Basic introduction of Foreign Language Acquisition Theories for Mphil class .First Semester in English Linguistics

1. Theories of Foreign Language LEARNING Dr.Shamim Ali

2. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Second language acquisition or second language learning is the process by which people learn a second language in addition to their native languages

3. THEORIES OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 1-The Monitor Model 2- Inter-language Theories 3-Universal Grammar Theories 4- Cognitive Theories 5- Multidimensional Model 6-Acculturation/Pidginization Theory

4. 1-The Monitor Model The Acquisition versus Learning Hypothesis. b)The Monitor Hypothesis c) The Natural Order Hypothesis d) The Input Hypothesis e) The Affective Filter Hypothesis

5. 2 -Inter-language Theories The first time this term inter-language was used by Selinker (1969) a) Overgeneralisation b) Transfer of Training c) Strategies of Second Language Learning d) Strategies of Second Language Communication e) Language Transfer.

6. Second Approach The second time this term inter-language was used by Adjemian in 1976 He differentiates between the learning strategies that learners employ and the linguistic rules that are “crucially concerned in the actual form of the language system The properties of the learner’s grammar should be the primary goal of linguistic research

7. Third Approach The third approach to the description of interlanguage was initiated by Tarone (1979, 1982). She describes interlanguage as a continuum of speech styles

8. 3 -Universal Grammar Theories Universal Grammar (UG) theories are based on Chomsky’s ( 1969, 1980, 1986). claim that there are certain principles that form the basis on which knowledge of language develops. These principles are biologically determined and specialized for language learning.

9. 4-Cognitive Theories McLaughlin, 1987 First introduced Cognitive theory Sub-skills involved in the language learning process are applying grammatical rules, choosing the appropriate vocabulary, following the pragmatic conventions governing the use of a specific language

10. 4.1 Cognitive Theory Posner & Snyder (1975) viewed cognitive theory,and they were in the opinion that these sub-skills become automatic with practice. During this process of automatisation, the learner organizes and restructures new information that is acquired.

11. 4.2-Cognitive theory The cognitive theory by (Lightbown, Spada, & Wallace, 1980)showed that indicating a decline in performance as “more complex internal representations replace less complex ones” followed by an increase again as skill becomes expertise

12. 4.3 Cognitive Theory Berman’s 1987,point of view language acquisition is dependent “in both content and developmental sequencing on prior cognitive abilities” and language is viewed as a function of “more general nonlinguistic abilities

13. 5 Multidimensional Model In the Multidimensional Model, the learner's stage of acquisition of the target language is determined by two dimensions: the learner’s developmental stage and the learner’s social-psychological orientation. Clahsen, Meisel & Pienemann, 1983 Larsen-Freeman & Long, Ellis, 1994 viewed this model

14. 6- Acculturation/Pidginization Theory According to Schumann (1978): “second language acquisition is just one aspect of acculturation and the degree to which a learner acculturates to the target-language group will control the degree to which he acquires the second language.”