Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition

Summary

In this video, Rafael discusses Krashen's five hypotheses on second language acquisition: Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, Monitor Hypothesis, Input Hypothesis, Affective Filter Hypothesis, and Natural Order Hypothesis. The script highlights the importance of meaningful interaction, natural communicative input, and affective variables like motivation and self-confidence in language learning. It also touches upon the silent period and the natural progression of language acquisition, emphasizing the need for an understanding of these theories to enhance teaching practices.

Takeaways

• 📚 Krashen's theory consists of five main hypotheses: Acquisition-Learning, Monitor, Input, Affective Filter, and Natural Order.
• 🧠 The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis suggests two systems: subconscious acquisition and conscious learning.
• 🗣️ Language acquisition occurs through meaningful interaction, focusing on communication rather than form.
• 📈 The Monitor Hypothesis explains how learned knowledge can correct and improve spontaneous language production.
• 🕒 Effective use of the Monitor requires sufficient time, focus on form, and knowledge of rules.
• 👥 Different learners have varying Monitor usage: optimal, over, and under users, influenced by personality traits.
• 🌐 The Input Hypothesis posits that language acquisition progresses with input slightly beyond the learner's current competence.
• 🔄 The Affective Filter Hypothesis states that motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety affect language acquisition.
• 📅 The Natural Order Hypothesis indicates that language structures are acquired in a predictable sequence.
• 🔄 Errors in language use can be corrected by providing more input containing the targeted structure.
• 🤫 The Silent Period is a phase where learners understand without speaking, important for language acquisition without pressure.

Q & A

What are the five main hypotheses of Krashen's theory of second language acquisition?

The five main hypotheses of Krashen's theory are: 1) The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, 2) The Monitor Hypothesis, 3) The Input Hypothesis, 4) The Affective Filter Hypothesis, and 5) The Natural Order Hypothesis.

What is the difference between language acquisition and language learning according to Krashen?

Language acquisition is a subconscious process similar to how children acquire their first language, focusing on meaningful interaction. Language learning is a conscious process resulting from formal instruction and focuses on conscious knowledge about the language, such as grammar rules.

How does the Monitor Hypothesis explain the relationship between acquisition and learning?

The Monitor Hypothesis states that the acquisition system initiates speech, while the learning system acts as a monitor or editor, which corrects deviations and polishes speech under certain conditions: sufficient time, focus on form, and knowledge of the rules.

What are the three specific conditions that allow the monitor to function effectively?

The three conditions are: 1) sufficient time, 2) focus on form, and 3) knowledge of the rules.

What does the Input Hypothesis suggest about the role of input in language acquisition?

The Input Hypothesis suggests that learners improve and progress when they receive input that is one step beyond their current linguistic competence.

How does the Affective Filter Hypothesis relate to the success of language acquisition?

The Affective Filter Hypothesis posits that variables such as motivation, self-confidence, anxiety, and personal traits play a facilitative role in language acquisition. High motivation, self-confidence, and extroversion are conducive to success, while low motivation, anxiety, and introversion can hinder it.

What does the Natural Order Hypothesis propose about the acquisition of grammatical structures?

The Natural Order Hypothesis proposes that grammatical structures are acquired in a predictable order, with some structures being acquired earlier than others. It also accounts for student errors as a part of the learning process.

What is the Silent Period in second language acquisition?

The Silent Period is a phase where learners acquire language knowledge by listening and understanding without producing speech. It is a receptive phase where learners should not be pressured to speak until they are ready.

How does Krashen suggest correcting students' mistakes in language acquisition?

Krashen suggests providing more input containing the structure in question as the best way to correct students' mistakes, rather than consciously organizing the order of language items.

What is the significance of understanding Krashen's hypotheses for language teachers?

Understanding Krashen's hypotheses helps language teachers improve their practices by promoting meaningful interaction, providing comprehensible input, and understanding the natural process of language acquisition, including the silent period.

What does Krashen recommend for designing a language syllabus?

Krashen recommends designing a syllabus based on topics, functions, and situations rather than organizing language items consciously.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition

Rafael introduces Krashen's theory of second language acquisition, which comprises five main hypotheses. These are the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, Monitor Hypothesis, Input Hypothesis, Affective Filter Hypothesis, and Natural Order Hypothesis. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis explains the difference between language acquisition (subconscious, similar to first language learning) and language learning (conscious, formal instruction). The Monitor Hypothesis discusses the relationship between acquisition and learning, with the acquisition system initiating speech and the learning system acting as an editor under specific conditions: sufficient time, focus on form, and knowledge of rules. Krashen also identifies different types of language learners based on their use of the monitor. The Input Hypothesis suggests that language acquisition progresses naturally when learners receive input slightly beyond their current linguistic competence. The Affective Filter Hypothesis posits that motivation, self-confidence, and other affective variables facilitate language acquisition, while low motivation and high anxiety can impede it. Lastly, the Natural Order Hypothesis states that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a predictable sequence, and errors are a natural part of this process.

