Lesson 3: Language Development and Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

Learning Outcomes

At the of the chapter, the students are able to:

a) differentiate the theories of second language acquisition (SLA);
b) apply the theories of SLA in teaching; and
c) make a semi-detailed lesson plan in teaching vocabulary, applying the theories of
SLA.

What do I know?
Instructions: Remember when you were acquiring your second language, what were the
difficulties you encountered? Write at least Five (5) problems in complete sentence/s.
1. Difficulty in pronouncing some words.
2. Embarrassed in speaking using the second language I am learning.
3. Confused with how the words are used at the same time the spelling of the words.
4. I don’t know how to construct sentences properly.
5. Confused with the meanings of the words.

● What is new?

Contribution and Implication of Eric Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis on

Second language Acquisition

● This explains rigid stages of first language to second language acquisition. It

explains that as a child proceeds in life, his ability to acquire a second language declines
and that acquisition and learning of a language must be introduced early on: the earlier the
better.

1) Clearly specified beginning and endpoints for the period

✔ Lenneberg suggested puberty, and others have followed suit.
✔ Johnson and Newport (1989) considered age 15 to be the end of the critical
period. In an event, any claim to a critical period for L2 acquisition should be
specific about an end point.
2) Well-defined decline in L2 acquisition at the end of the period.
✔ The appeal of CPH lies in its specificity, that is, its ability to target specific
learning mechanisms that get turned off at a given age (Birdsong, 1999).
✔ One important piece of evidence would be if a rapid decline could be found
around the end of the critical period, rather than a general monotonic and continuous
decline with age that continues throughout the life span.

3) Evidence of qualitative differences in learning between acquisition within and

outside the critical period
✔ A critical period is assumed to be caused by the shutting down of a specific
language learning mechanism. Therefore, any learning that happens outside of
the critical period must be the result of alternative learning mechanisms.
✔ Then, there should be clear qualitative differences in the patterns of acquisition
between child and adult L2 learners.
For example: If certain grammatical errors could be found among adult learners
that are never found in child learners or if child learners were able to learn specific
aspects of the language that adults could not learn.

4) Robustness to environment variation inside the critical period

✔ There is a threshold level of exposure with uniformed outcomes, even with
considerable environmental variation. The environmental might play a larger role
beyond that period and the outcomes would become more variable.

⮚ Snow & Hoefnagel-Hoehle (1978) in parsley (2015), based on extensive research,

claimed that adults and young adults acquired a second language and had a better
understanding of it as opposed to children in the age associated with the CPH.
⮚ This could possibly be due to Proactive Interference, that knowledge of language
acquisition in one language may aid learning in the second language.
⮚ This then leads to two major theories that explain SLA.

A) Cummin’s Interdependence hypothesis

✔ Jim Cummins explained that all languages have common underlying proficiency
(CUP).
✔ Languages may appear to have different surface structures but their deep
structures are common; hence, proficiency in the first language leads to
proficiency in the second language.
✔ Iceberg, also explains that every language contains a surface structure or features
that may be different like phonology, morphology, and syntax; however, beneath
those surface structures are proficiencies that are common across languages
(CUP).
✔ He differentiated ideas about the two principal continua of second language
development in a simple matrix. BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills)
describes the development of controversial fluency, whereas CALP (Cognitive
Academic Language Proficiency) describes the use of language in
decontextualized academic situations.
✔ The implication of Cummins’ hypothesis explains greatly how language can be
transitioned to another language and another language. Teachers must focus on
the common underlying proficiencies of the languages in order to successfully
transfer in one language to another.

B) Krashen’s Natural Approach to Second Language Acquisition

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Krashens-Second-Language-Acquisition-Theory_fig1_336902391

✔ Dr. Stephen Krashen is a professor emeritus at the University of Southern

California. He is a linguist and educational researcher.
✔ He is known for his natural Approach Theory of L2 which he developed with
Tracy Terrell.
✔ His theory is centered on comprehension-based approach to foreign and
second language teaching.
✔ Krashen & Terrell’s (1998) theory focuses on both oral and written
communication skills. It was developed on the premises of four principles:

a) Comprehension of language begins before language production.

b) Language production emerges in stages
 c) Language learning is done using communication and interaction in the target
language.
d) Classroom tasks and activities are centered on students’ interests and lower their
affective filters.

