Theories of Second Language Acquisition

Behaviorism A change in external behavior achieved through a large amount of repetition of desired actions. The reward of good habits and the discouragement of bad habits.

In the classroom This view of learning lead us to A great deal of repetitive actions. Praise for correct outcomes and immediate corrections of mistakes.

In the field of language learning this type of teaching was called the audio-lingual method. The whole class using choral chanting of key phrases, dialogues and immediate correction.

Nativism In The field of psychology, nativism is that certain skills or abilities are native or hardwired in to the brain at birth. This is in contrast to the view Which states “brain has inborn capabilities for learning from the environment.”

Researches on the human capacity for language provides strong support for a nativism view. No human society has ever been discovered that doesn’t employ a language All medically intact children acquire at last one language in early childhood. Universal grammar (UG) that is used for the innate properties of human brain that are responsible for children’s rapid and successful acquisition of a native language, without any obvious effort during the first five years of life.

Cognitivism A cognivitism theory of learning sees second language acquisition as a conscious and reasoned thinking process, involving the deliberate use of language strategies.

Learning strategies are special ways of processing information that enhance comprehension, learning and or retention of information. This explanation of language learning contrast strongly with the behaviorism which sees language learning as an unconscious, automatic process.

Cognitive theory promotes the constructive nature of the learning process. Not the accumulation of facts. But constructing personal meaning from experience.

Social Interactions This theory emphasize the role of social interaction between the developing child and linguistically knowledgeable adults. Language, according to social interactionists, develop through interaction with other human biengs. Social interactionists climes that no critical period for language acquisition exist as the process of information is not dependent on biological or cognitive development.

Worksheet Popular ideas about language learning: Match the following statements to the four major approaches to language learning.

I best learn things when I repeat them over and over. I only learn something when I first understand it. When I work on my own I learn much better. I believe language learning capacity is God-given.

If I want to learn something well, I put the information into different categories. I usually prefer to work in groups of people at my age in order to learn something complex. I expect people around to correct me whenever I make a mistake. A second language is learnt in the same order the first language is acquired.

When I share something I’ve learnt with others I make it stronger in my mind. I always have a plan to start, keep, and finalize my studies. I learn something best when I can use it in my real life. I don’t believe in formal instruction. I think language should be picked up naturally.