2. Yule Chapter 14
• What do you call someone who speaks two
languages?
– Bilingual
• What do you call someone who speaks three
languages?
– Trilingual
• What do you call someone who speaks one
language?
– American
– This joke demonstrates the cultural difference of being American (or really
any English-language speaker) in learning second languages.
3. Second Language Learning
• Some children grow up with two (or more)
languages and are bilingual
• But most of us approach a second language
(L2) later in life
• It certainly seems harder than the first
language
• There is no system of “knowledge” that we
learn better at two or three years old than at
eighteen or thirty
4. Acquisition and learning
• Acquisition usually means to learn a language
naturally through communicating with others
who speak the language.
• Learning applies to a more conscious effort to
learn the grammar, vocabulary, morphology,
etc. of a language.
• Much of second language learning helps
learners learn more about the language than
actually use it.
5. Work Questions
• Talk in your group to see if anyone grew up
with two languages. If so compare the
differences in learning a second language.
Some of you are heritage speakers (meaning
your parents speak another language). How
does that impact your learning of your
parents’ language? Do you think you learned
or acquired your second language?
6. Acquisition barriers
• Meeting a second language a few hours of week
in class as a teenager is very different from
constant interaction with loved ones.
• Some learners come very close to native
speakers, but most do not.
• Even highly fluent speakers usually have an
accent.
• Early teenage years may be the best time,
because our capacity for language is still flexible,
but we have improved cognitive skills.
7. Affective Factors
• People (and especially teenagers) may feel
embarrassed about speaking another
language, especially if they do not respect the
other culture.
• This reaction may be made worse by dull
textbooks or unpleasant classroom
surroundings.
• These affective factors can be a challenge to
overcome.
8. Work Questions
• What affective factors have you encountered
in learning a second language?
How about in this class, what affective factors
help or hurt you in learning about linguistics?
9. Focus on Method
• Grammar-Translation: Learn using vocabulary lists
and grammar rules. Memorization is encouraged.
More written language
• Audiolingual Method: More spoken language.
Much repetition of structures, moving from
simple to more complex.
• Communicative Approaches: Many different
ways, but the essence is to create meaningful
communication experiences that help to learn
the language.
10. Work Questions
• Think about your formal second language
learning experiences. Which method did your
teachers use? What are some examples of
why you think it was closer to this?
11. Focus on the learner
• Recently, the big change is a shift from
focusing on the teacher, textbook, and
method to the learner and how he/she
acquires the language.
• Shift from errors as something to be
eradicated to seeing them as part of the
learning process.
• E.g. in the room there are three womens.
12. Transfer
• Transfer means using sounds, expressions, or
structures from the first language (L1).
• Positive transfer is when L1 and L2 are similar.
– E.g. Adding an inflectional morpheme to nouns for
plurals. Gatos = cats
• Negative transfer is when the differences
make it harder to understand.
– E.g. Using one negative for all negatives.
– No puedo ir. I don’t can go.
13. Work Questions
• Think of some examples of transfer when you
have learned a second language. Can you give
some examples of positive and negative ones?
14. Interlanguage
• Many utterances are not directly related to L1 or
L2.
• They are part of the natural growth of the L2 and
is part of an in-between system.
• It is called interlanguage and “is now considered
to be the basis of all L2 production.” p191
• If the interlanguage does not continue to grow
closer to the L2, it may become fossilized,
meaning it stays in a level not recognized as L2.
15. Work Questions
• Think about your interlanguage. Can you think
of some phrases that you use (or hear other
people say) that are examples of this? Are you
aware of any fossilization that you have (or
hear in others)?
16. Motivation
• Motivation is important in all learning.
• Intrinsic motivation is when you learn because
it makes you feel good. You love learning.
• Extrinsic motivation is when you learn for
something outside of learning (a job, a grade,
a reward, etc.)
17. Motivation
• You may learn a language with instrumental
motivation: That is to achieve another goal such
as understand a movie or pass an exam.
• You may also learn a language with integrational
motivation: That is, you want to be part of the
language-speaking community.
• Receiving positive feedback can improve
motivation, while negative feedback often hurts
it. This is another reason for moving away from
error eradication.
18. Work Questions
• Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated
in this class? What are some examples that
make you think that? What are some extrinsic
motivations for doing well in this class?
19. Input and Output
• Input is the language that the learner hears and
reads.
• Input must be comprehensible. العربية
• This may lead to foreigner talk.
– How are you getting on in your classes? becomes
– English class, you like it?
