1. OBSERVING
LEARNING AND
TEACHING IN
THE SECOND
LANGUAGE
CHAPTER 5
PSYCHOLOGY AND
LANGUAGE
LEARNING

2. In the acquisition of a second language there are many methods
that we as teachers can use in order to improve the knowledge of
our students, is essential to know the natural and the instructional
settings, because in a feature we are going to use one of them; if
we want to be successful teachers we have to apply this settings in
a correct form, and we can achieve it just through knowing them.
Natural language acquisition is characterized by:
 Natural communicative interactions where the learner is
exposed to a wide variety of vocabulary and structures
 Learner’s errors are rarely corrected
 Learner encounters proficient speakers, language events, and
has to respond to questions
 Learner is able to access modified input in many one-to-one
conversations
OBSERVING LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE

3. The natural approach is based on the theory that language
acquisition occurs only when students receive comprehensible
input. The emphasis is on reading and listening comprehension for
beginning students.
Instructional language acquisition is characterized by:
 Language organized according to the presentation of
rules, often given one at a time and in strict sequence
 Teacher feedback on errors, particularly for violations of rules in
the linguistic code
 Limited range of discourse – (IRE) Initiation, response, evaluation
(asking, answering, evaluating).
The traditional instruction is developed in a classroom in a
traditional way, the teacher develops the class and that is all the
contact that the students have with a second language, in the
class.
OBSERVING LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE

4. Communicative language teaching is an approach
to the teaching of second and foreign languages
that emphasizes interaction as both the means and
the ultimate goal of learning a language. It is also
referred to as “communicative approach to the
teaching of foreign languages” or simply the
“communicative approach”. CLT has been seen as
a response to the audio-lingual method.
Below, There is a chart where you can see a
comparison of the natural acquisition, traditional
instruction and the communicative instruction.
OBSERVING LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE

5. Characteristics
Natural Acquisition Traditional
Instruction
Communicative
Instruction
Error correction The natural Acquisition
method doesn’t apply
it
The traditional
instruction has
error correction
The communicative
instruction doesn’t apply it
Learning one thing at
time
The natural acquisition
doesn’t apply it
The traditional
instruction apply it
The communicative
instruction apply it
Ample time available
for learning
The natural acquisition
apply it
The traditional
method doesn’t
have a lot of time
The communicative
instruction doesn’t have
ample time for learning
High ratio of native
speakers to learners
The natural acquisition
has high ratio of native
speakers
The traditional
instruction doesn’t
have a lot of
native speakers
The communicative
instruction doesn’t have a
lot of native speakers
Variety of language
and discourse types
The natural acquisition
has variety and
discourse types
The traditional
instruction doesn’t
have variety
In the communicative
instruction there are variety
of language and discourse
types
Pressure to speak In the natural
acquisition there
is pressure to speak
In the traditional
instruction there is
pressure to speak
In the communicative
instruction there is not
pressure to speak
Access to modified
input
The natural acquisition
has access to modified
input
The traditional
instruction doesn’t
have access to
modified input
The communicative
instruction doesn’t have
access to mofied input
OBSERVING LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE

6. Thank you