Unit 4: Cognitive Approaches to Second Language Acquisition

Posted on Apr 30, 2024 in Teaching & Education

Cognitive Mechanisms

This unit explores the cognitive mechanisms involved in second language acquisition (SLA), including:

  • Attention
  • Automacity
  • Restructuring
  • Memory (short-term and long-term)
  • Fluency

The Monitor Model

The Monitor Model, a prominent SLA theory in the 1970s and early 1980s, aimed to explain the similarities and differences in L2 English morpheme acquisition across various skills (reading/writing vs. listening/speaking). The model proposes two key hypotheses:

The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis

This hypothesis distinguishes between two systems of knowledge:

  • The Acquired System: Developed subconsciously through language use for communication, similar to L1 acquisition.
  • The Learned System: Developed consciously through formal instruction and rule memorization.

The Monitor Hypothesis

This hypothesis explains the relationship between the acquired and learned systems during language performance:

  • The acquired system is the primary source of knowledge for real-time communication.
  • The learned system acts as a monitor, editing and correcting output when time, focus on form, and knowledge of rules allow.

Different views exist on the interaction between these systems:

  • Non-interface Position: The two systems operate independently, with no crossover of knowledge.
  • Interface Position: Implicit and explicit knowledge can interact and influence each other.

Learners vary in their use of the Monitor, with under-users, over-users, and optimal users exhibiting different levels of accuracy and fluency.

The Natural Order Hypothesis

This hypothesis suggests that L2 learners acquire grammatical structures in a predictable order, regardless of instruction or linguistic complexity. Krashen proposed four stages of acquisition:

  1. -ing, copula, plural
  2. Auxiliary, article
  3. Irregular past
  4. Regular past, 3rd singular –s, possessive

The natural order reflects the underlying development of the acquired system.

The Input Hypothesis

This central hypothesis of the Monitor Model explains how L2 acquisition occurs. It posits that learners acquire language by understanding input that is slightly beyond their current level (i + 1). Comprehensible input is crucial for language development, and learners progress by receiving input that contains new structures within a meaningful context.

The Affective Filter Hypothesis

This hypothesis highlights the role of affective factors (motivation, self-confidence, anxiety) in SLA. A low affective filter allows comprehensible input to reach the language acquisition device (LAD), facilitating acquisition. Conversely, a high affective filter can hinder language learning by blocking input.

Universal Grammar and Second Language Acquisition

Different perspectives exist on the role of Universal Grammar (UG) in SLA:

  • No Access: Adults lose access to UG and rely on general learning strategies, resulting in different L2 outcomes compared to L1 acquisition.
  • Full Access: Adults retain full access to UG, and L1 and L2 acquisition processes are fundamentally similar.
  • Indirect Access: UG influences L2 acquisition indirectly through L1 transfer.
  • Partial Access: Learners retain access to some aspects of UG, leading to variable L2 grammars.

These perspectives offer insights into the complex relationship between UG and SLA.