The Linguistics of Second Language Acquisition
Download
Report
Transcript The Linguistics of Second Language Acquisition
The Linguistics of Second
Language Acquisition
Essential Questions
How have theorists defined languages and
the language learning experience?
What has their research shown?
Do the theorists agree or disagree with each
other?
What are we learning when we are learning
a language?
The Nature of Language
In your opinion, how would you describe
the nature of language?
Languages are…
What Linguists have said…
Languages are…
Systematic.
Symbolic.
Social.
What do you think they mean?
Languages are systematic…
Elements which occur in regular patterns of
relationships.
Unconscious rules or principles which
speakers are unaware of knowing or using
Understand the principles by using the
language to express meaning.
Languages are symbolic…
Sequences do not inherently possess
meaning.
The meanings of symbols come through the
agreement of speakers.
It is meaningful for the speakers who use or
say that language.
Languages are social…
Reflects the society that uses it.
The only way to learn that language is to
use it with others.
No standard to judge which language is
more effective for communication than
another.
Use language to communicate, to categorize
and catalogue the objects, events, and
processes.
Vocabulary
What do these words mean? Can you give
some examples?
Lexicon
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Discourse
Lexicon= Vocabulary
Word meaning
Pronunciation (and spelling for written
languages)
Part of speech
Word combinations and idioms
Phonology= Sound System
Phonemes= speech sounds that make a
difference in meaning
Syllable structure= sequences of consonants
and vowels
Intonation patterns/tone
Rhythmic patterns (pauses and stops)
Morphology= Word Structure
Morphemes= parts of words that have
meaning
Inflections= number or tense that carry
grammatical information
Prefixes and suffixes
Syntax= Grammar
Word order
Subject/verb agreement
Ways to form questions, to negate
assertions, and to focus or structure
information within sentences
Discourse
Ways to connect sentences
How to structure stories and engage in
conversations
Scripts for interacting and for events
Contrastive Analysis (1950’s1960’s)
Robert Lado
Involves predicting and explaining learner
problems based on comparing L1 and L2
with each other to determine similarities
and differences.
Make learning and teaching more efficient.
Contrastive Analysis (continued)
Believe that learning a language is like
learning a habit.
Stimulus-Response-Reinforcement (S-R-R);
imitate and repeat the language and the
response is reinforced.
“Practice makes perfect”
Contrastive Analysis (continued)
Transfer in learning (positive and negative)
We analyze the language in order to predict
the problems that are most likely to occur.
We create language lessons based on those
“predicted difficulties” and we sequence our
lessons in order of difficulty.
Contrastive Analysis Practice
Based on your practice, what do you think
of this method? Is it useful? Effective?
What is good about this method?
What are some problems with this method?
Problems with Contrastive
Analysis
Cannot explain how learners know more
than they have heard or have been taught
(“the logical problem of language
learning”).
The predictions were not accurate.
Sometimes different problems appeared.
How can you do this approach when you
have multiple students with different
language backgrounds?
Error Analysis
Internal focus on learners’ ability to
construct or create language.
Based on actual learner errors in L2, not on
predictions.
Assumptions of Error Analysis
(EA)
Inner forces (interaction with the
environment) push or promote learning.
The learner is an active and creative
participant in the process rather than a
passive recipient.
Examine the output in their own right
instead of how deficient the language is.
Sources of insight into the learning process.
“Windows into the mind of the learner”. How
the learner is exploring the language.
Error Analysis Procedure
Collect a sample of learner language
Identify the errors
Describe the errors (according to language
level, category, or specific language
elements).
Explain the errors (interlingual “between
languages”, intralingual “within the
language” or developmental).
Evaluate the errors
Error Analysis Practice
Based on your experience, what do you
think of error analysis? Is it helpful?
Useful?
What are the good features of this method?
What are some problems with this method?
Problems with Error Analysis
Ambiguity in classification (Is the error
because of a L1 influence or is it part of the
developmental process?)
Lack of positive data (does not explain what
the learner has acquired)
Potential for avoidance (the learner may not
say it because the language structure is
difficult).
Homework
#1- “Interlanguage experts” (pages 40-42)
#2- “Krashen experts” (pages 45-46)
#3- “Chomsky experts” (pages 46-47)