Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition

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"Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill." Stephen Krashen

"Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding." Stephen Krashen

"The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are 'ready', recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production." Stephen Krashen

"In the real world, conversations with sympathetic native speakers who are willing to help the acquirer understand are very helpful." Stephen Krashen

Introduction

Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and development. Much of his recent research has involved the study of non-English and bilingual language acquisition. During the past 20 years, he has published well over 100 books and articles and has been invited to deliver over 300 lectures at universities throughout the United States and Canada.

This is a brief description of Krashen's widely known and well accepted theory of second language acquisition, which has had a large impact in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s.

Description of Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition

Krashen's theory of second language acquisition consists of five main hypotheses:

the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis,
the Monitor hypothesis,
the Natural Order hypothesis,
the Input hypothesis,
and the Affective Filter hypothesis.
The Acquisition-Learning distinction is the most fundamental of all the hypotheses in Krashen's theory and the most widely known among linguists and language practitioners.
According to Krashen there are two independent systems of second language performance: 'the acquired system' and 'the learned system'. The 'acquired system' or 'acquisition' is the product of a subconscious process very similar to the process children undergo when they acquire their first language. It requires meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication - in which speakers are concentrated not in the form of their utterances, but in the communicative act.

The 'learned system' or 'learning' is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge 'about' the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules. According to Krashen 'learning' is less important than 'acquisition'. (Veja o texto ao lado e também outra página em português sobre Acquisition/Learning).

The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar. According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs the role of the 'monitor' or the 'editor'. The 'monitor' acts in a planning, editing and correcting function when three specific conditions are met: that is, the second language learner has sufficient time at his/her disposal, he/she focuses on form or thinks about correctness, and he/she knows the rule.

It appears that the role of conscious learning is somewhat limited in second language performance. According to Krashen, the role of the monitor is - or should be - minor, being used only to correct deviations from 'normal' speech and to give speech a more 'polished' appearance.

Krashen also suggests that there is individual variation among language learners with regard to 'monitor' use. He distinguishes those learners that use the 'monitor' all the time (over-users); those learners who have not learned or who prefer not to use their conscious knowledge (under-users); and those learners that use the 'monitor' appropriately (optimal users). An evaluation of the person's psychological profile can help to determine to what group they belong. Usually extroverts are under-users, while introverts and perfectionists are over-users. Lack of self-confidence is frequently related to the over-use of the 'monitor'.
AS DUAS HIPÓTESES MAIS IMPORTANTES DA TEORIA DE KRASHEN, E SUA INTERRELAÇÃO

A hipótese acquisition-learning e a hipótese monitor representam a essência da teoria de Krashen.

De acordo com sua teoria, acquisition é responsável pelo entendimento e pela capacidade de comunicação criativa: habilidades desenvolvidas subconscientemente. Isto ocorre através da familiarização com a característica fonética da língua, sua estruturação de frases, seu vocabulário, tudo decorrente de situações reais, bem como pela descoberta e assimilação de diferenças culturais e pela aceitação e adaptação à nova cultura.

Learning depende de esforço intelectual e procura produzir conhecimento consciente a respeito da estrutura da língua e de suas irregularidades, e preconiza a memorização de vocabulário fora de situações reais. Este conhecimento atua na função de monitoramento da fala. Entretanto, o efeito deste monitoramento sobre a performance da pessoa, depende muito do perfil psicológico de cada um.

Veja aqui mais sobre os conceitos de acquisition e learning.

A hipótese monitor explica a relação entre acquisition e learning ao definir a influência deste último sobre o primeiro. Os esforços espontâneos e criativos de comunicação, decorrentes de nossa capacidade natural de assimilar línguas quando em contato com elas, são policiados e disciplinados pelo conhecimento consciente das regras gramaticais da língua e de suas exceções.

Os efeitos deste monitoramento sobre pessoas com diferentes características de personalidade serão vários. Pessoas que tendem à introversão, à falta de autoconfiança, ou ao perfeccionismo, pouco se beneficiarão de um conhecimento da estrutura da língua e de suas irregularidades. Pelo contrário, no caso de línguas com alto grau de irregularidade (como o inglês), poderão desenvolver um bloqueio que compromete a espontaneidade devido à consciência da alta probabilidade de cometerem erros.

Pessoas que tendem à extroversão, a falar muito, de forma espontânea e impensada, também pouco se beneficiarão de learning, uma vez que a função de monitoramento é quase inoperante, está submetida a uma personalidade intempestiva que se manifesta sem maior cautela. Os únicos que se beneficiam de learning, são as pessoas mais normais e equilibradas, que sabem aplicar a função de monitoramento de forma moderada. Mesmo assim, numa situação real de comunicação, o monitoramento só funcionará se ocorrerem 3 condições simultaneamente:

- Tempo suficiente: que a pessoa disponha de tempo suficiente para avaliar as alternativas com base nas regras incidentes.
- Preocupação com a forma: que a pessoa concentre atenção não apenas no ato da comunicação, no conteúdo da mensagem, mas também e principalmente na forma.
- Conhecimento da regra: que a pessoa tenha conhecimento da regra que se aplica ao caso.


The Natural Order hypothesis is based on research findings (Dulay & Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975; Makino, 1980 cited in Krashen, 1987) which suggested that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a 'natural order' which is predictable. For a given language, some grammatical structures tend to be acquired early while others late. This order seemed to be independent of the learners' age, L1 background, conditions of exposure, and although the agreement between individual acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of language acquisition. Krashen however points out that the implication of the natural order hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus should be based on the order found in the studies. In fact, he rejects grammatical sequencing when the goal is language acquisition.

The Input hypothesis is Krashen's attempt to explain how the learner acquires a second language. In other words, this hypothesis is Krashen's explanation of how second language acquisition takes place. So, the Input hypothesis is only concerned with 'acquisition', not 'learning'. According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses along the 'natural order' when he/she receives second language 'input' that is one step beyond his/her current stage of linguistic competence. For example, if a learner is at a stage 'i', then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to 'Comprehensible Input' that belongs to level 'i + 1'. Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic competence at the same time, Krashen suggests that natural communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in this way that each learner will receive some 'i + 1' input that is appropriate for his/her current stage of linguistic competence.

Finally, the fifth hypothesis, the Affective Filter hypothesis, embodies Krashen's view that a number of 'affective variables' play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition. These variables include: motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Krashen claims that learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in second language acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating anxiety can combine to 'raise' the affective filter and form a 'mental block' that prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. In other words, when the filter is 'up' it impedes language acquisition. On the other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for acquisition to take place.

O CONSTRUTIVISMO NO ENSINO DE LÍNGUAS

A teoria de Krashen fornece substrato ao Natural Approach e ao Communicative Approach, versões norte-americana e britânica, respectivamente, do construtivismo no ensino de línguas.

O construtivismo preconiza o desenvolvimento de habilidades e conhecimento como resultado de ação, de interação do ser inteligente com seu ambiente. Portanto, o ambiente é fator determinante. No caso de línguas estrangeiras, o ambiente apropriado é aquele que oferece convívio multicultural.

AMBIENTES MULTICULTURAIS DE CONVÍVIO: Ambiente de convívio multiculural ou bicultural é aquele composto de pessoas de diferentes nacionalidades e culturas, que proporciona o desenvolvimento do conhecimento necessário e das habilidades básicas necessárias para que todos possam se comunicar em qualquer situação e nele se sintam à vontade. Quanto maior o grau de afinidade entre seus integrantes, mais completa será a assimilação.