CAUSATIVE VARIABLES

IN SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION

Thristan Blue T. De Vera

What is the difference of learning and aquisition

LEARNING
- It is the explicit instruction or conciously studying a language.

ACQUISITION
- It is subconciously absorbing language as we use it for a variety of
purpose
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 2.EXPOSURE
VARIABLES
• There is no variation in the acquisition process
itself, but there is in:

 The rate and the extent of acquisition as a result

of the amount of comprehensible input received,
and the strength of the affective filter.

 Performance is brought about by the extent of the

learner’s reliance on ‘learnt’ knowledge.
 3 Types of Monitor Users

Over-users. This is when performers monitor all the time. As a

result, they may speak with hesitation and usually correct
themselves in the middle of the utterance.

Under-users. This is when performers depend only on the

acquired system. They do so either because they have not
learned or because they don’t want to use their learned system.
They don’t self-correct even if the three conditions are met.

Optimal users. This is when the performer uses the monitor

process when it is suitable and will not affect communication.
When the three conditions are met, the optimal performer will
monitor to make his output more accurate.
 3. AGE

• It has been popularly assumed that age itself is a

predictor of second language proficiency, that younger
acquirers are better at second language acquisition than
older acquirers.
• Age affects the amount of comprehensible input that is
obtained
• Age Influences the affective state of the learner
• After puberty the affective filter is likely to increase in
strength
• Younger learners may get more than older learners
• Age also affects ‘learning’; older learners are better in
studying language form and using ‘learnt’ knowledge in
monitoring
• Krashen, Long, and Scarcella (1979) reviewed the
available empirical research on the effect of age
and second language acquisition and concluded
that all published studies were consistent with
these three generalization:

1. Adults proceed through the early stages of second

language development faster than children do (where
time and exposure are held constant).

2. Older children acquire faster than younger children, time

and exposure held constant.

3. Acquirers who begin natural exposure to second

languages during childhood generally achieve higher
second language proficiency than those beginning as
adults.
4. ACCULTURATION

• According to Brown (1980), acculturation is the process of

becoming adapted to a new culture.

• According to Maxwell (2002), acculturation is the process

whereby the attitudes and/or behavior of people from one
culture are modified as a result of contact with a different
culture.

• Schumann (1978) has hypothesized that acculturation is

the "major casual variable in second language acquisition.
Schumann defines two types of acculturation:
• "In type one acculturation, the learner is socially integrated
with the TL group and, as a result, develops sufficient contact
with TL speakers to enable him to acquire the TL. In addition,
he is psychologically open to the TL such that input to which he
is exposed becomes intake.

• Type two acculturation has all the characteristics of type one,

but in this case the learner regards the TL speakers as a
reference group whose lifestyles and values he consciously or
unconsciously desires to adopt. Both types of acculturation are
sufficient to cause acquisition of the TL, but the distinction is
made to stress that social and psychological contact with the TL
group is the essential component in acculturation (as it relates
to SLA) that that adoption of the lifestyle and values of the TL
group (characteristics traditionally associated with the notion of
acculturation) is not necessary for successful acquisition of the
TL.
TEACHING IMPLICATIONS OF
CAUSATIVE VARIABLES
The causative variable is a variable that exerts influence
on another dependent variable. Most research
experiments involve manipulating independent variables
and measuring dependent variables to investigate the
relationship between them. Moreover, there are two
essential principles for causative variables. First and
foremost, acquisition is more important than learning.
Secondly, in order to acquire, two conditions are
necessary. The first condition is comprehensible input.
The other one is the strength of the filter to allow the
input “in.” According to Krashen, these are the true
causes of second language acquisition. Exposure
variable, age, and acculturation are variables to see how
comprehensible and low affective is.
THANK YOU!!!