Terms and concepts for SLA ch. 4-5

Work in progress

Lateralization

Specialization of the two brain halves - cognitive processes either in the left or right hemisphere of the brain

Critical Period Hypothesis

A biologically determined window in which a human naturally and flawlessly can acquire their L1

Information Processing (IP)

Approaches to SLA that are concerned with the mental processes involved in language learning and use

Controlled processing

Mental processes that require considerable ‘‘space’’ or attentional effort

Automatic processing

Mental processes that, through practice, require less ‘‘space’’ and attentional effort

Restructuring

Through learning; makes structures more coordinated, integrated and efficient and therefore results in faster response time

Input

Whatever sample of L2 that learners are exposed to

Output

The language that learners produce

U-shaped development

Learners’ use of an initially correct form, followed by an incorrect one and then a correct one again

Connectionism

Focus on increasing strength of associations between stimuli and response - learning is equal to change

Complexity theory

Its goal is to describe and explain change in complex systems (language) - integrates considerations of social, contextual and cognitive factors

Aptitude

Natural, inborn potential or capacity to learn and perform certain tasks quickly and easily

Motivation

Determines the level of effort which learners expend at various stages

Cognitive style

Refers to individuals’ preferred way of processing

Learning strategies

Behaviors or techniques that one adopts in effort to learn a second language

Metacognitive

A learning strategy that is reviewing concepts in anticipation of a learning activity; rehearsing and self-monitoring of progress

Cognitive

A learning strategy that is repeating after a language model; translating from L1 and guessing meanings of new concepts through similarities

Social/affective

A learning strategy which is that you’re working cooperatively to obtain feedback; asking questions to obtain clarification

Central processing

Heart of IP where learning occurs; where learners go from controlled to automatic processing, and where restructuring of knowledge takes place

Communicative competence

What a speaker needs to know to communicate appropriately within a particular language community

Language community

Refers to a group of people who share knowledge of a common language to at least some extent

Foreigner talk

Modified variety from L1 speakers to L2 learners; characteristics such as simpler vocabulary and longer pauses

Direct correction

Negative feedback to L2 speakers in the form of explicit statements and explanations

Indirect correction

Negative feedback to L2 speakers in the form of comprehension checks or requests for clarification

Interaction Hypothesis

Interaction and active ‘negotiation of meaning’ facilitates SLA; the degree of success is determined by access to social experiences

Symbolic mediation

A link between a learners current mental state and higher-order (more complex) functions that is primarily provided by language

Interpersonal interaction

Communicative events and situations which occur between people

Zone of Proximal Development - ZPD

A potential area of development where the learner can only achieve that potential with assistance; mental functions that are beyond comprehension must be performed collaboratively first

Scaffolding

Temporary, structured support that is provided by peers or a superior to complete a language task just outside the current independent ability

Intrapersonal interaction

Communication that occurs within an individual’s own mind

Acculturation

To be able to fully participate in another language community, it commonly requires learning the culture, adapting to values and behavioral patterns

Additive bilingualism

Members of a dominant group learn the language of a subordinate group without threat to their L1 competence or to their ethnic identity

Subtractive bilingualism

Members of a subordinate group learn the dominant language as L2 and are more likely to experience some loss of ethnic identity and attrition of L1 skills; especially children

Intake

The part of input that is learnt by the learner through attentive effort

Non-linear language learning

Language learning is more individualized and not an even graph

Emergent system concept

Language ability emerges from interaction with others and different environments

Plasticity

The capacity of the brain to take on new functions

Processability theory

Aims to determine in which order language processing is learned and processed

Coordinate bilingualism

The L1 and L2 are independent of each other with parallel linguistic systems in the brain

Compound bilingualism

The L1 and L2 are fused or unified as a system in the brain

Subordinate bilingualism

One linguistic system is accessed through the other between L1 and L2

Lev Vygotsky

Introduced the Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development, which is that children acquire higher-order thinking primarily through social interaction and cultural context rather than their own discovery - also symbolic mediation

Schumann’s Acculturation Model

The process of adapting to a new culture, and the closer the learner's social and psychological state is to the target community, the more successful the language acquisition

Accommodation theory

When speakers adapt their language when speaking to different people, with the desire to ‘sound more like them’

Howard Giles

Invented the Accommodation Theory

Broca

Area responsible for speech production and syntactic/grammatical processing in the left hemisphere

Wernicke

Area responsible for language comprehension and lexical-semantic meaning in the left hemipshere