INPUT, INTERACTION, A
ND SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION
INTRODUCTION
Definition of “Input”

Three views on input in language
acquisition
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.
language
L2
learner

Native
speake
r
Three views on input in
language acquisition:

behaviourist

nativist
interactionist
Behaviourist
A
language
producin
g
machine
Behaviourist
- imitate
- practice
- produce
 The

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

Stimuli and
feedback
occur in the
environment
- 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
Nativist
A grand
initiator
 Nativist

view emphasizes
learner-internal factors.
 This is learner‟s mental abilities.
Interactionis
t
Learners’
ability
+
Environment
 The

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

Environment
(OUTSIDE)

Nativist

Learners‟ mental
ability
(INSIDE)

Interactionist

Environment +
Learners‟ innate
ability
(OUT + INSIDE)
‘Motherese’
and
L1 acquisition
Speaker: Ngoc Phuong
‘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
‘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
‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The functions of ‘motherese’
Three main functions:
 an aid to communication
 a language teaching aid
 a socialization function
(Ferguson, 1977)
‘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)
‘Motherese’ and L1 acquisition
The effects of ‘motherese’
The route of acquisition:
 not change in any significant way
The rate of acquisition:
 considerable effect
‘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
Input / interaction
in natural
settings
Foreigner
talk studies
Speaker: Bich Duyen
FOREIGNER TALK
•The

description of foreigner talk

•The

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

Speaker: Diem Huong
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.
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
 Discourse analysis
The types of discourse learners take part in
depend very much on who the learner is.
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
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)
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?
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
Other devices (using a slow space, repeating
utterances, stressing key words) both tactics
and strategies
** Negotiation makes input comprehensible

 promote SLA
Input / interaction
in classroom settings
Speaker: Phi Yen
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.

Overview
Interaction
analysis

Classroom process
research

Teacher talk
Discourse
analysis
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).

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
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)

Input,  interaction, and second language acquisition

Input, interaction, and second language acquisition

  • 1.
    INPUT, INTERACTION, A NDSECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
  • 2.
    INTRODUCTION Definition of “Input” Threeviews on input in language acquisition
  • 3.
    INPUT  Input is usedto 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.
  • 5.
    Three views oninput in language acquisition: behaviourist nativist interactionist
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
     The environment isthe crucial determining factor.  Learners learn language in the form of stimuli and feedback Stimuli and feedback occur in the environment
  • 9.
    - Look atfriends‟ models  imitate  practice  produce - Suitable stimuli is important  good models - Feedback is used to reinforce or correct students to change their behaviors
  • 10.
  • 11.
     Nativist view emphasizes learner-internalfactors.  This is learner‟s mental abilities.
  • 12.
  • 13.
     The interactionist viewsees language development as the result both of input factors and of learners‟ innate mechanisms.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
    ‘Motherese’ and L1acquisition 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 L1acquisition The nature of ‘motherese’ ‘motherese’ – a simple style of language of the type that parents use when speaking to their child
  • 18.
    ‘Motherese’ and L1acquisition The functions of ‘motherese’ Three main functions:  an aid to communication  a language teaching aid  a socialization function (Ferguson, 1977)
  • 19.
    ‘Motherese’ and L1acquisition 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 L1acquisition The effects of ‘motherese’ The route of acquisition:  not change in any significant way The rate of acquisition:  considerable effect
  • 21.
    ‘Motherese’ and L1acquisition 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 innatural settings
  • 23.
  • 24.
    FOREIGNER TALK •The description offoreigner talk •The explanation of foreigner talk
  • 25.
    The description offoreigner 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 offoreigner 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 offoreigner 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 offoreigner 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 offoreigner 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 offoreigner 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 offoreigner talk How adjustments take place?  Regression  Matching  Negotiation
  • 32.
  • 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 Nativespeakers 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 Thetypes of discourse learners take part in depend very much on who the learner is.
  • 36.
    Conversations involving childlearners 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) showsthat 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) lookedat 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) focusfunctions 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 adultlearners 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-childlearner 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 ofmeaning 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: Iwas born in Nagasaki. Do you know Nagasaki? Request for clarification NNS1: ……research NNS2: Research, I don‟t know the meaning.
  • 44.
    Topic switching NNS1: Areyou 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 (usinga slow space, repeating utterances, stressing key words) both tactics and strategies ** Negotiation makes input comprehensible  promote SLA
  • 46.
    Input / interaction inclassroom settings Speaker: Phi Yen
  • 47.
    Overview It was recognizedthat 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.
  • 49.
    Interaction analysis It wasinitiated 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 interactioncan 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 Thecategories 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) 

Editor's Notes

  • #22 (Clark & Clark, 1977)