This document discusses topics related to second language acquisition, including the difference between acquisition and learning, factors that influence second language learning like affective filters and language transfer, and concepts like interlanguage and overgeneralization. It addresses the role of comprehensible input and output in language development and defines communicative competence.

1. Second language
Acquisition/ Learning
The Study of Language
George Yule
Page 186-197
Applied Linguistics

2. Topics
• What is Second Language Learning/ Acquisition
• Difference Between Acquisition and Learning
• Difference Between Second Language and Foreign Language
• Acquisition Barriers
• Affective Filters
• Language Transfer
• Interlanguage
• Intraference
• Overgeneralization
• Language Input
• Communicative Competence

3. What is Language Acquisition?
• The process of attaining a specific variant of human language.
• The process of learning a native or a second language.

4. Second Language Acquisition
The Process of Acquiring/learning a second
or foreign language is called as second
Language Acquisition

5. Difference Between Learning and Acquisition
Acquisition
“Acquisition” to refer to a nonconscious
process of rule internalization resulting from
exposure to comprehensible input when the
learner’s attention is on meaning rather than
form, as is more common in a SECOND
LANGUAGE context.
Still others use “acquisition” only with
reference to the learning of one’s first
language.
Learning
using “learning” to mean a conscious
process involving the study of explicit
rules of language and MONITORING
one’s performance, as is often typical
of classroom learning in a FOREIGN
LANGUAGE context
Some theorists use “learning” and “acquisition” synonymously.
Others maintain a contrast between the two terms,

6. Acquisition and learning

7. SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

9. Acquisition Barriers
There are many general factors that influence second language
learning such as age, aptitude, intelligence, cognitive style,
attitudes, motivation and personality (Ellis, 1985). The factors
effecting the second language acquisition can be divided in to two
categories. These are
1. Individual/internal factors
2. External Factors
There is also a third category of factors called effective filters, but
these factors are usually discussed in Individual/internal factors.

10. Affective Filters
These are also kind of individual/internal factors, but
these are called as affective filters because these are
related to personal emotions or psychology of individual
learner.
Affective factors are emotional factors which influence
learning. They can have a negative or positive effect on
learning a second language. Negative affective factors
are called affective filters.
People with high affective filter will lower their intake
whereas people with low affective filter allow more
input into their language acquisition device.
These factors may include:
Self esteem, inhibition, anxiety, empathy etc.

11. Transfer
Transfer” (also called “crosslinguistic influence”)
Transfer means using sounds, expressions or structures from the L1 when performing in the L2.
Positive transfer
If the L1 and L2 have similar features (e.g. marking plural on the ends of nouns), then the learner may be
able to benefit from the positive transfer of L1 knowledge to the L2.
Negative transfer
On the other hand, transferring an L1 feature that is really different from the L2 (e.g. putting the
adjective after the noun) results in negative transfer and it may make the L2 expression difficult to
understand.
We should remember that negative transfer (sometimes called “interference”) is more common in the early
stages of L2 learning and often decreases as the learner develops familiarity with the L2.

12. Language transfer – interference
Language transfer refers to the influence of the mother tongue on the learning of the foreign
language.
When there are no major differences between L1 and L2, the transfer will be positive, which
will make language learning easier.
When there are differences, the learner’s L1 knowledge may interfere with learning L2,
negative transfer will occur, which is called (mother-tongue) interference.
Interference affects all levels of language, such as pronunciation, grammar, lexis, syntax and
so on.
The errors arise from the mismatch between the grammatical habits of the learners’ mother
tongue and the new grammatical patterns that the learners have to acquire in the foreign

13. Interlanguage
Errors were regarded as failures for a long time. Now it is accepted that errors are important
because they are the indication of the learners’ developing competence, which Selinker (1972)
called ‘interlanguage’.
Interlanguage refers to the process the learner goes through from the initial stage when he
knows very little about the language getting to a final stage when he possesses almost
complete fluency. It shows a transitional stage of the learner’s development towards L2
competence.
It is a system that the learners construct at any stage in their development.

14. Interlanguage
Students’ errors are a very useful way of giving evidence of what they have learnt and
haven’t learnt. So instead of regarding errors negatively, as a sign of failure, teachers can
see them positively as an indication of what they still need to teach. If teachers try to
prevent students from making errors, they can never find out what the learners do not
know.
Teachers need to correct some errors to help students learn the correct forms of the
language. But they don’t have to correct students all the time.

15. Intraference
Language learners may experience confusion when they find
conflicting patterns within the structure of the newly acquired
language.
Scovel (2001) calls it intraference.
A good example is the use of the third person singular suffix, which
causes problems to a great number of learners irrespective of what
their mother tongue is.
The information about the suffixation (in simple present tense there
are no suffixes only in the third person singular) confuses the
learners and it comes from English itself.
One of the most common indication of intraference is
overgeneralization.

16. Overgeneralization
• A process common in both first- and second-language learning,
• in which a learner extends the use of a grammatical rule of a
linguistic item beyond its accepted uses, generally by making
words or structures follow a more regular pattern.
For example, use mans instead of men for the plural of man.

17. Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization means that whenever learners meet a new pattern or a new rule,
they think that the pattern or rule applies to all cases without exception.
Errors are produced because the learner extends the target language rule to
inappropriate context ignoring the restrictions of the structures.
Overgeneralization results from the fact that the learner finds it easier to transfer
previous knowledge to produce a new pattern.
A good example said by a foreign language learner is the following:
She goes. “She must goes”.

18. Input and output
OUT Put:
language produced by a language learner, either in speech or writing.
input
(in language learning) language which a learner hears or receives and from which he or she can learn.
According to Krashen’s theory of language acquisition, comprehensible input is a necessary condition for second
language acquisition.
comprehensible input: Input that is comprehensible (understanable) for the learner.
input language which contains linguistic items that are slightly beyond the learner’s present linguistic
competence

19. Input and output

20. Input and output (Continues….)

21. Communicative competence

22. Sociolinguistic competence

23. Strategic Competence and Communication Strategy

24. Thank You