1. INPUT, INTERACTION, A
ND SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION

2. INTRODUCTION
Definition of “Input”
Three views on input in language
acquisition

3. INPUT
 Input
is used to refer to the languag
that is addressed to the L2 learner
either by a native speaker or by
another L2 learner.
 Interaction is the conversation
constructed by the learner and his
partners.
 Therefore, input is the result of
interaction.

4. language
L2
learner
Native
speake
r

5. Three views on input in
language acquisition:
behaviourist
nativist
interactionist

6. Behaviourist
A
language
producin
g
machine

7. Behaviourist
- imitate
- practice
- produce

8.  The
environment is the crucial
determining factor.
 Learners learn language in the form of
stimuli and feedback
Stimuli and
feedback
occur in the
environment

9. - Look at friends‟ models  imitate 
practice  produce
- Suitable stimuli is important  good
models
- Feedback is used to reinforce or correct
students to change their behaviors

10. Nativist
A grand
initiator

11.  Nativist
view emphasizes
learner-internal factors.
 This is learner‟s mental abilities.

12. Interactionis
t
Learners’
ability
+
Environment

13.  The
interactionist view sees
language development as the
result both of input factors
and of learners‟ innate
mechanisms.

14. Behaviourist
Environment
(OUTSIDE)
Nativist
Learners‟ mental
ability
(INSIDE)
Interactionist
Environment +
Learners‟ innate
ability
(OUT + INSIDE)

15. ‘Motherese’
and
L1 acquisition
Speaker: Ngoc Phuong

16. ‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The nature of ‘motherese’
Linguistic properties of mother’s speech:
 well-formed, containing few ungrammatical
utterances or sentence fragments
 formal adjustments: lower mean length of
utterance, use of simple sentences, use of
tutorial questions
 adjustments in pronunciation:
pitch, intonation, rhythm

17. ‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The nature of ‘motherese’
‘motherese’ – a simple style of language of the
type that parents use when speaking to their
child

18. ‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The functions of ‘motherese’
Three main functions:
 an aid to communication
 a language teaching aid
 a socialization function
(Ferguson, 1977)

19. ‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The basis of adjustments made by
mothers
How speech modifications determined?
 parents have a general idea of children’s
linguistic ability
 parents internalize a model of a ‘typical’ child
of a given age


(Gleason & Weintraub, 1978)

20. ‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The effects of ‘motherese’
The route of acquisition:
 not change in any significant way
The rate of acquisition:
 considerable effect

21. ‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
Explaining the effects
How input affects L1 acquisition?
Interactional routines – regularity and invariance
of utterances (Ferrier, 1978)
Three types of language lessons to communicate
with children (Clark & Clark, 1977):
 conversational lessons
 mapping lessons
 segmentation lessons

22. Input / interaction
in natural
settings

23. Foreigner
talk studies
Speaker: Bich Duyen

24. FOREIGNER TALK
•The
description of foreigner talk
•The
explanation of foreigner talk

25. The description of foreigner talk
Foreigner talk is a simplified version of a
language that is sometimes used by native
speaker (NS) when addressing non-native
speakers (NNS).
Grammatical
 Long (1981a)
simplifications

Input features
(linguistic
forms)
Foreigner talk
Interactional
features
(functions)
Ungrammatical
Simplifications
Specific
discourse
functions

26. The description of foreigner talk
(1) NS-NS speech
NS: When did you finish?
NS: Ten.
(2) Foreigner Talk-modification in form only
NS: What time you finish?
NNS: Ten o'clock.
(3) Foreigner Talk-modification in function only
NS: When did you finish?
NNS: Urn?
NS: When did you finish?
NNS: Ten clock.
NS: Ten o'clock?
NNS: Yeah.

27. The description of foreigner talk
3 types of foreigner talk:
 Foreigner talk consisting only of interactional
adjustment
 Foreigner talk consisting of interactional and
grammatical input adjustments
 Foreigner talk consisting of interactional
adjustments as well as both grammatical and
ungrammatical input adjustments.