• Sometimes the learner tries to work out what the
input means by engaging in a conversation. This
allows practice of the output as well. As both
sides work on what they can understand, they
create negotiated input. (see page 193)
20. Work Questions
• Think of some comprehensible input in your
second language. What does that tell you
about your level?
21. Communicative Competence
• Communicative Competence is the ability to use
language “accurately, appropriately, and flexibly.”
• This includes grammatical competence, the
ability to use the appropriate words and
structures.
• It also includes sociolinguistic competence, the
ability to use the right phrase in the right context
with the right people.
• There is also strategic competence, which is the
ability to work around any language gaps to
ensure the message is properly communicated.
22. Work Questions
• Think about a second language you have
studied. Do you have communicative
competence in that language? Why or why
not?
23. Work Questions
• Think about your grammatical, sociolinguistic,
and strategic competence in English. Is it
perfect? Think of areas that can give you
trouble, even if you are a native speaker.
24. Foreign Accents
FML Chapter 31
• Shibboleths are used to tell people apart.
• Zeeze seengs vs deeza tings vs these things
• Can be comedic, comedic.
• It is possible to overcome these accents, but
native-like accent is very difficult.
25. Work Questions
• Think about your own experiences with
second languages, either speaking them or
hearing someone else speak your language.
What parts of language give problems? Try to
use some of our phonetics and phonology
language!
26. Curing Monolingualism
5ML Chapter 32
• Adults learn L2 differently from a child
learning L1
• But adults have the advantages of time,
phonetics, syntax, and vocabulary
• Our job learning L2 is to focus on the
differences and practice!
• We can learn a second (or third, or fourth)
language!
27. Work Questions
• Leave the critical period issue to one side.
What psychological advantages and
disadvantages do adults have over teens and
children in learning a second language?
28. Learning a Language Well
5ML Chapter 33
• Some can spend years studying a language and
not be able to speak
• Others never take a class, but speak several
languages
• Don’t believe the 4 weeks to mastery ads
• Need to learn structure and practice
• 600 hours for French or Spanish proficiency
• Twice as long for Arabic, Chinese, Korean, etc.
• This means motivation and time
29. Language Learning through the Years
5ML Chapter 34
• In the U.S., at first learned Algonquin
• Then came Greek and Latin. Learning to read.
• Then learning to read modern languages
• By World War 2, speakers were required of many
languages. (Windtalkers)
• Started as building blocks before communication.
• Now moved toward communication, even at the
beginner level. Language is desperately needed
today by the US government and business
30. Why Study Languages Abroad?
5ML Chapter 35
• Some formal study before going abroad can
be a big help
• Living abroad, you can experience the
language in its own context
• It can be tiring doing all foreign language
• Find out details about the study abroad
program
• Research immersion programs at home
31. Foreign Accents
FML Chapter 31
• Shibboleths are used to tell people apart.
– Perejil.
• Zeeze seengs vs deeza tings vs these things
• Can be comedic, comedic.
• It is possible to overcome these accents, but
native-like accent is very difficult.
32. Work Questions
• Think about your own experiences with
second languages, either speaking them or
hearing someone else speak your language.
What parts of language give problems? Try to
use some of our phonetics and phonology
language!
33. Curing Monolingualism
5ML Chapter 32
• Adults learn L2 differently from a child
learning L1
• But adults have the advantages of time,
phonetics, syntax, and vocabulary
• Our job learning L2 is to focus on the
differences and practice!
• We can learn a second (or third, or fourth)
language!
34. Work Questions
• Leave the critical period issue to one side.
What psychological advantages and
disadvantages do adults have over teens and
children in learning a second language?
35. Learning a Language Well
5ML Chapter 33
• Some can spend years studying a language and
not be able to speak
• Others never take a class, but speak several
languages
• Don’t believe the 4 weeks to mastery ads
• Need to learn structure and practice
• 600 hours for French or Spanish proficiency
• Twice as long for Arabic, Chinese, Korean, etc.
• This means motivation and time
36. Language Learning through the Years
5ML Chapter 34
• In the U.S., at first learned Algonquin
• Then came Greek and Latin. Learning to read.
• Then learning to read modern languages
• By World War 2, speakers were required of many
languages. (Windtalkers)
• Started as building blocks before communication.
• Now moved toward communication, even at the
beginner level. Language is desperately needed
today by the US government and business
37. Why Study Languages Abroad?
5ML Chapter 35
• Some formal study before going abroad can
be a big help
• Living abroad, you can experience the
language in its own context
• It can be tiring doing all foreign language
• Find out details about the study abroad
program
• Research immersion programs at home
38. Work Question
• If you could study overseas, which country
would you like to go to? What challenges do
you think that you would have? What benefits
do you think you would get?
