Skill Acquisition Theory

Objectives
 To know skill acquisition
theory.
 To familiarize skill acquisition
theory.
 Skill acquisition theory is responsible
for how people progress in learning
variety of skills from initial learning to
advance proficiency.
Skill acquisition theory is based on the idea
that skill can be routinized and be
automatic under certain conditions
through repeated pairing of stimulus
responses.
 John Anderson
A Canadian psychologist
who develops the ACT
theory which is known as
the Adaptive Control of
Thought .
Adaptive Control of Thought (ACT
theory)
Act theory distinguishes declarative
knowledge which is the knowledge of
facts and concepts.
 the theory claims that
declarative knowledge can
become procedural through
storing “condition actions” in
the memory.
 The researcher Robert
Dekeyser has argued that
through the so-called power
law of practice we can
proceduralise declarative
knowledge of language over
time.
 The theory also claims that the kind of
knowledge which can be automatized is
very specific and does not transfer to
other areas. For example, if you practice
speaking you get better at speaking; if
you practice listening you get better at
listening. 
 Common misunderstandings
The idea that skill acquisition either explain
everything about second language acquisition,
in other words it competes with other theories
to be the one and only valid explanation of the
phenomena that we call “second language
acquisition.”
 The idea that it’s incompatible with a
variety of empirical findings in the field.
 Reference & Sources
DeKeyser, R. (2007). Skill Acquisition Theory. In B. VanPatten & J. Williams (Eds.), Theories in second
language acquisition: An introduction (pp. 97–113). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Smith, S. (2020, November 18). What is skill acquisition theory? Language Teacher Toolkit: Steve Smith's blog.
Retrieved June 17, 2022, from 
https://frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-is-skill-acquisition-theory.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR2caJ8uJ
WtZIVs2Xa6c1mSdri_qdNdrQ4NrIpbO5N37OQAjMTSWHt3VluU

Kachinske, I. (2021). Skill Acquisition Theory and the Role of Rule and Example Learning. Journal of
Contemporary Philology, 4(2), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.37834/JCP2142025k

English for Beach Purposes. (2013, December 12). Skill acquisition theory. English for Beach Purposes |
Language Education Resources. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from 
https://englishforbeachpurposes.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/dekeyser_skillacqusitiontheory.pdf
Thankyou f
o r Listening
!