Input and Interaction and Second Language Acquisition SLA Study Group Yu-Feng Diana Yang, Ph.D....

Input and Interaction and Second Language Acquisition

SLA Study Group

Yu-Feng Diana Yang, Ph.D.

Email: dyang@mail.nsysu.edu.tw

What is input?

Behaviorist: stimulus Mentalist: trigger Interactionist Theory: utterance generated

in social interaction

Interaction Flow

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

Interaction Flow

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

comprehensible input: Krashen

comprehensible input: Long

comprehensible output: Swain

What is going on?

Foreigner talk Interlanguage talk

Role of Input in SLA

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

Role of Input in SLA

How does input affect on the development of L2 (route of development)?

what type of input, what input (content), how much input (amount & frequency)?

which part of the L2 development ?

How does input affect on the development of L2? how much input (frequency) vs. which part

of the L2 development

How does input affect on the development of L2 ?What if the input is ungrammatical?

Gass & Lakshmann (1991) Participants:

Alberto & Cheo L1-Spanish; L2 Learners of English

Method: Longitudinal Design Correlation study Result: subjectless input correlate with subjectless output (over ti

me) Bias & Limitations:

L1 influence Correlation V. S. Causality (causative relationship)

How does input affect on the development of L2 ?

What if the input is comprehensible?

Krashen (1981, 1985, 1989): Method: Extrapolation from L1 studiesResults: Input Hypothesis

Comprehensible Input and SLA

Input Hypothesis: i+1 (Krashen, 1981, 1985, 1989)

simplification & contextual and extralinguistic cluesNatural

Learning

Order

Current Competence Level (i)

Intake: affectively accepted (1)

Speaking=result of acquisition but not causes (i+1)

Role of Input in SLA

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

Interaction Flow

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

comprehensible input: Krashen

comprehensible input: Long

Interactive Input and SLA

Long (1983)

simplification & contextual and extralinguistic clues

Interactive Input

Current Competence Level

Intake: affectively accepted

Speaking=result of acquisition but not causes

Interactive Input and SLA

Verbal communication task involving

two-way information

Opportunity for less competent speaker to provide feedback

on his/her comprehension

Negotiated modification

of conversation

Comprehensible InputLanguage acquisition

(Long, 1983, p.214)

Does modified input contribute to SLA? Long (1985): Indirect studies

1. Linguistic/conversational adjustment comprehensible input

2. Comprehensible input acquisition

3. Linguistic/conversational adjustments acquisition

Does Linguistic/conversational adjustment promote comprehensible input?

Pica, Young & Doughty (1987): Comparative study: interationally modified input resulted in the highest levels of comprehension->but we not sure if it is because of the greater quantity or greater quality

Pica (1992): same quality of premodified or interactionally modified input make no difference in comprehension level

Does interational modifications result in comprehension?

No guarantee !

Does comprehensible input lead to SLA? Literature Reviews: Long (1983), Larsen-Freeman and L

ong (1991) & Krashen (1986, 1989)-see p. 271

Critiques: Gass (1988): comprehensible input v.s. comprehended input Farch & Kasper (1986): top-down v.s. bottom-up White (1987): learners do not make overgeneralizations unlearn

ed once they receive comprehensible input

“Comprehensible input can facilitate acquisition but 1) is not necessary condition of acquisition, and 2) does not guarantee that acquisition will take place” (p. 279)

Does Input/Interaction modification lead to acquisition? Main Focus: Vocabulary FL modification helps vocabulary learning

Li (1989)Tanaka & Yamazaki (1991)

Does modified input contribute to SLA? Pellettieri’s (2000)

Role of Modified Output in SLA

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

Interaction Flow

NS NNS

input

feedback/output------>clarification

interactive input/modified input

meaning negotiation

modified output

interactive input/modified input

modified output

comprehensible input: Krashen

comprehensible input: Long

comprehensible output: Swain

Does comprehensible output contribute to SLA? Swain (1995): Output Hypothesis

recognize some linguistics problems, and pay

attention to things that they need to discover

more (i.e. the noticing/triggering function);

Questions for Critical Thinking

Some language educators have argued for the desirability of using “authentic” target language materials in the classroom. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?