Assignment - SLA

ASSIGNMENT:
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

GENERAL INFORMATION:

This assignment consists of reflecting in pairs on the question below and has to fulfil
the following conditions:

- Length: 5 pages (without including cover, index or appendices –if there are any-).
- Type of font: Arial or Times New Roman.
- Size: 11.
- Line height: 1.5.
- Alignment: Justified.

The assignment has to be done in this Word document and has to fulfil the rules of
presentation and edition, as for quotes and bibliographical references which are
detailed in the Study Guide.

Also, it has to be submitted following the procedure specified in the “Subject

Evaluation” document. Sending it to the tutor’s e-mail is not permitted.

In addition to this, it is very important to read the assessment criteria, which can be
found in the “Subject Evaluation” document.

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 Assignment - SLA

Assignment:

According to Swain,

...producing the target language may be the trigger that forces

the learner to pay attention to the means of expression needed
in order to successfully convey his or her own intended
meaning.
(Swain 1985: 249)

In Swain's view, learners need not only input, but output: they need to use
language in order to learn it. Krashen, however, as recently as 2009, stated
that:

Research done over the last three decades has shown that we acquire
language by understanding what we hear and read. The ability to
produce language is the result of language acquisition, not the cause.

Forcing students to speak English will not improve their ability to

speak English. (Korea Times, 2009).

“Is it possible to reconcile these two seemingly opposite views as

to what constitutes second language acquisition or ‘learning’, as
Swain puts it? Or do the two views represent two extremes of
both theory and practice?”

Guidelines: To answer this question in essay form, you will need to

refer to alternative concepts of acquisition and learning proposed
by other theorists, judge them in relation to these two apparent
extremes of input versus output, and then try to draw some
conclusions. You must ensure that both Krashen and Swain are
discussed within the broader framework of SLA theory, and thus
demonstrate that you understand the general field.

Important: you have to write your personal details and the subject name on the
cover (see the next page). The assignment that does not fulfil these conditions
will not be corrected. You have to include the assignment index below the cover.

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 Assignment - SLA

Assignment:

Students’ names:

Group: 2018-10

Date:

Title