2 Theoretical Approaches to L2

1) learner characteristics and 2) learning conditions
Fall 2003
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Differences in Learning L1 & L2
Learner Characteristics
1. Knowledge of another language 2. Cognitive maturity
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Fall 2003
Behaviorism
Summary:
The L1 influence may not simply be a matter of the transfer of habits, but a more subtle and complex process of identifying points of similarity, weighing the evidence in support of some particular feature, and even reflecting about whether a certain feature seems to „belong‟ in the structure of the L2.
Fall 2003
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Behaviorism
Behaviorism was often linked to the
Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH):
It predicts that where there are similarities between the L1 and the target language, the learner will acquire target-language structures with ease; where there are differences, the learner will have difficulty.
Fall 2003
14/38
Innatism:
Krashen‟s “monitor model”
The acquisition-learning hypothesis
The monitor hypothesis
The natural order hypothesis
The input hypothesis
1) imitation, 2) practice, 3) reinforcement, and 4) habit information
Lado (1964):
A person learning an L2 starts off with the habits formed in the L1 and these habits interfere with the new ones needed for the L2.
Fall 2003
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Innatism:
Universal Grammar
How UG works in L2 development:
Two different views 2) UG may be present and available to L2 learners, but its exact nature has been altered by the prior acquisition of the first language. L2 learners need to be given some explicit information about what is not grammatical in the L2. Otherwise, they may assume that some structures of the L1 have equivalents in the L2 when, in fact, they do not.
Learning: we learn the L2 via a conscious process of study and attention to form and rule learning.

Fall 2003
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Innatism:
Krashen‟s “monitor model”
The acquisition-learning hypothesis (2)
Theoretical Approaches to Second Language Learning
Differences in Learning L1 & L2 Behaviorism
Innatism
Information Processing
Connectionism
The Interactionist Position
need to account for language acquisition by
learners with a variety of characteristics and
learning in a variety of contexts.
Fall 2003
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Behaviorism
Four characteristics of behaviorism:
Fall 2003
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Differences in Learning L1 & L2
A child or adult learning a second language
is different from a child acquiring a first language in terms of both
1.
Krashen argues that “acquisition” is a more important process of constructing the system of a language than “learning” because fluency in L2 performance is due to what we have acquired, not what we have learned. Learning cannot turn into acquisition. Many learners may “know” rules but fail to apply them. Learners need to do as much acquiring as possible in order to achieve communicative fluency.
Fall 2003 12/38
Innatism:
Universal Grammar
How UG works in L2 development:
Two different views 1)
The nature and availability of UG in L2 acquisition is no different from that which is hypothesized to guide L1 learners. Adult L2 learners neither need nor benefit from error correction and metalinguistic information. These things change only the superficial appearance of language performance and do not affect the underlying competence of the new language.
Fall 2003 11/38
Innatism:
Competence vs. Performance
SLA (second language acquisition) researchers from
the UG perspective are more interested in the language competence (i.e., knowledge of complex syntax) of advanced learners rather than in the simple language of early stage learners. Their investigations often involve comparing the judgments of grammaticality made by L2 and L1 learners, rather than observations of actual language performance (i.e., use of language).
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Innatism:
Competence vs. Performance
Competence:
It refers to the knowledge which underlies our ability to use language.
Performance:
It refers to the way a person actually uses language in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Performance is subject to variations due to inattention or fatigue whereas competence (at least for the mature native speaker) is more stable.
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