Chapter 1: discuss and reflect
Understanding Language Learning Through Second Language Acquisition Theory and Research
Through the years, teachers, researchers, and theorists have attempted to answer the questions, “How do people learn languages?” and “What does it mean to know a language?” Our understanding of language learning continues to develop as research in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) reveals increasingly more about this process and about how we can more effectively facilitate foreign language learning in settings within and beyond the classroom. Chapter 1 presents a discussion of key theoretical positions regarding language acquisition to offer teachers a perspective on: (1) how learners can acquire a foreign language (FL) in the classroom setting; and (2) how teachers can shape their instructional approaches and practices to facilitate acquisi- tion. In reflecting current dialogue in the field of SLA, the theory that informs and sup- ports our approach to language learning and instruction in Teacher’s Handbook is socio- cultural theory, recognizing that language learning is as much socially mediated as it is a part of an individual’s internal cognitive processes. Since only core concepts concerning these theoretical frameworks are provided here, you may want to consult the references included at the end of the book to explore them in further detail. In Chapter 2, you will see that many of these theoretical underpinnings have served as the foundation for devel- oping specific approaches and methods of language teaching; see Figure 2.1 in Chapter 2 for a chart of SLA theories and corresponding pedagogical approaches.
In this chapter, you will learn about:
● Universal Grammar ● competence vs. performance ● communicative competence ● Krashen’s Input Hypothesis ● acquisition vs. learning ● automatic vs. controlled processing ● procedural vs. declarative memory ● automaticity ● restructuring and backsliding ● U-shaped behavior ● variability in performance ● Interlanguage Theory ● Long’s Interaction Hypothesis ● negotiation of meaning ●Swain’s Output Hypothesis ●sociocultural theory● Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development ●scaffolding ● mediation ● language play ● interactional competence ● affect and motivation
Observe and Reflect: Observing a Child Interacting in His or Her Native Language (L1); Alternative Observation of a Child Interacting in His or Her Native Language (L1); Observing a Beginning Language (L2) Class
Discuss and Reflect: Creating Real Conversational Models