Comparative Essay

Author (s): Mara Jos Acua

Pamela Humeres




Concepcin, April 2014


People go through different situations and stages at the moment of acquiring/learning a first
or second language. There are many of theorists that try to explain the acquisition of first and
second language, but now we are going to talk about only two of them, Stephen Krashen and
Noam Chomsky, and mainly based on Lightbrown and Spadas text (2006) mainlyThey
developed some ideas to clarify how and in which stage this process happen. Krashen (2006)
defines five hypotheses as Monitor Model (1977) and Chomsky defines a theory called Universal
Grammar (1960) in this text, we are going to compare the similarities and differences between
their ideas and proposal to give a clear idea about this topic, based on the point of view of
three author: Brown, Cook and Lightbown & Spada(2006)
First of all, we have Krashens Natural Order Hypothesis(2006) which points out that there is a
predictable order in which language is acquired. According to Lightbown & Spada (2006)
The Natural Order Hypothesis was based in the finding that, as in first language
acquisition, second language acquisition unfolds in predictable sequences. (p. 37).
On the other hand we have Chomskys point of view, who points out that the acquired
knowledge is crucial, instead the order in which language is acquired. Another difference
between the postulates of Krashen and Chomsky is that according to Chomsky, innate
knowledge of Universal Grammar (1960) permits all children to acquire a language in a specific
period of time which is called a Critical Period. Spada declares that:
Chomsky argued that innate knowledge of the principles of UG permits all children to
acquire the language of their environment during a critical period of their development (2006,
p. 35).
After this period of time, there is a difficulty to learn a new language that affects directly on
the process of learning an L2. In Krashens Affective Filter Hypothesis (1980) we also found
situations that can affect the process of learning an L2, but in this case these factors are
feelings, emotions and attitudes. According to Brown (2007)
Krashen has further claimed that the best acquisition will occur in environments where the
anxiety is low and defensiveness absent, or, in Krashens terms, in context where the affective
filter is low (p.295).
There are differences between the factors that affect the process of learn a L2, according to
Chomsky the one that influences the lack of success at the moment of learning a second
language, is a biological process that occurs in our brain; on the other hand, the Affective Filter
Hypothesis is a psychological process. The main similarity between Krashen and Chomskys
postulates is that both of them point out that language is acquired when a learner is exposed
to a comprehensible language. As an example, according to Lightbown & Spada (2006) The
input hypothesis is that acquisition occurs when one is exposed to language that is
comprehensible and that contains i+1. The i represents the level of language already
acquired and the +1 are a metaphor for language that is just a step beyond that level
(p.37). Chomsky states that to acquire a language it is necessary to be exposed to language.
According to Cook (2010)
All you need to learn a first language is a normal human mind and exposure to language
(n.p).
What authors are pointing out is that, it is impossible to acquire a first language if children are
not exposed to language.
To finish the comparison between these two researchers, we can conclude that are a lot of
hypotheses and theories that explain how languages are learned and acquired, and these two
authors are trying to reach similar goals, even though there are differences in the procedure of
what they refer to. The points that we have exposed in this document, have similarities and
differences. However, both of them give possible explanations to the first and second language
acquisition showing the factors that affect the learning process, and the points of view in
which each of the authors differed.



















References
Brown, H. (2007). Toward a theory of second language acquisition. In Principles of language
learning and teaching (5th edition) (pp. 293 - 296). San Francisco: State University, Pearson
Longman.
Cook, V. (2010). The relationship between First and Second Language Learning Revisited, in E.
Macaro (ed). The continuum comparison to Second Language Acquisition, 137-157, 2010 Web
Version.
Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (2006). Explaining second language learning. In How Languages are
Learned (pp. 35-38).Oxford: Oxford University Press.