Language Teaching & Acquisition Concepts Flashcards

Audio-Lingual Method

Focuses on repetition and drills, emphasizing habit formation through listening and speaking.

Behaviorism

Language learning as stimulus-response conditioning through repetition, rewards, and reinforcement.

Blank Slate

Learners start with no pre-existing knowledge; language is acquired through input from the environment.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

Focuses on meaningful communication, encouraging fluency over accuracy.

Comprehensible Input

Language slightly above the learner’s current level (i+1), necessary for effective acquisition.

Content-Based Instruction

Language taught through subject content, combining language learning with academic or thematic topics.

Critical Period Hypothesis

Suggests a time frame for optimal language acquisition; after puberty, acquiring a language becomes harder.

Desuggestopedia

Focuses on lowering psychological barriers, incorporating music, relaxation, and visualization.

Direct Method

Immersion in the target language only; no translation; uses demonstration and real-life objects.

Exposure

The process of being surrounded by the target language, key for natural language acquisition.

Grammar Translation Method

Emphasizes reading, writing, and translation, focusing on grammatical rules and vocabulary.

Imitation

Learning through copying speech; essential in early language acquisition.

Innatism

Language ability is innate; supported by Noam Chomsky’s theories.

Interactionism

Language develops through social interaction, combining cognitive and environmental factors.

L1 Acquisition

Learning one’s first language, usually effortless and natural.

L2 Acquisition

Learning a second language, influenced by age, exposure, and motivation.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Hypothetical brain mechanism for language proposed by Noam Chomsky.

Language Teaching Methodology

Techniques and approaches for teaching language, including grammar, communicative, and task-based methods.

Motherese/Parentese

Simplified, exaggerated speech to aid language learning; common in talking to infants.

Motivation

Key factor in language acquisition success, divided into intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external).

Nature vs. Nurture

Debate on whether language is innate or learned, combining genetic predisposition and environmental factors.

Neuroplasticity/Brain Plasticity

The brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections, critical for learning, especially in young children.

Noam Chomsky

Linguist who proposed Universal Grammar and emphasized the innate nature of language acquisition.

Recollection/Wisdom

Refers to accessing previously learned language knowledge.

Stages of Language Development

Pre-linguistic, babbling, one-word, two-word, multi-word stages; universal sequence across cultures.

Steven Krashen

Proposed the Input Hypothesis; a key figure in language acquisition theories.

Target Language as Language for Learning

Encourages exclusive use of the target language in class.

Task-Based Learning

Focuses on completing real-world tasks, promoting meaningful use of the target language.

The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis

Differentiates acquisition (subconscious) from learning (conscious).

The Affective Filter Hypothesis

Emotional factors like anxiety can block language acquisition.

The Input Hypothesis

Comprehensible input is essential for language acquisition.

The Monitor Hypothesis

Conscious learning acts as a “monitor” for output.

The Natural Order Hypothesis

Language features are acquired in a predictable sequence.

The Participatory Approach

Involves learners in decision-making and content creation.

The Silent Way

Learners take an active role; teachers stay silent, using visual aids and gestures.

Total Immersion

Learners are surrounded by the target language; promotes rapid acquisition.

Total Physical Response (TPR)

Combines language learning with physical actions, effective for beginners and children.

Universal Grammar

Innate set of grammatical principles shared by all languages.

WUG Test

Tests understanding of grammatical rules in children.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range of tasks learners can do with support; key concept in Vygotsky’s theory.

Genie

Case study of a girl isolated from language, highlighting the critical period in language learning.