⮚ The goal of the Natural Approach is “the ability to communicate with native
speakers of the target language” (Cook, 1994).

⮚ Five Approaches

1) The Acquisition/learning Hypothesis

✔ Adults have two (2) ways of developing competence in L2: acquisition and learning.
✔ Language acquisition occurs subconsciously while it is happening, we are not
aware that it is happening. We think we are having a conversation, reading a book,
watching a movie. We are not usually aware that anything has happened; the
knowledge is stored in our brains subconsciously. Language acquisition is
sometimes referred to as ‘picking up’ a language.

✔ Language learning is a conscious effort. It is a direct and conscious effort to learn

that rules that govern the use of the language. Error correction is supposed to help
in the learning process. When we make a mistake and are corrected, we are
supposed to change our conscious version of the language (Krashen, 2013).
Example: “When a child says, “I goed to school” and the teacher corrects it
with, “No, you say: I went to school,” the learner is expected to remember the
past form of the irregular verb ‘go’ is ‘went’.
 https://www.brycehedstrom.com/2018/krashens-hypotheses-of-language-acquisition-acquisition-learning

⮚ The hypothesis strikes a balance between the principles of acquisition and learning.
Learners must be immersed with activities that are context-based language simulations to
enable learners to subconsciously use the target language and from these experiences
make learners realize either through direct or indirect correction of the language rules that
they need to learn in order to appropriately respond to various language demands in
appropriate contexts.

2. The Natural Order Hypothesis

 ✔ This explains that we acquire not learn, the parts of a language or grammatical
structures in a predictable progression. There are some grammatical structures that
are acquired early on why others acquired later in life.
✔ Children learn labels of things to make sense of what they see in their immediate
environment and proceeds to action words so that they can express their needs.
✔ Even if there is a natural order of the acquisition of the grammatical structure in L1
and L2, such order is not exact because learners do not proceed in the same pace.
✔ Language materials must be carefully designed to consider the natural order of the
grammatical structures in first and second or foreign language teaching materials.

https://slidep
layer.com/slide/9046160/

3. The Input Hypothesis

✔ This explains that language learners acquire a language by receiving
comprehensible input that is an input slightly higher than their current level of
proficiency.
✔ This is in consonance with Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development on scaffolding.
✔ Krashen (1985) claims that people acquire language best by understanding input
that is a little beyond their present level of competence and, consequently believes
that ‘comprehensible input’ (i+1) should be provided.
✔ The ‘input’ should be relevant to the field of experience of learners and not
grammatically sequenced’.
✔ Teachers may give importance to preparing literature that children can listen or read
where language structure is authentically used and not conventionally and contritely
made to suit the grammatical lessons.
✔ Language learning is centered on meaning and therefore teachers must focus on
relevant meaning that serves as the learners “comprehensible input” for them to see
the need and context for acquiring the grammatical structures.
 http://www.viviancook.uk/SLA/Krashen.htm

4. The Monitor Hypothesis

✔ The ‘monitor’ is conscious learning which learners attend to form, figure out rules
and are generally aware of their own process.
✔ It edits and makes alterations or corrections as they are consciously perceived.
✔ Krashen (1985) believes that ‘fluency’ in second language performance is due to
‘what we acquired’, not ‘what we have learned’: Adults should do as much acquiring
as possible for the purpose of achieving communicative fluency.
-Krashen (2013) posits three stringent conditions that need to be met in order for
learners to use their Monitor.
1) The monitor user must know the rule.
2) The acquirer must be thinking of about correctness, or focused form.
3) The acquirer must have time to process information.
✔ The implication of this hypothesis to teaching language inside the classroom is to
balance out acquisition and learning.
✔ Rules of the language are to be learned in order for learners to adjust to various
language demands and contexts.
✔ Krashen & Terrel (1988) explains that learners who are not conscious about their
language use to a point where the meaning behind their utterances is compromised
by extreme ungrammaticalities: they are called under users of their monitor.
✔ Learners who are always conscious about the correctness of their language use
tend to talk and communicate less to avoid mistakes and errors are called over
users of their monitor.
✔ The goal of the hypothesis is for learners to become ‘optimal’ monitor users,
‘correctness’ especially on making a distinction between language use on formal
and informal situations.
 https://www.slideshare.net/AjaanRobCMU/krashens-five-main-hypotheses

