1.

Definition of Second Language Acquisition:

a. Refer to the acquisition of any other language after the acquisition of the mother
tongue.
2. Foreign language vs Second language
a. Foreign language is a language takes place when there is no major role in the
community and learn only in the classroom; second language plays an
institutional role and social role in the community.
3. Naturalistic vs instructed second language acquisition
a. Naturalistic is learned through naturally occurring situations while sla is through
the help of guidance from reference books of classroom instruction
4. Goal of SLA –
a. Characterize learners underlying knowledge of the L2 (i.e. describe and explain
their competence)
5. Different views about Competence
a. CHOMSKY ( generative ) – defined it somewhat narrowly as Linguistic
competence (i.e. knowledge of grammar )
b. Broader perspective by other researchers – communicative competence
(knowledge of l2 grammar and it is use in actual communication)
c. SLA – adopts broader perspective , l2 grammar, pragmatic compentence
6. Definition of acquisition –
a. Acquisition vs learning : ( Krashen ) acquisition refers to the subconscious
process of picking up a language while learning is conscious process of studying
it.
Problem: how do we define when it is conscious and subconscious
7. Implicit vs explicit learning
a. Implicit is learning that takes place without either intentionally or awareness
Explicit learning is a conscious process and is intentional.
8. Methodological issues to consider:
a. What and how learners lean an l2 is not open to direct inspection; it can only be
inferred by examining samples of their performance.
Examples: examination of their actual utterances in speech and in writing
Learners intuition about what is correct or appropriate by means of
grammaticality judgement tasks; others rely on introspective and retrospective
reports that learners provide about their learning.
b. How can we determine whether a particular feature has been acquired:
Determined through acquisition as onset and acquisition as accurate use by 90
%.
9. Strengths and weaknesses of case studies
a. Strengths
i. Intensive study (ellis, pg 8). Longitudinal, covered an extended period of
time
1. Wong fillmore ( nine month period )
2. Schumann ( 10 month study ) involves naturalistic and elicited
speech
ii. Develops new research
1. Schimdt questioned social distance in acquiring L2 as he later
found out that Wes clearly enjoyed contact with native speakers.
Furthermore he concluded that it was more on psychologivcal
factors than social distance.
iii. Gives new insight
b. Weakness
i. Researcher bias
1. Wong filmore discounted language aptitude and focus on other
areas ( social and cognitive strategies )
2. Schumann dismissed ability and age as factors for alberto (pg 11)
ii. Time consuming (elis, pg 8) – studies conducted in the 1970s fell out of
fashion because they are time consuming
iii. Cannot be generalized – Ellis argued that case studies do not readily
permit generalization

10. Further reading tasks :

a. Book, points which author doesn’t make, agree with, disagree with
Gass, patsy brown
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

SEEKS ANSWERS to 4 basic questions:

1. In what ways do language learners differs?
2. What effects do these differences have on learning outcomes?
3. How do learner differences affect the process of l2 acquisition?
4. How do individual learner factors interact with instruction in
determining learning outcomes?
Note: Ellis believes that learnings strategies are unconvincing and rather focuses on
intelligence, working memory, language aptitude, learning and cognitive style, personality,
motivation, anxiety and willingness to communicate.

11. What are individual variables which influence SLA?

a. Intelligence
b. Aptitude
c. Motivation
d. Affective state
e. Beliefs and attitudes
f. Learning styles
12. What are the key aspects of language aptitude carroll enumerated:
a. Aptitude is separate from achievement (R. no relationship between measures of
aptitude and proficiency )
b. Aptitude is separate from motivation
c. Aptitude is innate , a stable factor
d. Aptitude is not prerequisite for l2, it provides a prediction of rate of learning
e. Aptitude is distinct from general intelligence. A balanced position, is that
intelligence is related to aptitude but its not isomorphic with it.
13. How does Ellis define learner beliefs?
Learner beliefs vary considerably in language and language learning and it it reasonable
to assume that it influences the process and product of learning.

14. What categories of learner beliefs does he suggest? Do you agree?

a. Quantitative/analytic
b. qualitative /experiential
15. What influences learners beliefs?
a. Past experience both of education and language learning( little, singleton)eg.
Past instructional experiences
b. Culturally determined (horwitz showed insuuficient evidence )
16. List five findings from research on the relationship between beliefs and
learning.
a. Pedro and Gerardo ( Abraham and vann ) suggest that different views about
language learning result in differeny kinds og success
 b. Park (1995) found three variables predicted students toefls scores . First belief
variable ( self efficacy and social interaction) and strategy variables
(indeoendent and metacognitive strategies )
c. Mori discovered that strong beliefs in innate ability that is the ability to learn is
inherited and cannot be improved by effort and in avoidance o ambiguity that is
the need for single clear cut answers were associated with lower achievement.
Learners who believed that l2 learning was easy manifested higher levels of
achievement. Advanced learners less likely to believe in simple answers than
novice. And epistemiological and language learning beliefs are not related.
d. Tanaka and Ellis showed weak correlation changes in beliefs and gains in
proficiency
NOTE: Ellis believes that studies do not show a strong relationship between
learners beliefs and proficiency.

17. Why would it be useful to study personality?

a. Because teachers and students believe that it really affects l2 acquisition.
 Personality can be defined as those characteristics of a person that account for
consistent patterns of feeling, thinking and behaving.
18. What are the issues with research on personality?
a. No clear theoretical basis for predicting which personality variables would be
positively or negatively related to aspects of l2 proficiency.
19. What role do extraversion play in second language?
a. Extravers will do better in acquiring basic interpersonal communication skills.
Rationale – sociability will result in more opportunities to practice , thus more
input more success in l2.
20. What role do introversion play in second language?
a. Introverts develop better at developing cognitive academic language ability.
Rationale: Introverts enjoy academic success because they spend more time
reading and writing.
21. What is the big five model related to the role of language development?
a. Openness to experience
b. Conscientiousness
c. Extraversion-introversion
d. Agreeableness
e. Neuroticism-emotional stability
Note: early research failed to demonstrate a clear relationship between personality and
language learning,. Evidence shows that traits like extraversion and openness to
experience are related to measures of communicative language use like fluency. But still
disappointing. The reasons are:
a. Effects of personality are situation-dependent
b. The relationship between personality and l2 is naïve because it ignores
the fact that personality may be affected by attitiudes, motication and
situational anxiey.
Note: the role that personality plays needs to be examined in terms of how traits influence the
learners process of language.

22. According to the research reported by Ellis,, what are the hypotheses which suggest a
relationship between intelligence and language learning? Poor relationship
a. Intelligence is af actor where CALP is concerned, but ess so where BICS are
involved.
b. Related to Explicit l2 knowledge failed to find relationship
23. Hedge lists a number of institutional factors and suggests these “ provide potential or
constraint”. Which factors provide potential? How?
24. Can you add to the list of roles suggested by harmer in the chapter you are reading?
What could be the influences on these roles?
a. Controller
b. Assessor
c. Corrector
d. Organize
e. Initiating it
f. Monitor
g. Organize feedback
h. Prompter
i. Resource
Note: source of expertice, management roles, source of advice and facilitaro of learning
25. Do you agree with the role of facilitator? Draw a scenario from your experience where
the teacher is a facilitator.
26. What is a key quality of an effective teacher? Adaptability
27. What could be the guiding principles for group work?