28. The explanation of foreigner
talk
Hatch (1983b) suggests the functions of
foreigner talk:
 Promote communication
 Establish a special kind of affective bond
between NS and NNS.
 Serve as an implicit teaching mode

29. The explanation of foreigner
talk
Why adjustments occur?
 To simplify utterances
 To clarify what the native speaker wishes to
say
 To discover what the native speaker has said

30. The explanation of foreigner
talk
The use of ungrammatical foreigner talk
depends on
 NNS‟s proficiency in L2
 Social status
 NS „s prior experience of foreigner talk
 Spontaneous occurrence of the conversation

31. The explanation of foreigner
talk
How adjustments take place?
 Regression
 Matching
 Negotiation

32. DISCOURSE
ANALYSIS
Speaker: Diem Huong

33. DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
•Input  not determined solely by the native
speaker, but also by the learner himself
•Learner‟s output serve as input to his own
language processing mechanisms.

34. Other learner
feedback
Teacher feedback
INPUT
Native speakers
in person
Native speaker
media
Another L2
learner
Other
learner
participat
e
LANGUA
GE
LEARNER
Learner
modify
his/her
understandi
ng
OUTPUT
Speech
Writing

35.  Discourse analysis
The types of discourse learners take part in
depend very much on who the learner is.

36. Conversations involving child learners
Hatch (1978) shows that in child-learner discourse
* First stage
o-conversations start by calling for adult‟s attention
o-the adult responds by identifying the object
o-the child repeats the name of the object

37. Hatch (1978) shows that in child-learner discourse
*Development stage
o-The adult demands some comment on the
nominated topic
 attempt at elaboration by the child
(for further comments of the adult, further
developments can continue to occur)

38. Wagner-Gough (1975) looked at the discourse
strategies by one child learner, Homer.
Homer frequently imitates the adult‟s previous
utterance
He also incorporates chunks of speech from the
previous discourse into his own utterances
Ex: What this is Homer?
What is this is car?

39. Peck (1978, 1980)
focus functions
Ex: NS child: you know why?
L2 child: you know why?
substitution functions
Ex: NS child: there one piece
L2 child: there different piece.
Child-child conversation: more functions (the
child may be able to explore and expand the limits
of his L2 competence
Child-adult conversation: fewer functions (adults
tend to employ more questions and requests for
clarification)

40. Conversations involving adult learners
o-The adult learner has difficulty in identifying
the topic.
o- Repair strategies are common on the native
speaker‟s part.

41. adult-adolescent learner adult-child learner
the adolescent learner is
expected to play a much
bigger part in keeping the
conversation going.
the adult native speaker
has a great responsibility
and dominate the
conversation by using
frequent rhetorical
questions and repetition.
Krashen (1982) speculates that because older
learners are more involved in keeping conversation
going, they may learn more rapidly than younger
learners.

42. The negotiation of meaning
The learner and native speaker together strive to
overcome the communicative difficulties 
negotiation of meaning
strategie
s
tactics
• Conversational device to avoid
trouble
• Ex: stopping topic control, selecting
salient topic, checking
comprehension
• Devices for repairing trouble
• Ex: topic switching or request for
clarification

43. Checking comprehension
NNS: I was born in Nagasaki. Do you know
Nagasaki?
Request for clarification
NNS1: ……research
NNS2: Research, I don‟t know the meaning.

44. Topic switching
NNS1: Are you going to attend today‟s
party?
NNS2: I don‟t know yet, but probably I‟ll
attend.
(long pause…) So when will you go back to
Japan?

45. Other devices (using a slow space, repeating
utterances, stressing key words) both tactics
and strategies
** Negotiation makes input comprehensible
 promote SLA

46. Input / interaction
in classroom settings
Speaker: Phi Yen

47. Overview
It was recognized that successful
outcomes may depend on the type of
language used by the teacher and the
type of interactions occurring in the
classroom.
 It was hypothesized that classroom
interaction was the major variable
affecting SLA in formal settings.


48. Overview
Interaction
analysis
Classroom process
research
Teacher talk
Discourse
analysis

49. Interaction analysis
It was initiated in subject classrooms.
 In 1960s, Flanders developed a
category system for analyzing the
communicative uses of the teacher‟s
and pupils‟ language. Later, this
system was adapted for use in
language classroom.
 More sophisticated system have been
devised by Fanselow (1977) and
Allwright (1980).


50. Interaction analysis
Classroom interaction can be accounted
for in terms of three types of analysis:
A turntaking
analysis
A topic
analysis
Allwright (1980)
A task
analysis

51. Problems about the
systems
The categories selected are no more
than “subjective hunches”.
 They code surface behavior and so
miss the communicative value of
remarks => Although such systems
may achieve reliability, their validity
and relevance are in doubt.
(Long, 1980)
