lk

1. Schools of Thoughts
in Second Language
Acquisition

2. 2

3. The Beginning
◈ The need to master Latin  the power of the
Roman Empire
◈ Grammar Translation Method
◈ 19th-20th century: disappearing Native
American languages
◈ Franz Boaz field method
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4. Schools of Thoughts in SLA
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1900s-
1950s
• Structural Linguistics
• Behaviorism
1960s-
1980s
• Generative Linguistics
• Cognitivism
1980s-
2000s
• Sociolinguistics
• Constructivism

5. 1.
Structural Linguistics &
Behaviorism
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6. Structural Linguistics
1. Language: a system consisting of subsystems
(Bloomfield)
2. Utterances  empiricism
Ferdinand de Saussure: langue & parole
3. Sentence level analysis
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7. Behaviorism
◈ John Watson: the father of behaviorism
◈ Learning theory  psychologists
◈ Many animal experiments:
1. Conditioning (Pavlov & the dogs)
2. Habit formation (Skinner & the pigeons)  shaping
3. The importance of the environment  tabula rasa
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8. 8
Environment
org

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10. 2.
Generative Linguistics &
Cognitivism
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11. Generative Linguistics
◈ Chomsky: Transformational Generative
Grammar / Transformational Linguistics
◈ Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
◈ Universal Grammar
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Organism
Env

12. Cognitivism
◈ Cognitivism = rationalism / mentalism
◈ Meaning, understanding, and knowing
◈ Seeing what’s behind (underlying motivations
and deeper structures)
◈ “Why” instead of only “What”
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13. 3.
Sociolinguistics &
Constructivism
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14. Sociolinguistics
◈ Sociolinguistic Revolutionary Theory
◈ Dell Hymes  Communicative Competence
(possible, feasible, appropriate, performed)
◈ Canale & Swain  Communicative Competence
1. Linguistic Competence
2. Sociolinguistic Competence
3. Discourse Competence
4. Strategic Competence
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15. Constructivism
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Constructivism
Cognitive
Jean Piaget:
Learning is a
developmental
process; Stages
Social
Vygotsky: Zone of
Proximal
Development
(ZPD); Social
Interaction

16. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
NL
(Native______________________________________TL
(Target
Language) Language
ZPD
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17. ZPD
The Distance between a learner’s existing
developmental state and his/her potential
development.
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18. Language Teaching
◈ 19th century: Grammar Translation Method
◈ 20th century:
Audiolingual Method
Direct Method
Communicative Language Teaching
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19. Methods and Approaches
◈ Anthony’s concept (1963):
Approach: a set of correlative assumptions dealing
with the nature of language teaching and learning.
Method: an overall plan for the orderly presentation
of language material, no part of which contradicts,
and all of which is based upon, the selected
approach.
An approach is axiomatic and a method is
procedural.
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20. Methods and Approaches
Technique is implementational – that which
takes place in a classroom. It must be
consistent with a method, and therefore in
harmony with an approach as well.
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21. Any questions?
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