The Linguistics of SLA

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The Linguistics of SLA
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The Nature of Language

• Languages are systematic
• We understand the principles by which the words
  are combined to express meaning
• Languages are symbolic
• Sequences of sounds or letters dont inherently
  possess meaning.
• The meanings of symbols in a language come
  through the tacit agreement between the speakers

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• Languages are social
• Each language reflects the social requirements of
  the society that uses it.
• Language is the expressive dimension of culture

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Lexicon (vocabulary) Phonology (sound system) Morphology ( word structure) Syntax (grammar) Discourse
word meaning Pronunciation Grammatical category/ parts of speech Possible occurences in combination with other words and in idioms Speech sounds that make a difference in meaning Possible sequences of consonants and vowels intonation patterns(stress, pitch and duration) and tone Rhythmic patterns Parts of words that have meaning (morphemes) Inflections Prefixes and suffixes Word order Agreement between sentence elements Ways to form questions, negate assertion and focus structure information within stcs Ways to connect sentences Structure for telling stories, engaging in conversation Scripts for interacting and for events
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Early Approaches to SLA

• Contrastive Analysis (Hypothesis) (CAH)
• Approach to the study of SLA which involves
  predicting and explaining learner problems based
  on a comparison of L1 and L2 to determine
  similarities and differences.
• Got the influence from linguistics and
  psychology, Structuralism and Behaviorism
• The goal of CAH is to increase efficiency in L2
  teaching and testing.
• The focus is on the surface forms of both L1 and
  L2 systems and describing an comparing the
  languages one level at a time.

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• Early proponents of CAH assumed that language
  acquisition involves habit formation in a process
  of S-R-R
• There will be transfer in learning, of elements
  acquired (habituated) in L1 to the target L2.
  (Positive or negative (interference))
• The CAH approach was not adequate for the study
  of SLA because
• The behaviorist learning theory to which it is
  tied cant explain the logical problem of
  language learning
• CAH analysis were not always validated by
  evidence from actual learner errors.

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• 3. Many of the L2 problems which CAH predicts do
  not emerge, it doesnt account for many learner
  errors, and much predicted positive transfer
  doesnt materialize.

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Error Analysis

• The first approach to the study of SLA which
  includes an internal focus on learners creative
  ability to construct language.
• Based on the description and analysis of actual
  learner errors in L2, rather than on idealized
  linguistic structures attributed to native
  speakers of L1 and L2.
• EA augmented/replaced CAH in the early 1970w
  because
• Prediction made by CAH did not always materialize
  in actual learner errors.
• The exclusive focus on surface level forms and
  patterns by structural linguists shifted to
  concern on the underlying rules.

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• 3. There was a shift from behaviorism to
  mentalism in explaining language acquisition,
  with emphasis on the innate capacity of the
  language learner rather than on external
  influences.
• 4. The study of SLA was no longer motivated by
  teaching concerns as it had been for CAH.
  Researchers began to separate issues in SLA from
  pedagogical concerns.
• No 2 and 3 were mostly influenced by Chomskys
  Transformational-Generative Grammar.