Psychology and Language Learning

ESCUELA:

NOMBRES:

Ciencias de la educación: Mención Inglés

Abril Agosto 2011

BIMESTRE: Segundo

Mgs. Anna M. Gates

Learner Language

Initially thought to be an imperfect version of target language

Contrastive Analysis

Viewed errors as a result of negative language transfer

Could not explain many errors

Researching Learner Language

What can errors tell us about the learning process?

Is the increase in errors always a sign that the learner is regressing?

The search continues…

• Error analysis– Detailed description

of errors really made– Goal: discover what

learner actually knows about the language

Errors based on development

• Similar errors as first language learners

Interlanguage

• Learner language in its own right– Systematic– Dynamic

Movement through

stages isn’t strictly linear

What does it mean to know a language?

Importance of vocabulary

Most essential aspect of language for communication

English has 100,000 to 1 million words

Educated native English speaker knows

20,000+ words

2000 words needed for successful

communication

What does it mean to know a language?

Study of language beyond the words and sentences

Language in context gives clues about the relationship between interlocutors

What does it mean to know a language?

Relatively little research Negative transfer

explains many differences

Overgeneralization of difficult sounds

Perception vs. production

Student Centered??

Teacher Centered??

Applying the theory

In conclusion…

Combination

True or false?

Multilingual people are more creative than monolinguals.

Source: Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. Presentation September 13, 2009

True or false?

• It is impossible for an adult to learn as quickly as a child.

Source: Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. Presentation September 13, 2009

True or false?

• Adults can’t learn a foreign language without having an accent.

Source: Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. Presentation September 13, 2009

True or false?

• The most important predictor of success in second language learning is motivationSource: Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. Presentation September 13, 2009