Schools of Thoughts in

Second Language
Acquisition
2
 The Beginning

◈ The need to master Latin  the power of the Roman

Empire
◈ Grammar Translation Method

◈ 19th-20th century: disappearing Native American

languages
◈ Franz Boaz field method

3
 Schools of Thoughts in SLA

190
• Structural Linguistics
0s-
195
• Behaviorism
0s

196
• Generative Linguistics
0s-
198
• Cognitivism
0s

198
• Sociolinguistics
0s-
200
• Constructivism
0s
4
1.
Structural Linguistics &
Behaviorism

5
 Structural Linguistics

1. Language: a system consisting of subsystems

(Bloomfield)
2. Utterances  empiricism
Ferdinand de Saussure: langue & parole
3. Sentence level analysis

6
 Behaviorism

◈ John Watson: the father of behaviorism

◈ Learning theory  psychologists
◈ Many animal experiments:
1. Conditioning (Pavlov & the dogs)
2. Habit formation (Skinner & the pigeons)  shaping
3. The importance of the environment  tabula rasa

7
Environment
org

8
9
2.
Generative Linguistics &
Cognitivism

10
 Generative Linguistics

◈ Chomsky: Transformational Generative Grammar /

Transformational Linguistics
◈ Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
◈ Universal Grammar

Organism
Env

11
 Cognitivism

◈ Cognitivism = rationalism / mentalism

◈ Meaning, understanding, and knowing
◈ Seeing what’s behind (underlying motivations and
deeper structures)
◈ “Why” instead of only “What”

12
3.
Sociolinguistics &
Constructivism

13
 Sociolinguistics

◈ Sociolinguistic Revolutionary Theory

◈ Dell Hymes  Communicative Competence (possible,
feasible, appropriate, performed)
◈ Canale & Swain  Communicative Competence
1. Linguistic Competence
2. Sociolinguistic Competence
3. Discourse Competence
4. Strategic Competence
14
 Constructivism

Jean Piaget:
Learning is a
Cognitive
developmental
process; Stages

Constructivism

Vygotsky: Zone of
Proximal
Social Development
(ZPD); Social
Interaction

15
 Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

NL (Native______________________________________TL
(Target
Language) Language

ZPD
16
 ZPD

The Distance between a learner’s existing

developmental state and his/her potential
development.

17
 Language Teaching

◈ 19th century: Grammar Translation Method

◈ 20th century:
Audiolingual Method
Direct Method
Communicative Language Teaching

18
 Methods and Approaches

◈ Anthony’s concept (1963):

Approach: a set of correlative assumptions dealing
with the nature of language teaching and learning.
Method: an overall plan for the orderly presentation
of language material, no part of which contradicts,
and all of which is based upon, the selected
approach.
An approach is axiomatic and a method is
procedural.
19
 Methods and Approaches

Technique is implementational – that which

takes place in a classroom. It must be
consistent with a method, and therefore in
harmony with an approach as well.

20
Any questions?

21