Theories of SLA

1. The Acculturation
Model
2. Accomodation Theory
3. Discourse Theory
4. The Monitor Model
5. The Variable
Competence Model
6. The Universal
Hypothesis
7. A Neurofunctional
theory
The Acculturation Model
Acculturation is the process
of becoming adapted to a
new culture (Brown:1980)
Language is the most
observable expressions of
culture and because in SL
settings the acquisition of
a new language is seen as
tied to the way in which
the learner’s community
and the target language
view each other.
Central Premise
... Second language
acquisition is just one
aspect of acculturation
and the degree to
which a learner
acculturates to the
target language group
will control the degree
to which he acquires
the second language
(Schumann: 1978)
Factor Determining
Acculturation/SLA
1. Social Distance
2. Psychological Distance
Social Distance
It is the result of a number
of factors which affect the
learner as a member of
social group in contact with
the target language group.
Social Distance
The TL and L2 groups view
each other as socially
equal.
The TL and L2 groups are
both desirous that the L2
groups will assimilate.
Both the TL and the L2
groups expect the L2
groups will share social
facilities.
The L2 group is small and
not very cohesive.
The L2 group culture is
cungruengt with that of the
TL group;
Social Distance
Both groups have positive
attitude to each other
The L2 group envisages
staying in TL area for an
extended period.
The Psychological
Distance
Affective in Nature
The Psychological
Distance
1. Language Shock
2. Culture Shock
3. Motivation
4. Ego boundaries
Pidginization Hypothesis
The early stage of SLA are
characterized by the same
process that are
responsible for the
formation of pidgin
languages.
When sosial/psychological
distances are great, the
learner fails to progress
beyond the early stages,
with the result that his
language is pidginized.
Fossilization
When pidginization persists
the learner fossilizes. That
is he no longer revises his
interlanguage system in
the direction of the TL.
Thus the early
pidginization and
fossilization are identical
process.
Functions of Language

Schumann:
1. The communicative
function
2. The Integrative
Function
3. The expressive
Function
The communicative
Function
It concerns with the
tranmission of purely
referential, denotative
information.
Integrative Function

It involves the use of

language to mark the
speaker as a member of
a particular social
group;
The Expressive Function
It consists of the use of
language to display
linguistic virtuosiy
(literary uses)
The Nativization Model

Andersen see SLA as

the result of two
general factors:
1. Nativization
2. Denativization
Nativization
It consists of assimilation;
the learner makes the
input conform to his own
internalized view of wha
constitutes the L2 system.
The learner simplifies the
learning task by building
hypothesis based on the
knowledge he already
posseses (e.g. Knowledge
of his first language;
knowledge of the world)
Nativization is apparent
in pidginization and the
early stages of both first
and second language
acquisition.
Denativization
It involves accommodation;
the learner adjusts his
internalized system to
make it fit the input.
The learner makes use of
inferencing strategies
which enable him remodel
his interlanguage system
in accordance with the
‘external norm’
The Acculturation and
Nativization Models
address naturalistic SLA,
where the L2 learner has
contact with the target
language community.
It is not so clear whether
the models are also
applicable to classroom
SLA (i.e. Foreign language
instruction), where no such
contact is possible.