Psycholinguistics by Mariana De Luca mariana.deluca@cms.k12.nc.us

First Language Acquisition Theories Behaviorism Imitation Reinforcement Analogy Skinner The Innateness Hypothesis Universal Grammar Grammar Construction Chomsky

Stages in Language Aquisition Pre-linguistic stage (birth to six months): The baby cries, coos, laughs, and makes other sounds. Babbling (six to 12 months): The baby makes nonspecific sounds from all human languages. One-word (holophrastic) stage (1 year): The child speaks single words in isolation, in his or her first language. Two-word stage (24 months): The child forms two-word phrases or strings that reflect the language being acquired. The vocabulary increases; the child begins to learn words at the rate of one word every two waking hours. Telegraphic speech (30 months): Children begin to utter short phrases like telegraph messages, without formal grammatical structure. Fluent speech (three years +): The child learns grammar and syntax (patterns of sentence formation) with surprising rapidity and accuracy; sentences increase in length and complexity.

Theories of Second Language Learning Behaviorist Cognitive Constructivist -Tabula rasa -Stimuli -Conditioning - Reinforcement -Innate predispositions -Systematic, rule governed acquisition -Creative construction -Whole person -Social interaction -Cognition and context -Discovery Learning -Learn how to learn Empowerment Skinner makes a distinction between respondent conditioning and operant conditioning. The former is concerned with respondent behavior, behavior that is elicited by a preceding stimulus. The latter attempted to account for most of human learning and behavior. Operant behavior is behavior in which one operates on the environment (stimuli, not important). He focused not on what led somebody to do something but on the events that happened afterwards. The reinforcers that follow a response and that tend to strengthen the behavior or increase the probability of a recurrence of that response constitute a powerful force in the control of human behavior. Skinner described language as a system of verbal operants. This view dominated language teaching for decades (50, 60, 70) (audiolingual method) leading to a heavy reliance on the controlled practice of verbal operants under carefully designed schedules of reinforcers. Ausubel contended that learning takes place in the human organism through a meaningful process of relating new events or items to already existing cognitive concepts or propositions. Rote learning=mental storage of items (phone numbers, zipcodes) Meaningful learning = new material enters the cognitive field, interacts with exisisting concepts and as it relates , it constructs meaning. Cognitive theory provides the theory to reject practice and repetition in Language teaching The constructivist view considers the whole person, especially the emotional being. It focuses away from teaching and towards learning. Learning how to learn is more important. The teacher facilitates. Rogers is not concerned about the cognitive aspect of learning because he considers that if the context for learning is appropriately created, then human beings will learn anything they need to. Teachers as facilitators must provide the nurturing context for learners to construct their meanings in interaction with others.

Instructional Implications Behaviorist Language from dialogues, and drills from teachers Structured by grammatical complexity Similar proficiency levels Structured repetitions and drills Students repeat immediately Errors corrected immediately Cognitive Natural language from the teacher, classmates or books Unstructured but made comprehensible by teacher Language production is expected to occur naturally Silent period Errors not corrected Constructivist Unstructured but focused on communication ELL and native speakers Speaking occurs naturally No pressure to speak Meaning negotiated

An Innatist Model: Krashen’s Input Hypothesis Acquisition – Learning Hypothesis Monitor Hypothesis Natural Order Hypothesis Input Hypothesis Affective Filter Hypothesis

The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis Natural Development Meaningful Interactions Formal study of forms and functions Conscious process The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis

Monitor Hypothesis Sufficient Time Focus on Grammar Conditions Sufficient Time Focus on Grammar Explicit knowledge of rules Monitors Correct Language Use Monitor Hypothesis

Natural Order Hypothesis Predictable Sequence Present Progressive (-ing) In-on Plural (-s) Past Irregular Possessive (‘s) Is, am, are Article (a, the) Past regular (-ed) Third person regular (-s) Third person irregular (Brown, 2007) Natural Order Hypothesis

Extralinguistic features Comprehensible Input I+1 Background knowledge Simplified language Context Extralinguistic features Pre-teaching Vocabulary Hands-on activities Input Hypothesis

Affective Filter Hypothesis Low-anxiety Learning Environment Motivation Self-confidence Self-esteem Affective Filter Hypothesis

Information Gap Find your partner Take turns to ask questions and complete your graphic organizer 5 minutes Information Gap

Bilingualism vs. Second Language Acquisition SLA Simultaneous acquisition of two languages Acquisition of L1 Acquisition of L2 Unitary system hypothesis Separate systems hypothesis Fundamental difference hypothesis Same stages of LA as monolingual children L2ers construct interlanguage grammars Unconscious process Conscious process Codeswitching L1 Interference

Using your book “Principles of Language Learning and Teaching”, complete the Key Terms Graphic Organizer (7 minutes) Transfer, Interference, overgeneralization (pp.102,103) Zone of Proximal Development (p.13) Fossilization (p.270) Codeswitching (p.139) Interlanguage (p.256) Key terms

Factors Affecting Language Learning At your table, use the classification of learner variables to discuss how different factors can affect language learning and what the teacher can do to address them. (5 minutes) Factors Affecting Language Learning