Evidence for Capstone

1. Valene Salas
ED600
10/10/14
Abstract
Stephen Krashen, a Professor of Linguistics and Education at the University of South California,
created the Natural Approach based on his five theories of second language acquisition. Krashen
believed that being adults and older children acquire the second language faster than young
children (Stephen D. Krashen, 1979). Is this true? Below you will read about a brief research
between two subjects, who grew up speaking their mother tongue of Yap. The results will help
you determine if Krashen’s theory is true.
Older versus Younger
Krashen believes that “acquisition requires meaningful interactions in the target
language-natural communication-in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their
utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.” (Shoebottom) In this
research , Subjects A and B were recorded speaking naturally for five to ten minutes and I was
surprised to find that the eldest child had more to say than the simple and one word responses
given by the youngest child proving Krashen’s theory of the Monitor Model. Krashen also states
that older children are faster learners of syntax and morphology when the duration of exposure to
the second language (Stephen D. Krashen, 1979). In this case, Subject A has been exposed
longer to the English language than Subject B which explains the results below.
Method
Participants
Subject A and Subject B both grew up learning the Woleaian language of Yap. Subject A
is a 13 year old girl who grew up in Yap. She moved to Guam at the age of 5 and actually did not

2. Valene Salas
ED600
10/10/14
start school until the age of 7. She is now a student at Agueda Johnson Middle School. Subject
B is a 7 year old boy who left Guam at 6 months of age and came back a year and half later. He
is currently attending a private school named Bishop Baumgartner Elementary School.
Results
Krashen mentioned “acquisition requires meaningful interactions in the target language-
natural communication-in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but
with the messages they are conveying and understanding.” (Shoebottom). Based on the results of
the 10 minute recording, Subject A, the eldest child, proved that she acquired the English
language much more effectively than Subject B. Subject A was able to converse with more
complete sentences and also lead the conversation to pull out responses from Subject B. Subject
A’s sentences were also grammatically correct as far as syntax and morphology goes. On the
other hand, Subject B only provided quick responses such as “Yes” or “No” and several simple
sentences that had a few grammatical mistakes when using words in a past tense form such as
“Yesterday, we make masks.”
Discussion
Although Subject A proved Krashen’s theory of acquiring a second language to be true, there
may be some factors that may have affected the results. 1) Subject B may have been too shy to
speak in front of different people as well as in front of a recording device. If the device was
hidden then maybe Subject B would have felt a little more comfortable to speak more than a one
word response 2) The environment was a bit too busy with people coming in and out of the
building may have distracted Subject B. If this research was done in a more formal and
classroom like environment as stated by Krashen in TESOL Quarterly. Subject B may have felt

3. Valene Salas
ED600
10/10/14
a little more comfortable and would have been able to focus on the conversation that was taking
place. Overall, based on the results, younger may be uttering simple words and sentences but in
the long run as they get older they will learn syntax, morphology, and how to communicate
effectively and in a meaningful manner in acquiring a second language.

4. Valene Salas
ED600
10/10/14
Works Cited
Shoebottom, P. (n.d.). An introduction to the work of Stephen Krashe. Retrieved from
http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/krashen.htm
Stephen D. Krashen, M. L. (1979). Age, Rate, and Eventual Attainment in Second Language
Acquisition. TESOL Quarterly, 573-582.
University, C. (n.d.). Krashen's Five Main Hypotheses on Second Language Acquisition.
Retrieved from SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/AjaanRobCMU/krashens-five-
main-hypotheses