1. SLA --- AN Introductory Course Prof
SLA --- AN Introductory Course Prof. Wen Weiping College of Foreign Languages

2. Lecture 1 Overview 1. General definitions of language
2. Trends in linguistics and psychology
3. The study of SLA
4. Issues in SLA: Multiple perspectives

3. 1. General definitions of language
 Language is systematic and generative
 Language is a set of arbitrary symbols
 Language is used for communication
 Language operates in a speech community or culture
 Language is essentially human, although possibly
not limited to humans
 Language is acquired by all people in much the same
way--- universal characteristics

4. 2. Trends in linguistics and psychology
Linguistics Psychology
the structural school behavioristic mode of thinking
( 40’s & 50’s ) ( 40’s & 50’s )
 
generative school cognitive psychology
( 60’s ~ present ) ( recent decades)

5. The structural or descriptive school of linguistics
advocates: L. Bloomfield; E. Sapir; C. Fries
application of scientific principle of
observation of human languages
 describe human languages
 identify the structural characteristics

6. The generative-transformational school of linguistics
advocate: N. Chomsky
descriptive adequacy
explanatory adequacy

7. The behaviouristic view
focus: publicly observable responses
“scientific method”
typical behaviouristic models:
classical&operant conditioning
rote verbal learning
instrumental learning

8. Cognitive psychology
psychological principles of organization and functioning
underlying motivations and deeper structures of human behaviour
descriptive  explanatory

9. Linguistic-psychological Parallels
SCHOOLS OF SCHOOLS OF CHARACTERISTICS
PSYCHOLOGY LINGUISTICS
Structural
Behavioristic
Descriptive
Generative
Cognitive
Transformation

10. 3. The study of SLA
1). Linguistics
When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the human essence, the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to humans.
----N. Chomsky

11. 2). Intercultural communication intercultural competence
--- The ability to establish and maintain possible relationship
--- The ability to communicate effectively, with minimal loss and distortion
--- The attainment of an appropriate level of compliance and cooperation with others

12. Intercultural education:
--- multicultural education
--- bilingual education
--- global & international education
--- foreign & second language education
--- ethnic heritage education

13. 3). Language policy & language planning
--- information about second language learning
--- the kinds of instruction that can be brought to bear on issues of acquisition
--- the realities and expectations one can have on such programs

14. 4. Issues in SLA: Multiple perspective
1) psycholinguistic issues/perspectives
two historical milestones/revolutions
the Chomskyan revolution
the Corder revolution

15. Questions being studied:
--- How language is acquired? What are thought to be the processes involved?
--- What role previous knowledge plays in the acquisition process?
--- How affective factors influence the way we perceive and process second language data?

16. 2) Sociolinguistic issues/perspectives
5 sociolinguistic approaches to SLA:
--- the Labovian tradition
--- Bickerton’s dynamic paradigm
--- the description of communi. competence
--- speech accommodation theory
--- attitudes and motivation in SLA

17. 3). Neurolinguistic issues/perspective
three major issues:
--- the location of the L1 and/or L2 in the left and right hemispheres of the brain
--- the ways in which languages with different characteristics are represented in the brain
--- the critical period of hypothesis for SLA

18. --- the localization of the L1 and/or L2 in the left and right hemispheres of the brain
hemispheric localization in terms of three factors
age, level of proficiency, manner
The age hypothesis
“ There will be more right-hemisphere involvement in L2 processing the later the L2 is learned relative to the L1, or conversely, there will be greater left-hemisphere involvement in L2 processing the earlier the L2 is learned relative to the first”

19. the stage hypothesis
“ Right-hemispheric involvement in L2 processing will be more evident among nonproficient bilinguals than among proficient bilinguals”
the manner hypothesis
“ There will be greater right-hemispheric involvement in processing language that are learned informally or, conversely, greater left-hemispheric involvement in processing languages that are learned formally”

20. --- the critical period hypothesis
--- the ways in which languages with different characteristics are represented in the brain
three linguistic characteristics:
type of script
direction of script
language mode
--- the critical period hypothesis
CPH vs sensitive period hypothesis

21. 4). Bilingual education
CUP
BICS vs CALP
iceberg theory
dual-iceberg representation of bilingual proficiency

22. BICS
CALP
the iceberg theory

24. L1 L1 academic BICS CALP achievement of L1 L2 L2 academic

25. 5). Classroom research
major issues:
--- acquisition processes
--- acquisition sequences
--- rate of acquisition
--- ultimate level of second language attainment
5) Classroom research