05:01

🗣️ The Silent Period and Language Acquisition

This paragraph discusses the Silent Period in language acquisition, a phase where learners understand and absorb language without speaking. It emphasizes the importance of not pressuring students to speak before they are ready and allowing them to naturally progress to a point where they feel confident to participate orally. The paragraph concludes by stressing the importance of understanding theories to improve teaching practices, focusing on meaningful interaction, providing comprehensible input, and respecting the natural learning process, including the silent period. It suggests that these practices help in planning classes effectively and naturally.

Keywords

💡Hypotheses

Hypotheses are proposed explanations for a phenomenon. In the context of the video, the term refers to the five main hypotheses that form Krashen's theory of second language acquisition. These hypotheses attempt to explain how people acquire a second language.

💡Acquisition Learning Hypothesis

This hypothesis posits that there are two separate systems for language performance: acquisition and learning. Acquisition is subconscious and similar to how children learn their first language, while learning is conscious and involves formal instruction. The video explains that acquisition is more focused on communication, whereas learning is more about the form of language.

💡Monitor Hypothesis

The Monitor Hypothesis describes the role of conscious knowledge in language use. It suggests that while the acquisition system initiates speech, the learning system acts as a monitor that can edit and correct language output under certain conditions, such as when there is sufficient time and a focus on form. The video uses this concept to differentiate between optimal, over, and under users of the monitor.

💡Input Hypothesis

The Input Hypothesis is Krashen's explanation of how second language acquisition occurs. It states that learners improve and progress when they receive input that is slightly beyond their current linguistic competence. The video emphasizes that natural communicative input is crucial for language learning, aligning with the idea that a syllabus should be designed around this principle.

💡Affective Filter Hypothesis

This hypothesis suggests that certain emotional factors, such as motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety, can either facilitate or hinder language acquisition. The video explains that learners with high motivation and low anxiety are more likely to be successful in acquiring a second language, as these factors can lower the 'affective filter' that might otherwise block language learning.

💡Natural Order Hypothesis

The Natural Order Hypothesis posits that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a predictable sequence. The video uses this hypothesis to argue that students will make fewer mistakes if they are exposed to language structures in a natural order, rather than being forced to learn them out of sequence.

💡Silent Period

The Silent Period refers to a phase in language acquisition where learners listen and understand without speaking. The video advises against pressuring students to speak during this period, suggesting that they will begin to speak when they are ready, indicating the end of the silent period.

💡Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible Input is the idea that learners need to receive language input that they can understand in order to acquire a language. The video stresses the importance of providing input that is one step beyond the learner's current competence to facilitate language acquisition.

💡Motivation

Motivation is described in the video as a key affective variable that can facilitate language acquisition. It is mentioned as a factor that, when high, can lower the affective filter and enable learners to be more successful in acquiring a second language.

💡Self-Confidence

Self-Confidence is another affective variable discussed in the video. It is linked to the successful use of the monitor and is suggested to be higher in extroverted learners. High self-confidence can contribute to more effective language acquisition.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety is presented in the video as a factor that can raise the affective filter and impede language acquisition. High anxiety levels can create a mental block, making it difficult for learners to acquire a second language.

Highlights

Krashen's theory consists of five main hypotheses about second language acquisition.

The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis states two independent systems of foreign language performance: language acquisition and language learning.

Language acquisition is a subconscious process similar to children acquiring their first language.

Language learning is a conscious process resulting in conscious knowledge about the language.

The Monitor Hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former.

The Monitor acts in a planning, editing, and correcting function under specific conditions: sufficient time, focus on form, and knowledge of the rules.

Krashen distinguishes language learners based on monitor use: over-users, under-users, and optimal users.

The Input Hypothesis suggests that learners improve when they receive input slightly beyond their current linguistic competence.

Natural communicative input is key to designing a syllabus according to the Input Hypothesis.

The Affective Filter Hypothesis states that motivation, self-confidence, anxiety, and personal traits play a role in second language acquisition.

High motivation and self-confidence facilitate language acquisition, while low motivation and anxiety can impede it.

The Natural Order Hypothesis suggests a predictable order for the acquisition of grammatical structures.

