Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language AcquisitionStephen

Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition
    Good morning, everyone. Today I will give you a brief introduction about Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition.
    As we all know that Stephen Krashen is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and development. Much of his recent research has involved the study of non-English and bilingual language acquisition. During the past 20 years, he has published well over 100 books and articles and has been invited to deliver over 300 lectures at universities throughout the United States and Canada.
    Krashen once said that Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.(1)Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language -natural communication—in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding. The best methods are therefore those that supply "comprehensible input" in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear.(2)These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are "ready", recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production.
    This is a brief description of Krashen’s widely known and well-accepted theory of second language acquisition, which has had a large impact in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s.
     (3)Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition consists of five main hypotheses; the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis, the Monitor hypothesis, the Natural Order hypothesis, the Input hypothesis and the Affective Filter hypothesis.
    The Acquisition-Learning distinction is the most fundamental of all the hypotheses in Krashen’s theory and the most widely known among linguists and language practitioners.
    According to Krashen, there are two independent systems of second language performance: "the acquired system" and "the learned system".(4)The "acquired system" or "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—natural communication—in which speakers are concentrated not in the form of their utterances, but in the communicative act.
    The "learned system" or "learning" is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge "about" the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules. According to Krashen "learning" is less important than "acquisition".
     (5)The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar. According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs the role of the "monitor" or the "editor". The "monitor" acts in a planning, editing and correcting function when three specific conditions are met: that is, the second language learner has sufficient time at his disposal, he focuses on form or thinks about correctness, and he knows the rule.
    It appears that the role of conscious learning is somewhat limited in second language performance. According to Krashen, the role of the monitor is or should be minor, being used only to correct deviations from "normal" speech and to give speech a more "polished" appearance.
     (6)Krashen also suggests that there is individual variation among language learners with regard to "monitor" use. Those learners that use the "monitor" all the time are "over-users"; those learners who have not learned or who prefer not to use their conscious knowledge are "under-users"; and those learners that use the "monitor" appropriately are "optimal users". An evaluation of the person’s psychological profile can help to determine to what group they belong.(7)Usually extroverts are under-users, while introverts and perfectionists are over-users.
    Lack of self-confidence is frequently related to the over-use of the "monitor".
     (8)The Natural Order hypothesis is based on research findings which suggested 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 order seemed to be independent of the learners’ age, background, conditions of exposure, and although the agreement between individual acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of language acquisition. Krashen however points out that the implication of the natural order hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus should be based on the order found in the studies. In fact, he rejects grammatical sequencing when the goal is language acquisition.
    The Input hypothesis is Krashen’s attempt to explain how the learner acquires a second language. In other words, this hypothesis is Krashen’s explanation of how second language acquisition takes place. So, the Input hypothesis is only concerned with "acquisition", not "learning". According to this hypothesis,(9)a 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. For example, if a learner is at a stage "i", then acquisition takes place when he is exposed to "Comprehensible Input" that belongs to level "i + 1". Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic competence at the same time, Krashen suggests that natural communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in this way that each learner will receive some "i + 1" input that is appropriate for his current stage of linguistic competence.
    Finally, the fifth hypothesis, the Affective Filter hypothesis, embodies Krashen’s view that a number of "affective variables" play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition.(10)These variables include: motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Krashen claims that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem and debilitating anxiety can combine to "raise" the affective filter and form a "mental block" that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. In other words, when the filter is "up", it impedes language acquisition. On the other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for acquisition to take place.
    OK, today we have taken a brief look at Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition. I hope that will help you in your future study. Thanks for your attention!