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Environmentalism/Behaviorism
An era that gave rise to the audio-lingual method in which the belief is that the best way one learns a language is through dialogues, drill, and rote memorization. These ideas held that the learning process was conditioned by one's environment and that which is external, rather than learning being an internal experience. (Stimulus-response-reinforcement) -
Structural Linguistics (Bloomfield)
Founding father of American Linguistic studies with his work "Language". He laid the scientific groundwork of the field of linguistics and was a strong thinker in the realm of behaviorism. Relied on the systemic presentation of grammatical forms in increasing difficulty for language acquisition. -
B.F. Skinner
Supported language acquisition through a stimulus-response-reinforcement model. Language is a learned behavior through imitation. The repeated drilling and practice of language is where the learning occurs and therefore corrections/feedback are crucial in this model of learning. -
Generative Grammar- Syntactic Structures
This theory posits that each sentence has two layers- the surface and the deep. The surface structure deals with physical language itself and the deep structure deals with the core meaning of the sentence. Chomsky believed that many languages would have commonalities in the deep structures that are masked by the surface structures. Therefore, mental constructions of language matter and there is transference of skills between languages. -
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Innatist/Nativism
This era sees a shift in viewing learning as an external process to a more internal, cognitive process. The founding idea is that we all have an innate disposition to language acquisition and there are overarching grammar rules that can be tapped into when learning a language. -
Universal Grammar
Theoretical position that all people are born with an innate Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and thereby all have potential to learn. Regardless of one's environment, everyone has the internal competence to create and understand an infinite amount of language. Everyone has an internalized system of rules which can be transformed and applied in new situations- creativity. -
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Interactionist/Constructivism
Now that it was accepted that language was very much a cognitive process, it was further pushed that language learning was dynamic and based on context. Greater attention is given to social context, registers, and functionality of language. -
Communicative Competence
Dell Hymes challenged the work of Chomsky by pointing out that it did not give thought to appropriateness of an utterance in a situation. Hymes then coined the term communicative competence to encompass the ideas not only competence and performance, but also social context and norms of appropriateness. This idea has been further developed many times since the 1970s. -
Zone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky defines the ZPD as the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.The ZPD posits that language learning is an activity that happens through interaction in social settings. ZPD results from using language in meaningful and purposeful ways with others. Teachers don't answer, they facilitate. -
The Interaction Hypothesis
Michael Long researched through the 1980's about how interaction impacts acquisition. Learners must be active participants who engage and negotiate with the input they are receiving in order to acquire language. The conversation structure changes based on participants and modifications such as clarification requests, confirmation of message meaning, and comprehension checks occur. These modifications help aid in comprehension which then aides in language acquisition. -
The Input Hypothesis
Building on the work on Chomsky, Krashen proposed 5 ideas about language acqusition: acqusition-learning, monitor, natural-order, input, and affective filter hypothesis. This framework focuses on vocabulary that is comprehensible and interesting while not focusing too much on the sequencing of grammar and error correction. Input is prioritized over output as a means of true acquisition versus language learning. -
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Communicative Approach
Here language learning is seen as a multi-dimensional, active process in which learners progress in their communicative competency through the development of all four skills with considerations made for socio-linguistic, strategic, pragmatic, and intercultural considerations. Meaning making and comprehension are put in center stage -
The Output Hypothesis
The output hypothesis claims that the actual production of language is a part of the language learning process and not simply a bi-product of acquisition through input. Language learning occurs when students encounter a "gap" in knowledge and then try out a hypothesis about the language which leads to greater meta-linguistic reflection and internalization of language acquisition. This promotes fluency and automation in language use. -
Binding (Terrell)
The cognitive and affective mental process of linking a meaning to a form. New words should be associated directly with their meaning and not with a translation. It is believed that binding can be aided by presenting vocabulary in thematic groupings as well as with visual/physical supports for concrete references. This focuses on showing understanding and acquisition before actually asking students to produce with the forms themselves.
