2. SLA: multidisciplinary field
1. Linguistics – gives us an accurate description of
what people are trying to learn (L2) and what
we already know (L1)
3. Psychology – privides us with the learning
theory to account for how people acquire
knowledge.
5. L1 Acquisition – offers findings that can be
applied to SLA.
5. Factors to consider in L2
Acquisition
The L1 – second language learner production
always resembles their L1 in one way or another.
(TRANSFER).
The INTERLANGUAGE – contains features of
the L1 as well as the L2.
The FINAL STATE – what is to be acquired
(Communicatice competence).
VARIATION in performance – competence
(linguistic knowledge the learner has) vs.
performance (actual language used by the
learner)
7. Variation: Example
I didn’t like that movie so I told her I no want to
go there.
QUESTIONS:
Why is there such variation?
Has this learner acquired the English negation or
not?
8. Variation: some explanations
When learners are only focusing on the form of
the L2 utterance, they may be able to produce it
accurately.
HOWEVER,
When there are other factors such as
communicating a complex thought, errors may
occur
A matter of PROCESSING?
Need to shift processing from controlled to
automatic (because of fixed processing capacity in
humans).
9. Interlanguage Grammars
General question:
What is the structure of an interlanguage?
Investigate the mental representations of
interlanguage grammars within the different
domains of linguistic theory.
10. L2 phonology
The L2 learner will have to learn to perceive and
produce some new sounds when learning an L2.
Segmental phonology
Prosodic phonology
11. L2 Phonology: Question
Why are some sounds easier to acquire than
others in an L2?
What is the role of the L1?
The role of
Markedness – The Markedness Differential
Hypothesis.
Investigates L2 acquisition by comparing the
relative markedness in the L1 and the L2.
12. L2 Syntax
Two facets of syntactic structure that L2 learners
must acquire: the null subject parameter and
verb movement.
THE NULL SUBJECT PARAMETER
Languages with overt subjects vs. languages in
which the subject can be omitted.
Languages with null subjects also:
Allow declarative sentences with flexible word order
Speakers of null subject languages are more likely to
permit that trace sequences).
13. L2 Syntax
VERB MOVEMENT
Some languages do not allow verb movement,
while others do.
For example,
English does not allow it, but French does.
14. L2 Morphology
Is the developmental sequence in L2 learning the
same as it is in L1 learning?
Developmental Order in L1
Developmental Order in L2
15. Factors affecting SLA
Does the onset age of L2 acquisition cause
different levels of final proficiency?
Is there an optimal time or a “critical period” to
acquire an L2?
Discussion focuses in the area of phonology
Fairly certain predictions:
People who start learning the L2 before the age of 7, will
have native like L2 speech.
People who start learning after the age of 14 or 15 will have
non-native speech.
It is much more difficult to predict knowledge or
ability in the area of syntax, sociolinguistics, etc.
16. Individual differences
Question asked: if learners have a particular
quality “x”, does this make them better second
language acquirers?
Three main points that need to be well explained:
5. How doe we define “x”?
6. What does it mean to be a “better” acquirer?
7. What aspect of communicative competence are
we referring to?
17. Affective factors: motivation
Will a person that is more motivated be more
successful at acquiring an L2?
Two types of motivation:
INSTRUMENTAL (having a specific goal or reason to
learn the L2).
INTEGRATIVE (wanting to learn more about a
culture or to fit in better).
Some findings:
The degree of integrative motivation, correlates with
the degree of success in learning a target language.
18. Cognitive factors
The mechanics of how an individual learns
something new.
Contrast between field dependence and field
independence.
Some SLA conclusions:
field-independent learners do better on tests that
focus on analytic tasks such as providing the
correct grammatical form in a given sentence.
Field-dependent learners do better in tasks that
involve synthesizing their knowledge. (better
communicative commpetence – more concerned
with getting the message across than with the
correctness)
19. The l2 classroom
Threerelevant characteristics of a second
language classroom:
Modified input (teacher talk)
Modified interaction (recast)
Focus on form (instructions about the
language and explicit correction).
