Almost all societies in the world has a second language learning programme for its children to be able to communicate in other language for one reason or the other.
In Zimbabwe English is the second language and the widely spoken language used by government and in the commercial activities including research and sciences. Most of the educational subjects are taught in English hence its importance to be fully developed in the primary education system.
Krashen(1977) drawn a theory of second language learning and teaching. Using a device which later known as Krashen's monitor model which distinguished the difference between acquisition and learning of a language.
There are two distinct ways of developing competence in a second language. Acquisition is the natural way identical to first language development in children . An unconscious process involving development proficience through understanding and using a language. Whilst learning refers to a process in which conscious rules about language developed results in explicit about the forms of a language.
In this theory acquisition comes about through meaningful interaction in a natural setting. Speakers aren't concerned with form but with meaning. There is error dictation and correction. But with learning error dictation and correction are central as typical in classroom setting where formal rules and feedback provides a basic for language instruction.
What distinguishes the two isn't setting but conscious attention to rules in the classroom language can be acquired and focuses on communication through dialogue ,role play ,games etc. In a natural setting pupils ask others about grammar and can receive feedback from friends.
Monitor hypothesis in the acquired of linguistic system said to initiate atterances when we communicate in a second language conscious learning can function as monitor or editor that checks and report the output of the acquired system. It claims that we may only call upon learned knowledge to correct ourselves.For the monitor to function efficiently there must be suficient time to choose and apply the learned rule.
The language user must be focused on the correctiness of the output and the performer must know the rules.
The natural order hypothesis of the theory emphasise on the acquisition of grammar structures proceeds in a predictable manner. Some rules tend to come earlier than others in the natural order the result is of acquired system to operate free of conscious grammar or the monitor. It is independent of order in which rules are taught in language classes. Those whose exposure in second language is nearly all old side of language classes and don't show a different order of acquisition from those who have heard most of their second language experience in the classroom.
According to this hypothesis they is also a natural sequence for the development of the negative auxilary system ,questions and inflections in language.
Input hypothesis argues that an increase in the learner's compete results from understanding language that contains an element not previously known. An acquirer can move from stage one where to the level of competence to a stage of immediate following along some natural order by understanding language contents.
The ability to speak fluently emerge independently in time after the acquirer has built up linguistic competence by understanding inputs. If there is sufficient quantity of comprehensive input will automatically provided. The teacher shouldn't attempt to teach the next structure along the natural order. It will provided in just the right quantities and automatically reviewed if the student received a sufficient comprehensive or input.
In affective filter model ,Krashen sees emotional state as an adjustable filter that freely impedes input necessary for acquisition. A low affective filter blocks less necessary input and if the filter is up the input is blocked and doesn't reach the Language Acquisition Device(LAD) proposed by Chomsky.
These five hypothesis has its on implications for language teaching which are:As much comprehensible input must be presentable to pupils. Whatever helps comprehension is important ,for example visual aids and exposure to a whole range of vocabulary. The focus in the classroom should be on listening and reading ,Speaking should be also allowed and classroom atmosphere should be always conducive to learning.
The other theory of Beinstern's deficit theory in social class has effect on the second language learning where lower class use the restricted clause ,upper class the elaborated code and the middle class a combination code.
No comments:
Post a Comment