UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA

ACT 15. FINAL EXAM

STUDENT:
SEBASTIAN BENAVIDES ARISTIZABAL
1.040.372.407

COURSE:
FIRST AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
551018_12

TUTOR:
ASTRID YANIRA LEMOS

CEAD SIMON BOLIVAR CARTAGENA DE INDIAS

JUNE 18th 2014

INTRODUCTION
In this essay I will explain about how languages are acquired based on Stephen
Krashens researches and how second languages should be taught from my own
point of view, introducing the way children acquire their first language as a
wonderful form to acquire second languages.
The role that information technologies have in the language acquisition and how it
should be used, also the environments that a teacher needs to create for his
students in order to acquire their second language as children do.

ACQUIRING LANGUAGES AS CHILDREN DO.

The teaching of languages is one of the main focus on educational researches,
much has been said about it, and there are abundant materials on this topic, but in
this paper I will talk about Stephen Krashens five hypotheses and how should we
teach a second language based on childrens first language acquisition.
Acquiring a first language is an easy process that happen as the child is growing, it
is unconscious and natural, nobody needs to be forced or taught to acquire his/her
first language and everybody is born with the ability to learn a language it does not
matter which one it is.
The process of acquiring a second language is different and the way to teach has
been very discussed over the years. Stephen Krashen in company of Tracey Terell
set on the table their theory of the natural approach (1983) which consists of five
hypotheses for language acquisition.
1. Acquisition vs. Learning
Krashen and Terell say that languages need to be acquired not learned. They
make a difference between these two concepts.
Acquisition is a subconscious process where language is developed through
meaningful communication, focusing on understandable messages, using the
target language and leaving behind the native language.
Learning focuses on grammar and functions of the language, teaching the students
how the language works so that they can use it.
Comparing with the way children learn their first language I can say that the
acquisition concept is the most accurate to describe how second language
teaching should be, a child does not need an explanation of how verbs are
conjugated or how do perfect tense, active and passive voice work, they acquire all
that knowledge through meaningful communication.
2. The natural order hypothesis
The acquisition (not learning) of grammatical structures follows a pattern which is
predictable and invariant, in this case I agree partially with Krashen in the fact that
there is a common order in which a language is acquired, but this order could have
some variations in different students. McLaughlin (1987) argues that it is not true
that such invariant natural order exists.
Second language teaching must imitate the first language acquisition process
because to impose an order from a curriculum in language teaching will not assure
that everything will be learned, but to give meaningful and understandable
messages to the students will allow them to acquire language according to the
natural order they may be following unconsciously.

3. The monitor hypothesis

Here is where grammar lessons will be useful in the process of acquiring a second
language, the monitor hypothesis says that the language that is learned will help
the student self correct the language he/she is acquiring.
This replaces the corrections a child receive from his/her parents in grammatical
errors.
4. The input hypothesis
Understandable messages must be given to the student in order to acquire
language, this messages or input need to be a little above on the level of the
student in the target language, it is known as i+1 or comprehensible input.
Teachers need to have this in mind when teaching, to go down to the language
level his/her students have and giving them that input, the same as parents do with
children, speaking to them in simple language and explaining them things in simple
ways. Information technologies will be very useful in this part of teaching as a big
source of input for the students, where they can do free web surfing searching for
comprehensible input that will be interesting and useful for them. Teachers need to
be very careful with the use of technologies and the programs they use because as
impersonal machines it can affect the student development in face to face
communication, technologies should be used to provide the students of input such
as texts, music, videos, games not only as grammar rules teachers.
5. The affective filter hypothesis
Finally Krashen presents the affective filter hypothesis, explaining that levels of
anxiety, self-esteem and motivation can affect positive or negatively the acquisition
of a language.
Children do not have a problem with this because they do not have any inhibition
when trying to speak, their self-esteem is under formation and they have low
anxiety because of their age, but adults may struggle with this according to their
lives if they are full of fears, inhibition (which is protecting ego boundaries), bad
pre-concepts on the target language, that is why it is so important for teachers to
create a good environment in the classroom, trying to imitate the affective filter
children have for acquiring their mother language, with high self-esteem, low
anxiety and a good motivation for communication as something enjoyable.
The class should be a place where everybody can know each other, a friendly
space where English or other second language will be just the way to let the
student meet his/her classmates, that will create a low level on the affective filter
and make acquisition easier.
In conclusion, as similar as the second language teaching can be to the first
language acquisition process, the more successful it will be, taking the students to
be child like in the process of getting a second language will make it easier for
them and enjoyable focusing more on communication than in grammar rules.

CONCLUSIONS
-Languages need to be acquired more than learned, because acquisition is the
ability to make a language his/her own, learning refers more to grammatical
knowledge that is not practical.
-Creating an environment of confidence, where there is space for mistakes and
where students are well valued by their partners and teachers will allow students to
acquire languages easily because of the affective filter.
-Even though First language acquisition has some differences with second
language acquisition, it is a good referent to create and lead a successful teaching
performance.

REFERENCES
-Comparing and contrasting first and second language acquisition: implications for
language teachers, reviewed on 18th of June of 2014 from:
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/download/2384/2247%25E2%2
580%258E
-Steven Krashens five hypotheses on language acquisition, checked on 18 th of
June of 2014 from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr64l4FjvBQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jobpF4c-1NI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjAHPl1ACmQ
-Stephen Krashens Theory of Second language acquisition, checked on 18 th of
June of 2014 from:
http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html
-The natural approach video, checked on 18 th of June of 2014 from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTVbdstastI