1. Second Language Acquisition & English Teaching
Chun-yin Doris Chen
National Taiwan Normal University

2. I. The Study of Second/ Foreign Language Acquisition
phonological development
morphological development
--- child L2/EFL morpheme acquisition
--- adult L2/EFL morpheme acquisition
syntactic development
--- negation
--- questions

3. Acquisition of Negatives
*No Daddy go.
*Daddy no go.
*Daddy do not go.
Daddy doesn’t go.

4. Acquisition of Yes-No Questions
*Blue pen?
*It is blue pen?
*Is it is a blue pen?
Is it a blue pen?

5. Acquisition of Wh-questions
*What Daddy eating?
*What Daddy is eating?
*What is Daddy is eating?
What is Daddy eating?
*I don’t know what is Daddy eating.
I don’t know what Daddy is eating.

6. Implication Similar error types Similar developmental sequence/ stages
Difference in the required time spent at each stage

7. II. The Learner Learner Characteristics
--- knowledge of another language?
--- cognitive maturity?
--- metalinguistic awareness?
--- knowledge of the world?
--- nervousness about speaking?

8. Learning Condition
--- freedom to be silent?
--- ample time?
--- corrective feedback: grammar
and pronunciation?
--- corrective feedback: word choice?
--- modified input?

9. Language Learner Strategies
--- learning strategies?
--- production strategies?
--- communication strategies?
--- L2/ EFL vs. L1 learner strategies

10. Cognitive Style
--- personality
--- aptitude
--- motivation
--- integrative motivation
--- instrumental motivation
--- attitude
--- empathy

11. Learner characteristics
Child L1
Child (informal)
Adolescent (formal)
Adult (informal)
1. Knowledge of another
language
2. Cognitive maturity
3. Metalinguistic awareness
4. Knowledge of the world
5. Nervousness about
speaking

12. III. Theories of Second/ Foreign Language Acquisition
Behaviourism: the Second Language View
Cognitive Theory: a New Psychological Approach
Creative Constructive Theory
The Second Language Interactionist View

13. Behaviorism
All learning, verbal or nonverbal, takes place through habit formation.
Input  correct repetitions and imitations positive reinforcement  habit formation
Old habits of the first language acquisition influence the SLA, so that new habits are formed.

14. Weakness of Behaviorism
Influence of learner’s first language is not simple a matter of habits, there are still other factors involved. Thus, behaviorism is an incomplete explanation of SLA.

15. When teaching more difficult and different patterns, we can provide more related activities so that students can practice the patterns in an interesting way. As a result, new habits can be formed.

16. Cognitive Theory
Second language learning is a process which involves active mental processes and not simply the forming of habits.
Through experience and practice, learners become able to use certain parts of the language automatically.
Cognitive theory

17. Cognitive Theory Restructuring
Through some mental process, learners may have sudden progress without extensive practice.

18. Weakness of Cognitive Theory
The theory itself can not easily predict what will be automatized through practice and what will be restructured.

19. Creative Construction Theory
Learners work out language rules using similar processes to first language learners. (UG)
Distinctive feature
Learners need not actually speak or write to acquire language. Acquisition takes place internally as learners read or hear what they understand.
Krashen’s theory is based on it.

20. Stephen Krashen’s Theory
The acquisition-learning hypothesis
The monitor hypothesis
The natural order hypothesis
The input hypothesis
The affective filter hypothesis

21. The acquisition-learning hypothesis
What is acquisition?
The product of a subconscious process very similar to the process children undergo when they acquire their first language.
It requires meaningful interactions in the target language.

22. The acquisition-learning hypothesis
What is learning?
We learn through a conscious process of study and attention to form and error correction.
Learning is less important than acquisition.

23. The acquisition-learning hypothesis
Implication of teaching
Implementing more communicative activities in the classroom instead of grammar instruction.

24. The monitor hypothesis
Function
The acquired system
It initiates speaker’s utterances and is responsible for fluency and intuitive judgments and correctness.
The learned system
It performs the role of the monitor, making minor changes and polishing what the acquired system has produced.

25. The monitor hypothesis
Condition necessary for monitor use
Sufficient time
Focus on form
Knowing the rule

26. The monitor hypothesis
Implication of teaching
Knowing the rule only helps the speaker to polish what they have acquired, so the focus of language teaching should be communication and not rule learning.

27. The natural order hypothesis
What is it?
All second language learners regardless of L1 background pass through similar sequences or stages in language development.
The natural order is independent of the input order.

28. The natural order hypothesis
Evidence
Grammatical morpheme acquisition order
-ing
-s (plural)
irregular past
-’s (possessive)
the, a
-ed
-s (3rd singular)
auxiliary

29. The input hypothesis What is it? Comprehensible input
Learners acquire a language by receiving comprehensible input.
Comprehensible input
Input which is slightly above the learners’ current level. (i+1)

30. The input hypothesis
Teaching implication
Syllabus designing

31. The affective filter hypothesis
What is it?
Negative attitudes act as a filter (imaginary barrier) preventing the learner from making use of input, and thus hindering success in language learning.
Affective filter
A lack of motivation
A lack of self-confidence
anxiety

32. The affective filter hypothesis
Teaching implication
Lower students’ affective filter by….

33. The Interactionist View
Modified interaction is a crucial element in the language acquisition process. So we have to pay attention to
the modified input
the way of interacting with learners

34. The Interactionist View
Second language acquisition process
Interactional modification ↓
Comprehensible input ↓
Acquisition

35. The Interactionist View
Types and examples of conversational modifications.
Comprehension check
Ex: The bus leaves at 6:30, do you understand?
Clarification requests
Ex: Could you say that again?
Self-repetition or paraphrase (foreigner talk)
Ex: You won’t forget to buy the ice-cream on your way home, will you?
The ice-cream—You will not forget to buy it on your way home—Get it when you are coming home, all right?

36. The Second Language Interactionist View
comprehension checks
clarification requests
self-repetition or paraphrase

37. IV. Teaching Methodologies
Communicative Language Teaching
--- the role of the teacher
--- multiple methodologies

38. Communicative Activity Design
---mechanical
(duplication, repetition, substitution)
--- meaningful
(identification, ordering, completion)
--- communicative
(application)

39. V. English Teaching in the New Era
Student-centered
Individual Differences
Multiple Intelligences
Proportional Considerations
Variety

40. Proportional Considerations
grammar vs. functions-notions
linguistic forms vs. communicative functions
common activity types
--- task completion
--- problem solving
--- game playing
--- social interaction

41. Variety
activity types
scoring
encouragement/ compliment

42. VI. The Immersion Approach
total immersion
partial immersion

43. The End!