5. The Affective Filter Hypothesis

✔ This reflects the personal attitude of the learner as well as their attitude about their
environment.
✔ A learner who is comfortable in his/her environment is more anxious and this
hinders him/her to be motivated to use the target language.
✔ A learner who is comfortable and is at ease with the environment is more motivated
to use the target language.
✔ According to Krashen (1985), the learners’ emotional state is just like an adjustable
filter which freely passes or hinders input necessary to acquisition.
✔ …input must be achieved in low-anxiety contexts since acquirers with a low
affective filter receive more input and interact with confidence. The filter is ‘affective’
because there are some factors which regulate its strength. These factors are self-
confidence, motivation and anxiety state. The pedagogical goal in a foreign/second
language class should not only include comprehensible input but also create an
atmosphere that fosters a low affective filter.
✔ Language teachers, therefore, need to allow learners to commit mistakes and errors
and provide a scaffold to positively and provide a scaffold to positively and
constructively help them acquire the necessary language proficiency that will enable
them to express the target language.
✔ Correcting the child every time he/she commits a mistake will most likely make
him/her create a wall that will hinder him from talking or using the target language.
Being proficient in a language starts from being non-proficient.
✔ Bo one is m=born proficient in a language even in his/her first language but he/she
has the potential to acquire and be proficient both in L1 and L2.
 https://www.slideshare.net/AjaanRobCMU/krashens-five-main-hypotheses

Language Acquisition and Learning

✔ All languages are interrelated and interdependent

✔ Facility in the first language(L1) strengthens and supports the learning of
other languages (L2).
✔ Acquisition of sets of skills and implicit metalinguistic knowledge in one
language (common underlying proficiency or CUP) provide the base for the
development of both the first language (L1) and second language (L2).
✔ It follows that any expansion of CUP that takes place in one language will
have beneficial effect on the other language(s).

❖ Language acquisition and learning is an active process that begins at birth

and continues throughout life
✔ Students enhance their language abilities by using what they know in new
and more complex contexts and with increasing sophistication (spiral
progression).
✔ By learning and incorporating new language structures into repertoire and
using them in a variety of contexts, students develop language fluency and
proficiency.

❖ Learning requires meaning

✔ We learn when we use what we know to understand what is new. Start with
what the students know; use it to introduce new concepts.
✔ They use language to examine new experiences and knowledge in relation to
their prior knowledge, experiences, and beliefs.
✔ Successful language learning involves viewing, listening, speaking, reading, and
writing activities and accuracy
✔ Language learning should include plethora of strategies and activities that help
student focus on both meaning and accuracy.

❖ Language learning involves recognizing, accepting, valuing and building on

students’ existing language competence, including the use of non-standard
 forms of the language, and extending the range of language available to
students.’
✔ Through language learning, learners develop functional and critical literacy skills.
✔ They learn to control and understand the conventions of the target language that
are valued and rewarded by society and to reflect on and critically analyze their own
use of language and the language of others.

● What did I learn?

Task 1
Instructions. Answer the two (2) questions in an essay form. (20 points)
Rubrics on Essay
Criteria Points
Relevance/ Connection to Lesson (With appropriate connections 7
between identified problems and concepts studied in class)
Writing Mechanics (Shows clarity, conciseness and correctness, 3
writing is free of grammar and spelling errors)
Total 10

a) Compare Cummin’s Interdependence Hypothesis and Krashens’s Natural Approach. (10 points)

- Cummin’s Interdependence Hypothesis explains that if a learner already learned and is fluent
on his first language, it would be easier for him to learn his second language and also his third,
fourth and so on. Interdependence means the dependence of two or more people or things on
each other. His theory can be broken down into two different aspects that are both necessary
for learners to have a confident grasp of the language they are trying to learn, Basic
Interpersonal Communication Skills and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency. So, the
second language depends on the first language and by that the fluency in first language of the
learner will also depend on how fluent the learner is in his second language.

