
reflects the lack of the
linguistic competence
Can be self-corrected by
native speakers when
attention is called
Cannot be self-corrected
(s) criticism:
(i) positive reinforcement of clear and free communication is
also important (fluency).
(ii) Overemphasis on production data; comprehension is also
important.
(iii) It fails to explain avoidance
(iv) It too closely focuses on specific language rather than
universal aspects of language
(7) Fossilization:
(a) definition: the relatively permanent incorporation of incorrect
linguistic forms into a persons L2 competence
(b) How do items become fossilized?
(i) affective feedback
(ii) cognitive feedback
(c) Why does fossilization occur?
(i) the presence or absence of internal motivating
factors
(ii) seeking interaction with other people
(iii) consciously focusing on forms
(iv) ones strategic investment in the learning
process
(5) Pragmatics
(a) how meaning is conveyed and interpreted
(b) illocutionary force (intended meaning of an utterance)
(c) cooperative principles
Innatist (Krashen)
Cognitive
Constructivist (Long,
(McLaughlin/Bialystok Swain & Seliger)
)
Subconscious
acquisition
superior to learning
and monitoring
Comprehensible
input
Low affective filter
Natural order of
acquisition
Zero option for
grammar
instruction
Controlled/automatic
processing (M)
Focal/peripheral
attention (M)
Restructuring (M)
Implicit/explicit (B)
Unanalyzed/analyzed
knowledge (B)
Form-focused
instruction
Interaction hypothesis
Intake through social
interaction
Output hypothesis
(Swain)
High Input Generators
(Seliger)
Authenticity
Task-basked
instruction