MA ELT

Second Language Acquisition (ENG 504)

Name:Isma Zahid
ID: MC190403985
Fall 2019
Assignment No. 1

Q1. Developments in first language acquisition and disillusionment with contrastive

analysis originated ‘ error analysis’ which is the systematic investigation of second language
learners’ errors. Studies reveal that learners’ errors do not necessarily originate from the
first language. First language interference remained unfounded in majority of errors which
raised a question that where do these errors come from? Supposing error analysis is
applied in a Pakistani language classroom, discuss any five types of errors that are expected
to be found, along with reasons, in Pakistani second language learners?

10 Marks

Ans: In linguistics, according to J. Richard et al., (2002), an error is the use of a word,
speech act or grammatical items in such a way it seems imperfect and significant of an
incomplete learning (184). It is considered by Norrish (1983, p. 7) as a systematic deviation
that happens when a learner has not learnt something, and consistently gets it wrong.
However, the attempts made to put the error into context have always gone hand in hand
with either language learning and second-language acquisition processes, Hendrickson
(1987:357) mentioned that errors are ‘signals’ that indicate an actual learning process
taking place and that the learner has not yet mastered or shown a well-structured
competence in the target language.

All the definitions seemed to stress either on the systematic deviations triggered in the
language learning process, or its indications of the actual situation of the language learner
themselves which will later help the monitor be it an applied linguist or particularly the
language teacher to solve the problem respecting one of the approaches argued in the Error
Analysis (Anefnaf 2017), the occurrence of errors doesn’t only indicate that the learner has
not learned something yet, but also it gives the linguist the idea of whether the teaching
method applied was effective or it needs to be changed.
 In order to explain English language-learning context in Pakistan, it is important to

consider the situation of English in the country. English is learned as a second language,

and it is also official language of country. Most of the official and private documentation

is done in English. Moreover, all the work is conducted through written English. In this

context, proficiency in written English is the key to success and passport to privilege

(Rahman, 2003, 2005). This study is also significant in the way that it aims to highlight

multiple aspects of errors and addressing that may prove helpful for language learners in

Pakistan. Keeping in view the importance of English, the present study focuses on L2

learners’ writing errors in tertiary level of education in Pakistan.

Q2. Krashen’ s monitor model is an interestng theory composed in late 1970 ’s to comprehend
the Second Language Learning process. Write a detailed note on Krashen ’s monitor model
discussing all five hypotheses under this model. Also, specifically elaborate the points on
which these models were critcized by the research scholars.

10 Marks

Ans: The input hypothesis, also known as the monitor model, is a group of five hypotheses of
second-language acquisiton developed by the linguist Stephen Krashen in the 1970s and
1980s. Krashen originally formulated the input hypothesis as just one of the five hypotheses,
but over tme the term has come to refer to the five hypotheses as a group. The hypotheses
are the input hypothesis, the acquisiton–learning hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, the
 natural order hypothesis and the affectve filter hypothesis. The input hypothesis was first
published in 1977.[1][2]

The hypotheses put primary importance on the comprehensible input (CI) that language
learners are exposed to. Understanding spoken and written language input is seen as the only
mechanism that results in the increase of underlying linguistc competence, and language
output is not seen as having any effect on learners' ability. Furthermore, Krashen claimed that
linguistc competence is only advanced when language is subconsciously acquired, and that
conscious learning cannot be used as a source of spontaneous language producton. Finally,
learning is seen to be heavily dependent on the mood of the learner, with learning being
impaired if the learner is under stress or does not want to learn the language.

Krashen's hypotheses have been influential in language education, particularly in the United
States, but have received criticism from some academics. Two of the main criticisms state that
the hypotheses are untestable, and that they assume a degree of separation between acquisition
and learning that has not been proven to exist