On the other hand, Krashen’s Natural Approach to Second Language proposes that children
learning their first language acquire grammatical structures in a predetermined, 'natural' order,
with some being acquired earlier than others. In this theory, second language cannot just be
learned but also acquired and this can be learned by both oral and written communication.
b) What is the implication of the ‘Affective Filter Hypothesis to second language acquisition?

- The implication of the Affective Filter Learning Hypothesis to second language is that the
second language cannot be learned is a learner is blocking the learning process. So if the
learner does have a high affective filter then the learning process will be delayed or even
worse can be prevented while if the learner does have a low affective filter, then learning
would take place and it would probably a success.

Task 2
Instructions: Make a semi-detailed lesson plan in teaching vocabulary (choose a grade
level), applying the theories of SLA. (25 points)

Scoring Rubric for the lesson Plan

Criterion Performance Rating
6 5 4 3 Score
Format Complete parts of the One part of the lesson Two (2) parts of the More than two (2) parts
lesson plan are plan is missing or not lesson plan is missing or of the lesson plan are
included. supplemented with not supplemented with not included and are
information. information. nor arranged in a logical
order.
Learning Behavior, criteria, and Two of the three At least one behavior, Behavior, criteria,
Objectives conditions are clearly (behavior, criteria, criteria and/or condition and /or conditions are
communicated and and/or conditions are is clear and there is some unclear or missing.
clearly concisely apparent. mention of lesson
written. objectives.
Activity Initial activity is clearly Initial activity is clearly Initial activity is No mentioned initial
and concisely stated and concisely stated and somewhat linked to the activity or/and initial
and is related to the is related to the content content of the lesson. activity is not linked.
content standard and of the lesson.
provides focus and
direction for the
lesson towards the
content of the lesson.
Instructional All components are Components are Some instructional Instructional
procedures accurate and of high implemented throughout procedures are clear and procedures are unclear
quality throughout the the lesson plan. some components are and components are
lesson plan. Teacher present, somewhat missing; it is poorly
and learner centered clearly written and written and poorly
procedures are designed. designed as well.
included.
Materials There is a complete There is an incomplete There is an incomplete There is no reference to
 list of materials list of materials needed list of material needed by materials needed.
needed by the student by the student and/or student and/or teacher
and teacher. teacher. and some are erroneous.

https://wmcarey.edu/assets/PriorFiles/documents/education/EDU3000Lesson%20Plan%20Rubric%20Edu%203000%20su13.pdf

Resource: Giron, Paraluman R., et.al.(2016).Teaching and Learning Languages and

Multiliteracies: Responding to the MTB-MLE Challenge. Quezon City, Metro Manila:
Lorimar Publishing, INC.
A Semi-detailed Lesson Plan in Teaching Vocabulary in
Grade 9
I. Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
a. Describe the Cummin’s Interdependence Learning and Krashen’s Natural Approach
to Second Language Acquisition
b. Cite incidences that the theories can be observed in our surroundings
c. Relate to real life’s experiences the theories of Jim Cummin and Stephen Krashen

II. Activity
Each and everyone should share their experiences in learning their second
language.

III. Instructional Procedure

A. Preliminary Activities
1. Greetings
2. Prayer
3. Attendance
4. Announcements
5. Discussion
6. Review
7. Final Activity

Questions for Review:

1. What is second language acquisition?
2. What does Cummin’s Interdependence mean?
3. What does Krashen’s Natural Approach to Second Language Acquisition mean?
3. How do these two differ and how are they similar?
4. Give examples for Cummin’s Interdependence Theory and Krashen’s Natural Approach
to Second Language Acquisition.
5. Make student identify if the situation falls into Cummin’s Interdependence Theory or
Krashen’s Natural Approach to Second Language Acquisition.

Direction for Final Activity:

1. Group the class into 4 and give illustration board and marker to each and let them make
a venn diagram about the theories of Jim Cummin and Stephen Krashen.

IV. Materials
1. Illustration board
2. Marker
3. Notes
4. Ballpens