-
Period: to
A Behaviorist View of Language Acquisition
Through the 1940s and 1950s, it was thought that second languages were acquired through stimuli and responses. Imitation, practice, and positive reinforcements were key parts of behaviorist theory (Skinner, 1957). This theory, also known as environmentalist theory because it was based on the learner's environment, was utilized up until the 1960s. -
Period: to
A Cognitivist/Innatist View of Language Acquisition
By the early 1960s, language theorists believed that language acquisition was innate to humans, and they began developing theories of different kinds of competences, instead of devoting resources only to performance. This theory relies on students to be aware of their own learning. Students' reflections on their own learning processes, especially on their competences, helps them make progress analytically. -
Innate Language Acquisition Device
Chomsky claimed that humans are born with the innate ability to learn languages, through the "language acquisition device" (LAD), which included "Universal Grammar".
An important part of Chomsky's research was the difference between competence and performance. -
Communicative Competence
Hymes pioneered the concept of communicative competence in order to account for contextual factors such as social interaction and interpretation, which Chomsky's model excluded. -
Interlanguage
Selinker observed the process of second language acquisition, and noted several factors at play, including inference from the native language, instructional approach, overgeneralization of target language rules, learning strategies, and communication strategies. -
Zone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky hypothesized that the performance of a learner with assistance is greater than the amount the learner can do on their own. This gap is called the Zone of Proximal Development, and is bridged with iterative collaboration between the learner and an expert. The collaboration must be tailored to be relevant, interesting to the learner, and focused on the learner's ability, and all together, is known as scaffolding. -
Types of Competence
Canale and Swain defined six types of competence: sociocultural, discourse, linguistic, formulaic, interactional, and strategic. An implication of this model is that students require more than just grammar and linguistic knowledge to effectively communicate. -
Period: to
A Sociocultural View of Language Acquisition
Unlike behaviorist and cognitivist theory, the modern sociocultural theory accounts for mediation and social interaction in language learning. Though its roots stretch to the theory of the ZPD in the late 1970's, it did not become the mainstream theory until the 1990s. This theory does not consider competence and performance to be two separate categories, but rather mutually dependent systems in the process of language acquisition. -
Long's Interaction Hypothesis
Long's model of second language acquisition accounts for factors in the way interaction modifies input, in response to the learner's progress and feedback. This is called negotiation of meaning, and has the corollary that learners cannot simply listen to input, but must be active participants in communication. -
Krashen's Input Hypothesis
Krashen built on Chomsky's nativist theory and hypothesized further methods of how language could be acquired. While many of his hypotheses are still incorporated into pedagogical methods, the most famous is the Input Hypothesis, which states that students must receive a significant amount of interesting, slightly challenging, yet understandable input. -
Swain's Output Hypothesis
Though Krashen defined the importance of input, Swain argues that input is only the start of language acquisition. Students must be given the opportunity to produce output, as this allows them to discover, and then bridge, the gap between what they would like to say and what they can say. This is especially important when teaching speaking. -
Language Play As Rehearsal
Lantolf identified an important aspect of language learning is not only mediation and communication between learner and expert, but also the learner's own internal monologue, known as self-talk or language play. This occurs when a learner tests out new phrases or words by themselves, before attempting them with a speaking partner. -
Language Play For Fun
Cook, as well as Brontner, and Tarone, theorized that language play is something learners do for fun, rather than to rehearse. Known as ludic play, this contributes to interlanguage.