Input and Interaction and Second Language Acquisition

1
Input and Interaction and Second Language
Acquisition

• SLA Study Group
• Yu-Feng Diana Yang, Ph.D.
• Email dyang_at_mail.nsysu.edu.tw

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What is input?

• Behaviorist stimulus
• Mentalist trigger
• Interactionist Theory utterance generated in
  social interaction

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Interaction Flow
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
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Interaction Flow
comprehensible input Krashen
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
comprehensible input Long
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
comprehensible output Swain
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What is going on?

• Foreigner talk
• Interlanguage talk

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Role of Input in SLA
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
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Role of Input in SLA

• How does input affect on the development of L2
  (route of development)?
• what type of input, what input (content), how
  much input (amount frequency)?
• which part of the L2 development ?

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How does input affect on the development of L2?

• how much input (frequency) vs. which part of the
  L2 development

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How does input affect on the development of L2 ?

• What if the input is ungrammatical?
• Gass Lakshmann (1991)
• Participants
• Alberto Cheo
• L1-Spanish L2 Learners of English
• Method Longitudinal Design Correlation study
• Result subjectless input correlate with
  subjectless output (over time)
• Bias Limitations
• L1 influence
• Correlation V. S. Causality (causative
  relationship)

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How does input affect on the development of L2 ?

• What if the input is comprehensible?
• Krashen (1981, 1985, 1989) Method Extrapolation
  from L1 studies
• Results Input Hypothesis

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Comprehensible Input and SLA

• Input Hypothesis i1 (Krashen, 1981, 1985, 1989)

Speakingresult of acquisition but not causes
(i1)
simplification contextual and extralinguistic
clues
Natural Learning Order
Intake affectively accepted (1)
Current Competence Level (i)
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Role of Input in SLA
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
13
Interaction Flow
comprehensible input Krashen
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
comprehensible input Long
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
14
Interactive Input and SLA

• Long (1983)

Speakingresult of acquisition but not causes
simplification contextual and extralinguistic
clues Interactive Input
Intake affectively accepted
Current Competence Level
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Interactive Input and SLA
Verbal communication task involving two-way
information
Opportunity for less competent speaker to
provide feedback on his/her comprehension
Negotiated modification of conversation
Comprehensible Input
Language acquisition
(Long, 1983, p.214)
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Does modified input contribute to SLA?

• Long (1985) Indirect studies
• Linguistic/conversational adjustment?
  comprehensible input
• Comprehensible input ? acquisition
• Linguistic/conversational adjustments?
  acquisition

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Does Linguistic/conversational adjustment promote
comprehensible input?

• Pica, Young Doughty (1987) Comparative study
  interationally modified input resulted in the
  highest levels of comprehension-gtbut we not sure
  if it is because of the greater quantity or
  greater quality
• Pica (1992) same quality of premodified or
  interactionally modified input make no difference
  in comprehension level

Does interational modifications result in
comprehension? No guarantee !
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Does comprehensible input lead to SLA?

• Literature Reviews Long (1983), Larsen-Freeman
  and Long (1991) Krashen (1986, 1989)-see p. 271
• Critiques
• Gass (1988) comprehensible input v.s.
  comprehended input
• Farch Kasper (1986) top-down v.s. bottom-up
• White (1987) learners do not make
  overgeneralizations unlearned once they receive
  comprehensible input
• Comprehensible input can facilitate acquisition
  but 1) is not necessary condition of acquisition,
  and 2) does not guarantee that acquisition will
  take place (p. 279)

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Does Input/Interaction modification lead to
acquisition?

• Main Focus Vocabulary
• FL modification helps vocabulary learning
• Li (1989)
• Tanaka Yamazaki (1991)

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Does modified input contribute to SLA?

• Pellettieris (2000)

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Role of Modified Output in SLA
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
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Interaction Flow
comprehensible input Krashen
input

• NS NNS

feedback/output------gtclarification
meaning negotiation
interactive input/modified input
comprehensible input Long
modified output
interactive input/modified input
modified output
comprehensible output Swain
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Does comprehensible output contribute to SLA?

• Swain (1995) Output Hypothesis
• recognize some linguistics problems, and pay
• attention to things that they need to discover
• more (i.e. the noticing/triggering function)

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Questions for Critical Thinking

• Some language educators have argued for the
  desirability of using authentic target language
  materials in the classroom. Do you agree with
  this? Why or why not?