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Environmentalist Approach
The environmentalist approach to language acquisition focused on input, repetition, trial and error, and supported the idea that learning occured via a reaction to environment. -
Bloomfield's structural linguistics
Leonard Bloomfield's development of structural linguistics lead to the audiolingual method, which is based on the behaviorist theory that language is produced through an external stimulus. This method came about after WWI and was used during WW2 to quickly train military personnel. It consists of a lot of repetition, dialogues, and grammar drills. -
Skinner's behaviorism
B.F. Skinner theorized that children learn language by making connections between a words and meanings and the reinforcement they received. When a child would utter a word correctly, he would be positively reinforced. This supports the environmentalist approach that speaking is an external process. -
Chomsky's theory of language development
Noam Chomsky's theory suggested that the process of speaking a language used mental and cognitive processes. Children had a system of language structures from which they could produce new language by applying cognitive strategies. This allowed for language learners to be more creative in their language production. -
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Innatist Approach
The innatist approach supports the idea that humans have an inherent ability to learn a language and that language acquisition is a cognitive process. -
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Interactionist Approach
The interactionist approach further develops the innatist approach that all humans can learn a language and that they learn from social interaction. -
Hymes' concept of communicative competence
Dell Hymes coined communicative competence as the knowledge people have when they communicate. He proposed that the appropriateness of language spoken in a socially and culturally context determined a speaker's communicative competence. -
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Communicative Competence
Speaking is at the core of communicative competence and demonstrates the other skills and competencies of communication: strategic, pragmatic, linguistic, and intercultural. -
Selinker's interlanguage theory
Larry Selinker developed the interlanguage theory to define the relationship between a learner's L1 and L2. Each person has his own interlanguage, which is influenced by L1, instruction, overgeneralization of L2 rules, learning strategies, and L2 communication strategies. Interlanguages are constantly evolving. -
Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development
Lev Vygotsky stressed the role of social interaction in the learning process. He stated that every learner has an actual developmental level, what the student can do on his own, and a potential developmental level, what the student can do through interaction with others. Vygotsky defined the Zone of Proximal Development as the time it takes for a learner to go from the potential level to the actual level. -
Krashen's Input Hypotheis (cont'd)
- The input hypothesis: learners must have an ample amount of comprehensible input that is one step above their knowledge base. 5. The affective-filter hypothesis: language acquisition occurs when anxiety level is low.
- The input hypothesis: learners must have an ample amount of comprehensible input that is one step above their knowledge base. 5. The affective-filter hypothesis: language acquisition occurs when anxiety level is low.
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Krashen's Input Hypothesis
Stephen Krashen developed 5 hypotheses of natural language acquisition: 1. acquisition-learning hypothesis: learners subconsciously pick up rules, which leads to spontaneous communication. 2. The monitor hypothesis; the learner consciously monitors known grammar rules and applies them when given time. 3. The Natural-order hypothesis: learners acquire grammar rules in a natural predictable order. -
Halliday's Functional view of language
Michael Halliday continued with Levelt's idea of a plan and theorized that language would be produced according to intent or need. Conversations fulfill a cultural and social function. -
Swain's output hypothesis
Merrill Swain's output hypothesis theorizes that any form of language production may result in language acquisition. All language production is practice and this improves fluency, but not accuracy. This production also provides practice of the learner's linguistic resources. The more the language is used, the more fluent the learner. -
Terrell's binding
Tracey Terrell introduced the cognitive process of binding to learn vocabulary. Binding is the process of connecting a word to the learners schema; this is more effective than introducing vocabulary as a translated list. -
Levelt's model of speech production
William Levelt suggested that speakers constructed a plan consisting of four processes: conceptualization, formulation articulation, and monitoring. This suggests that oral language production is a complex cognitive activity that requires automation and knowing where the conversation is going. -
Long's interaction hypothesis
Mike Long's interaction hypothesis suggests how language input is made comprehensible. Communication is in a sense a negotiation and the speaker adjusts his language by simplifying, using familiar structures, background knowledge, gestures, and modification to provide understandable input, which in turn leads to better comprehension and acquisition.
