Of course, there are multiple perspectives in so called Second Language Acquisition (SLA), which all encompass different hypotheses of how learners acquire a second language. Thus, in this paper two distinct influential linguistic theories of SLA will be introduced and their main statements will be clarified. The first one will be the dominant psychological theory of the 1950s and 1960s, named "Behaviorist Learning Theory", with the focus on habit formation. Some years later, in the 1960s and 1970s, a new mentalist paradigm emerged and in regard to this, Krashen’s monitor model will be outlined. Subsequently, these theories will be discussed in relation to their suitability for the English language classroom and probably supplemented. Following, direct conclusions of how to improve language teaching can be drawn.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Time of the 'global village'
- Linguistic theories of second language acquisition
- Goals of SLA researcher
- Behaviorist learning theory
- Innatist learning theory
- Suitability of SLA theories for the English language classroom
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores the different theoretical approaches to second language acquisition (SLA) and investigates their suitability for the English language classroom. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of two prominent theories: behaviorist learning theory and innatist learning theory, highlighting their main concepts and implications for language teaching.
- The role of habit formation in SLA
- The influence of the first language on second language acquisition
- The concept of universal grammar and innate language abilities
- The application of theoretical frameworks to practical language teaching
- The importance of learner language analysis in understanding SLA
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Time of the 'global village': This chapter introduces the context of globalization and its impact on the importance of second language acquisition, particularly English as the official world language. The chapter emphasizes the growing demand for second language skills in various fields, such as international business and economics.
- Linguistic theories of second language acquisition: This chapter outlines the research objectives in SLA, focusing on the analysis of learner language to understand how learners acquire a second language. It introduces the concept of internal and external factors that influence SLA, including cognitive mechanisms, social milieu, and language input.
- Behaviorist learning theory: This chapter presents the dominant psychological theory of the 1950s and 1960s, which emphasizes habit formation through stimulus-response-reinforcement (S-R-R). It explores the concept of habit transfer from the first language to the second language and the influence of the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) in predicting language learning difficulties.
- Innatist learning theory: This chapter introduces Noam Chomsky's innatist learning theory, which posits that human languages share universal principles and that children are born with an innate ability to acquire language. It highlights the role of universal grammar in explaining children's ability to understand and produce complex sentences.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the key concepts of second language acquisition (SLA), behaviorist learning theory, innatist learning theory, habit formation, language input, universal grammar, contrastive analysis hypothesis (CAH), learner language, and the English language classroom.
- Quote paper
- B.Ed. Lena Groß (Author), 2013, Second Language Acquisition. Suitability of SLA Theories for the English Language Classroom, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/287305
