Proposals for second

and foreign language

teaching
• Suri Zahary Hernández Montejo
• Cristina Guadalupe Cruz de la Cruz
• Roger Segovia López
• Emmanuel de Jesús Ramírez Álvarez
 Contents of this template
Probably the proposal that characterizes more second and foreign
Get it right from the beginni
ng language instruction than any other kind.
Based on the hypothesis that language acquisition takes place when
Just listen… and read learners are exposed to comprehensible input through listening and/or
reading.
Emphasize the importance of access to both comprehensible input and
Let’s talk
conversational interactions with teachers and other students.
The expectation of this approach is that students can get ‘two for one’,
Get two for one
learning the subject matter content and the language at the same time.
Tried to explain why it often seems that some things can be taught
successfully whereas other things, even after extensive or intensive
teaching, seem to remain unacquired.
Teach what is teachable
Recgnize an important role for form-focused instruction, but they do
not assume that everything has to be taught.
Get it right in the end

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada.
© Oxford University Press 2013
 Get it right from the beginning
Proposal: Emphasizes the importance of accuracy
and correct language use from the start, focusing on
error correction and controlled practice before
moving on to freer communication activities.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M.

Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Classroom example
● In a classroom following this approach, a
teacher might start a lesson with explicit
grammar instruction on the past tense,
followed by controlled practice activities
like fill-in-the-blank exercises and
sentence transformations. For instance,
students could be given sentences in the
present tense and asked to rewrite them in
the past tense, with immediate correction
from the teacher for any mistakes.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Research Findings
● Research by Lightbown and Spada
(1990) indicates that focusing on
accuracy from the beginning can lead
to better long-term retention of
grammatical structures. This approach
can be particularly effective in
settings where learners need to
develop a strong grammatical
foundation before engaging in more References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition.
Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University
spontaneous language use. Press 2013
 Just Listen… and Read
Proposal: Advocates for extensive listening and
reading in the target language, allowing students
to acquire language naturally by being exposed to
comprehensible input.

Research Findings: Krashen’s Input Hypothesis

supports this approach, suggesting that
comprehensible input is crucial for language
acquisition. Studies show that extensive reading
and listening can improve vocabulary, reading
comprehension, and overall language proficiency
(Krashen, 1982).
References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Classroom example
● In practice, a teacher might provide
students with a variety of listening
materials like audiobooks, podcasts, or
recorded dialogues, alongside reading
materials such as short stories, news
articles, or graded readers. For example,
students might listen to a recorded story
while following along with the written
text, aiming to understand the gist without
focusing on every unknown word.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Let’s Talk
● Proposal: Encourages meaningful
communication through speaking activities,
prioritizing fluency and communicative
competence over immediate grammatical
accuracy.
● Classroom Example: In a “Let’s Talk”
classroom, students engage in activities like
debates, discussions, and problem-solving
tasks. For instance, students might work in
pairs to discuss a topic like “the benefits and
drawbacks of social media,” focusing on
expressing their ideas clearly rather than
perfecting their grammar.
References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Research Findings
● Swain’s Output Hypothesis suggests
that producing language (speaking or
writing) helps learners notice gaps in
their knowledge and refine their
linguistic output. Research indicates
that speaking practice can enhance
learners’ confidence and improve
their communicative skills over time
(Swain, 1995).
References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Two for one
● Proposal: Integrates language learning with
subject matter instruction, allowing students to
learn a subject like history or science through
the medium of a foreign language.
● Classroom Example: In a CLIL classroom, a
teacher might conduct a science lesson entirely
in the target language. For example, students
could learn about the water cycle through
experiments, reading scientific texts, and
discussing their findings in the target language,
simultaneously developing both language and
subject knowledge.
References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Research Findings
● Research shows that CLIL can lead to
significant improvements in both content
knowledge and language proficiency.
Studies by Dalton-Puffer (2007) suggest
that CLIL students often achieve higher
levels of language competence compared
to those in traditional language classes, as
they use the language in meaningful,
subject-related contexts.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Teach what is teachable

● Is an educational principle
suggesting that instruction should
focus on concepts, skills, and
knowledge that students are ready
and able to learn. It implies tailoring
teaching methods and content to the
learners' current level of
understanding and cognitive
abilities.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Principles in Language Teaching:
1 Developmental Appropriateness:
● Concept: Material should match the
learners' developmental stage.
● Example: For young children, using
simple, everyday vocabulary and short
sentences, for older students or adults,
more complex grammar and abstract
vocabulary can be introduced.

2 Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD):

● Concept: According to Vygotsky, ZPD is the range of tasks that a learner can perform with the help
of a more knowledgeable other (teacher, peer).
● Example: Providing scaffolded support, such as sentence starters or visual aids, to help students
complete a language task just beyond their current abilities.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 3 Comprehensible Input:
● Concept: Krashen's theory suggests that learners
acquire language best when they are exposed to
language that is slightly above their current level of
proficiency (i+1).
● Example: In a beginner class, a teacher might use
simple sentences with one or two new words to
gradually increase students' vocabulary and
comprehension.

Classroom Examples:
Beginner Level:
● Activity: Using pictures and realia (real
objects) to teach basic vocabulary.
● Practice: Showing a picture of a cat and
saying, "This is a cat," then asking students
to repeat and identify other pictures.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Get it right in the end
● Proponents of this proposal recognize an
important role for form-focused
instruction, but they do not assume that
everything has to be taught.
● Some things cannot be taught if the
teaching fails to take the student’s
readiness (stage of development) into
account. it emphasizes the idea that some
aspects of language must be taught and
may need to be taught quite explicitly.
There are a number of situations in which
guidance—form-focused instruction or
corrective feedback—is expected to be References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M.
Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
especially important.
 Classroom Examples
● In a classroom following this approach, the teacher
could do an activity in which students must recognize
how to correctly rearrange the words, forming a
different phrase but whose meaning is the same and is
structured correctly, following the rules of grammar
and coherence.

‘Sometimes my mother makes good cakes’.

Adverb "sometimes" It can also be placed before "makes".
Teacher could ask for another place where the adverb
could be placed.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M.

Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Research findings
● Study Form-focus experiments in intensive ESL Since
the 1980s, researchers have investigated the effects of
form-focused instruction and corrective feedback on
the developing English of French-speaking students
participating in intensive ESL classes in Quebec.
● Study Focusing on gender in French immersion
● Birgit Harley (1998) examined the effects of
instruction with young children in French immersion
programmes. Six classes of Grade 2 children (7–8
years old) were given focused instruction on a
language feature that is known to be a persistent
problem for French immersion students—grammatical
gender.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013
 Research findings
● Study Focusing on sociolinguistic forms in
French immersion Roy Lyster (1994) examined
the effects of form-focused instruction on the
knowledge and use of sociolinguistic style
variations in three classes of Grade 8 French
immersion students (about 13 years old).
● Study Focusing on verb forms in content-based
science classrooms Catherine Doughty and
Elizabeth Varela (1998) carried out a study with
a group of ESL learners in their science classes.

References: How Languages are Learned. Fourth edition. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada. © Oxford University Press 2013