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Succulents

Cognitive Approach to

Second Language

Learning

Krashen's Hypotheses

Acquisition - Learning Hypothesis
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So, Krashen believes there are two ways to develop language. One is aquistion, and the other is learning. Acquisition is when someone has the ability to use and understand language subconsciously because it is stored in the brain. Learning is when a person is consciously developing a language by learning about grammar structures and other technical parts of a language. Krashen also believes that most language is "acquired, not learned".

Natural Order Hypothesis

Krashen believes that language learners will develop parts of a language in a certain, predictible order. This applies to particular grammar structures, and how some grammar techniques will be learned earlier than others. What this means for teachers is that we cannot speed up the process or change the order of how certain language structures are learned.

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Monitor Hypothesis
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This Hypothesis further discusses the acquisition and learning hypothesis by stating that the learning system acts as a "monitor" for the language being made. The acquisition system creates language that is automatic, while the learning system checks everything before it is said. Many times, a student learning a language will speak a sentence and then will correct themselves on what they said. It is like your brain is an editor, making sure everything is right before it is said. This is the monitor hypothesis at work. The conditions of this hypothesis is time, focusing on form, and knowing the rule.

When learners can understand what is being said, this is known as "comprehensible input". So, students can acquire and understand language by listening, without having to actually understand the grammar structures or how to speak it yet. Through this, the students will be able to build up their confidence in the language. This can then encourage them to produce language, which pushes them to acquire beyond what they already know. This is known as I+1, which is meant to help students progress in developing the language.

Input (Comprehension) Hypothesis
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Affective Filter Hypothesis

Interaction Hypothesis

Created by Michael Long, this hypothesis states that people learning a second language need face-to-face interaction and communication in order to learn language. This hypothesis also says that comprehensible input is crucial for language learning, which comes from Krashen's Input Hypothesis. Long believes that the types of input needed is interaction and communication.

In this hypothesis, Krashen discusses some barriers of how language development can be stunted, while also how their are ways to grow language development. This is decided through a filter, called the affective filter. You can either have a high affective filter, or a low affective filter. With a high affective filter, there is almost little to no chance of succeeding in developing language. This is when the student is in a stressful situation where they do not feel comfortable to speak or make mistakes, then they will not be able to do well. With a low affective filter, however, there is a very increased chance of succeeding in developing the language. This is because the student is in a situation where they are calm, and they feel comfortable to speak the language and make mistakes.

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Comprehensible Output Hypothesis

Created by Merril Swain, this hypothesis says that Second Language Learning happens when the student is producing language through writing and speech in certain situations. So, it is saying that comprehensible input is important to have, but so is comprehensible output. This means that it is important that the language the student produces needs to be understood by other people in order to be successful in developing the language.

CUP (Common Underlying Proficiency)

This model, created by Jim Cummins, is about how there are cognitive skills and knowledge that span across languages. So, this Common Underlying Proficiency allows for there to be ways that students can implement what they have learned from their first language to their second language development. So, students will be able to benefit and find it easier to develop their new language if they connect what they know and how they learned to their first language.

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Citations:

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