1. Theories of L2 Acquisition
Dr. Chen Chin-fen

2. Introduction
An integrated understanding of the principles of SLA that underline the pedagogical process.
A number of disciplines attempting to explain the complex phenomena, each with its claims and hypotheses, which reflect the intricacy of SLA and the variability of individuals and contexts.

3. Current Generalizations, Hypotheses, and Models of SLA
Elements for a language theory:
What language is, what learning is, and what teaching is.
Knowledge of kids’ learning of their L1.
Differences between adult & child learning, and between L1 & L2.
SLA is part of general principles of human learning.
Variations across learners in cognitive style and learning strategies.

4. Learner Variables Age Cognition Native Language Input Affective Domain
Educational Background

5. Age Biological Cognitive factors Children 1-5 5-10
Social – parental influence, schooling,
peer group pressure.
Critical period, social factors
Children 1-5
5-10
Adolescents 11-15
Adult 16-on

6. Cognition
General intelligence
Language aptitude (learning strategies)

7. Native Language
Phonological
Grammatical
Semantic

8. Input -I Free learners: place of learning (foreign L., L2 L.,
bilingual environments)
Type of language contact
Family L. environment
Peer L. Environment

9. Input -II Instructed learners: Types of instruction (formal, informal,
intensive, non-intensive)
Length of instruction (No. of years,
No. of contact hours)
Place of instruction (Foreign, L2,
bilingual environment)
Material of Instruction ( graded (sequencing),
ungraded, skill-oriented materials)
Source of instructor (teacher attitude/training)

10. Affective Domain
Social-cultural factors : attitude toward native culture, L2 culture,, native people and to L2 people.
Egocentric Factors :
depression, anxiety, homesickness, ego permeability, rejection, and self-consciousness
Motivation: integrative, instrumental (own or forced choice)

11. Educational Background
Illiterate
Literate :
professional (educational system,
specialization)
non-professional (number of years,
place of study)

12. Innatist model: Krashen’s hypothesis –subconscious
Krahsen
The Acquisition –
learning hypothesis
Monitor hypothesis
The Natural Order
hypothesis
Affective Filter
hypothesis
The Input Hypothesis

13. McLaughlin’s Attention-processing -conscious
Controlled:
New skills, capacity limited
Automatic:
Well trained, practiced skill capacity is unlimited
Focal
Intentional attention
Grammatical explanation
Word definition
(p. 284)
Keeping an eye out
Modals, clause formation
Monitoring oneself
Scanning, Editing, peer -editing
Peripheral
Simple greeting, TPR, natural approach
Open-ended work
Rapid reading, Free writing

14. Attention-processing model
Controlled process: capacity limited, temporary: primitive learned skills
Automatic process: more accomplished skills , which is done by a process of restructured, in which the components of a task are coordinated, integrated, or reorganized into a new unit.
In every act, focal and peripheral attention actually occur simultaneously.

15. Attention-processing model
When a child says “Nobody likes me.”
Focal – to express verying emotion, mental anguish, or loneliness.
Peripheral - attend to words and morphemes that underline the central meaning.
Go between: to read parents’ facial
Features, mental recall of an uncomfortable incident of rejection, awareness of a sibling overhearing the communication.

16. Cognitive Models- Implicit and Explicit Models
Implicit knowledge: automatically and spontaneously used in the tasks. Kids learn phonological, syntactic,, semantic and pragmatic rules of their L1 but cannot explain the rules explicitly. (Bialystok’s, 1978)
Rod Ellis’s: Grammar raising- some explicit attention to language form is blended with implicit communicative tasks.

17. Cognitive Models-Implicit and Explicit Models
Input
Output
Language exposure
Other
knowledge
Implicit linguistic
knowledge
Explicit linguistic
Knowledge
Automatic
Response
Time-delayed

18. Social Constructivist Model Long’s interaction hypothesis, 1985
Emphasize the dynamic nature of interplay between learners, their peers, their teachers and others.-socially mediated interaction.
IH: comprehension input is the modification of interaction- native speakers and other interlocutors create in order to render their input comprehensible to learners.- mother tone, slowing down, more deliberate, with clarification/ repair requests, paraphrases
Van Lier (1996), Curriculum as interaction: principles of awareness, autonomy, authenticity leading to Vygotsky’s ZPD

19. Social Constructivist Model
Pedagogical research for Optimal Learning Environment:
classrooms is a place where the contexts for interaction are carefully designed. Material and curriculum developers are supposed to create the Optimal Learning Environments and tasks for input and interaction, where learners will create their own language knowledge in a socially constructed process of discovery.

20. Ecology of Language Acquisition (Brown, 1991)
Input: Teacher talk, textbook, materials, other students, nonverbal, outside of class, self.
Leaves of Strategies: scanning, skimming, keyword attention, nonverbal, self-practice, dictionary use, appeal to authority, error monitoring
Branches of Affective variables: extroversion, anxiety, risk-taking, empathy
Fruit of performance: speaking, listening, writing (production) , reading (comprehension) –Trunk of feedback.

21. Ecology of Language Acquisition (Roots)
Seeds of predisposition:
Innate factors, previous experience, cultural schemata, aptitude.
Soil of Style: problem solving, cognitive style, personality style input generator
Inferred competent intake:
Phonologicla, grammatical, discourse, socialinguistic, pragmatic rules; reception & production rules; interlanguaeg system.
Germination strategies: direct, memory, affective social, metacognitive strategies.

22. Proper Attitude toward Language Theories
Balancing believing games and doubting games: try to find something wrong in one’s claims or hypotheses.
Appreciate the art and science of SLA
Trust your intuition: when problems are elusive and hard to define

23. Is it hard? Of course not!
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