INPUT INTAKE OUTPUT

Difference between ‘Intake’ and

‘Input’ in L2 (Second
Language) learning
L2 learning mainly refers to the conscious learning of a second language
other than one’s mother tongue. As in Pakistan, people are bound to learn
the national language “Urdu” mostly as L2 along with the first language
which is usually a regional language like Punjabi, Pashto or Sindhi.
Linguists like Corder (1967), Hatch (1983) and Yule (2006) studied the
amount of input given to L2 learners as compared to the amount of
knowledge L2 learners gained and they observed that only a limited
amount of knowledge was retained by the L2 learner. This evaluation of L2
learning process led to the discovery of ‘intake’, a term first coined by
Corder (VanPatten, 1996). To learn L2, it is important that the learner lives
around people who speak L2 or goes to a class room where L2 is being
taught. This exposure of learner to L2 is termed as ‘input’. ‘Input’ is the
knowledge that an environment offers to a learner, whereas ‘intake’ is
that particular amount of an input that a learner successfully processes to
build up internal understanding of L2. Though, Input and intake are parts
of the same learning process but linguists treat them differently due to the
complex nature of L2 learning.
In the beginning of 18th century, linguists focused on the things like
capability and efforts of a L2 learner rather than the effectiveness of
classroom teachers, textbooks or teaching methods (Yule, 2006). This is
the reason that Chomsky (1959) and Skinner (1957) referred to the same
phenomenon but ignore to explain the difference between the terms;
input and intake, they were more concerned about the general factors
effecting language acquisition and biological abilities (Rast, 2008).
However, according to Rast (2008), Hatch worked on explaining the both
terms in the light of Corder’s work so that the distinction between them
will be recognizable for linguistic analysis as these terms play the most
important part in L2 learning process:
“Hatch extends Corder’s definition of intake from that which is controlled
by the learner and actually ‘goes’ in to that which the learner ‘successfully
and completely’ processes. That which is only ‘partially’ processed
remains input “(Rast, 2008).
In simple words, Rast’s (2008) above statements imply that intake is, what
has been used by the L2 learner to build up internal memory of L2,
whereas, input is the remaining knowledge that was not used much by the
learner.
Thus, from the above discussion; it is clear that the major difference
between intake and input is dependent on the role that they play in L2
learning. Input can not be fully processed by the L2 learner because of
affective factors, variety of educational approaches and methods and
interest or capacity of the learner that hinder 100 percent success of
input. So, it is very important to recognize and understand ‘intake’ as the
part of input that “stays in the stores of long term memory” (Pawlak,
2011).
Hence, it can be concluded that Input is a linguistic phenomenon;
available for learners to take in through aural (hearing) and visual
(reading, interpreting signs and gestures) systems (Puts & Sicola, 2010).
But, it is necessary to recognize that if only input was responsible for L2
learning then the whole process would have been instantaneous rather
than being slow and gradual. Therefore, input is a general term used for
all kinds of L2 data available for a learner (Nizegorodcew, 2007).
Consequently, intake is a limited amount of input that L2 learners retain,
store and relate to existing knowledge. This difference between ‘input’
and ‘intake’ is vastly applied by linguists in L2 analysis to overcome the
barriers that hinder effective learning of L2. However, more research is
needed to explain the significance of intake in terms of output that an L2
learner gives; otherwise, it is impossible to determine that which part of
input became intake and why.