Mistakes in language learning can be corrected by providing more input containing the structure in question.

The Silent Period is a receptive phase where learners acquire language knowledge by listening and understanding without producing it.

It's important not to pressure students to speak during the Silent Period; they should begin to speak when they are ready.

Understanding the Silent Period helps in planning classes and allowing students to participate orally at their own pace.

Krashen's theories are essential for improving language teaching practices and understanding the student's learning process.

Meaningful interaction in the target language and comprehensible input are necessary for language acquisition.

Motivating students and understanding their learning process will help plan classes effectively.

Transcripts

hello this is rafael

today we are talking about the five

hypotheses

of krashen's theory of second language

acquisition

this theory consists of five main

hypotheses

number one the acquisition learning

hypothesis

number two the monitor hypothesis number

three

the input hypothesis number four

the effective filter hypothesis and

number five

the natural order hypothesis

[Music]

the acquisition learning hypothesis

according to prussian there are two

independent systems

of foreign language performance number

one the language acquisition

and number two the language learning

the language acquisition is the product

of a subconscious process

very similar to the process children

undergo when they acquire their first

language

it requires meaningful interaction in

the target language

that is natural communication

here speakers are concentrated not in

the form

of their utterances but in the

communicative act

the language learning it is the product

of formal instruction

so it is a conscious process which

results in conscious knowledge

about the language for example knowledge

of grammar rules

it is necessary to say that a deductive

approach in a teacher center setting

produces learning while an inductive

approach in a student-centered setting

leads to acquisition

to monitor hypothesis

it explains the relationship between

acquisition

and learning and defines the influence

of the letter on the former

according to crushing the acquisition

system is the utterance initiator

while the learning system performs the

role of the monitor

or the editor this monitor acts in a

planning

editing and correcting function where

three specific conditions

are met the three

specific conditions are sufficient time

focus on form and knowledge of the rules

so the role of the monitor it is to

correct deviations

from normal speech and to give speech

a more polished appearance russian

[Music]

crushing also identifies language

learners with regard to monitor

use he distinguishes those learners that

use the monitor

all the time over users those learners

who have not learned

or who preferred not to use their

conscious knowledge

under users and those learners that use

the monitor

appropriately optimal users usually

extroverts are on their users while

introverts

and perfectionists are over users

lack of self-confidence is frequently

related to the

overuse of the monitor

the input hypothesis

it is crashing's attempt to explain how

second language acquisition takes place

according to this hypothesis the learner

improves and progresses

along the natural order when he receives

second language input

that is one step beyond his current

stage of linguistic

competence here we discovered that

natural communicative input

is the key to designing a syllabus

the affective filter hypothesis

this hypothesis says that a number of

affective variables play a facilitative

with no causal role in second language

acquisition

these variables include motivation

self-confidence anxiety and

personal traits russian claims that

learners with high motivation

self-confidence a good self-image

a loud level of anxiety and extroversion

are better equipped for success in

second language

acquisition on the contrary

low motivation low self-esteem anxiety

introversion and inhibition can raise

the effective filter

and form a mental block that impedes

language acquisition

so for acquisition to take place

positive effect is necessary but not

sufficient

on its own natural

order hypothesis

[Music]

this hypothesis suggests that the

acquisition of grammatical structures

follows a natural order which is

predictable

for a given language some grammatical

structures

tend to be acquired early while others

late this hypothesis also accounts for

students mistakes and errors that is

students make mistakes when the

structure used

has not been completely acquired

however students can use their learned

competence to modify their production

so the best way to correct the students

mistakes

is to provide more input containing the

structure

in question we must

then take into consideration that we

don't need

to change the order of presentation of

language items

in fact russian suggests that we present

the language without

any conscious effort to organize it

on the contrary he recommends a syllabus

based on topics

functions and situations

the silent period

[Music]

this is a receptive moment in which

learners acquire some

language knowledge by only listening and

understanding without

producing here is important not pressure

students to speak

after a while they should begin to speak

making sense

when the student is ready to speak

that's when deciding period for that

student

will end at this point

the student will have the confidence to

participate orally

in class we will still make mistakes

when speaking conclusion

it is necessary to know the theories to

improve our practices

it is always important to start a

meaningful

interaction in the target language by

means of natural communication

comprehensible input is necessary for

the acquisition of the language

knowing aspects like the silent period

give us an idea to

understand the student's process of

learning

and motivating all these

aspects will help us to plan our class

get the most out of the situation and do

it in a natural way

[Music]

thanks for watching if you liked the

video please

give me a big thumbs up

you