Conditions for language acquisition
4.1.2.1
Introduction
4.1.2.2 The first essential condition for second language
acquisition (SLA)
4.1.2.3 Defining motivation
4.1.2.4 Types of motivation
4.1.2.5 Immediate motivation
4.1.2.6 Checking for motivational factors
4.1.2.7 Immediate motivation in TBL
4.1.2.8 Belief check
4.1.2.9 Reflection on tasks
4.1.2.10 Some final thoughts on how languages are
(not) learned
4.1.2.1
Introduction
It was once suggested that you might be able to learn an additional language
by 'absorbing' the language unconsciously as you slept, if you placed
a cassette player, continuously playing tapes of people speaking your
target language, under your pillow at night. Not many people would now
believe that this would create the conditions needed for successful learning
to take place (being asleep doesn't help, in the first place!). In this
section, we consider what conditions do facilitate language acquisition.
4.1.2.2
The first essential condition for second language acquisition (SLA)
Have you ever seen one of those 'mind-reading' tricks on the internet
where the computer guesses the identity of a playing card you picked?
Well I'm going to try a mind reading trick now! I'm going to ask a question,
and you have to think of one word - just one - that you feel best answers
the question. Then I'm going to guess your word. Ready?
Question: What is the single most important factor that determines someone's success in learning an additional language?
I guess your answer is …[See Commentary 4.1.1]
4.1.2.3
Defining motivation
When teachers give this answer, what do you think they mean by the word
'motivation'? How would you define it? …[See Commentary
4.1.2]
4.1.2.4
Types of motivation
Now the trouble with discussing motivation in relation to language learners
is that it can vary enormously. Learners' goals can be very long term,
such as 'becoming competent in a language after 3 years of study', or
very short term, e.g. 'getting the answer to the next exercise right'.
Furthermore, motivation in language learning has been sub-classified as
integrative or instrumental, intrinsic or extrinsic
- integrative
= wanting to identify with the culture of the speakers of the target language; - instrumental
= wanting the language to improve prospects of external / material gain, eg to improve job prospects, be offered a place at university; - intrinsic
= for enjoyment or personal interest or intellectual stimulation; - extrinsic
= for external reasons, such as passing an exam or pressure from parents.
4.1.2.5
Immediate motivation
It seems to me that while we language teachers may, through our enthusiasm,
magnetic personalities or whatever, be able to have some influence over
long-term motivation, especially by fostering integrative and intrinsic
types (which are meant to ultimately result in better levels of success),
what we are most able to influence is the very short term motivation of
our learners in the classroom. Knowing that a student has signed up for
a language course simply because it is a requirement of their degree programme
may help us to understand their attitude to the subject, but that knowledge
doesn't help us a great deal in our regular planning of lessons that will
help that learner pass the exam at the end of the year.
Instead, as teachers we need to focus on what motivates learners to engage in effective learning activities on a minute-by-minute basis - what I shall call immediate motivation. (If we regularly succeed in this, even our reluctant learners may eventually come to see the lessons as enjoyable and begin to have a generally more positive attitude to the language in the long term, but that is an added bonus.) The task-based learning cycle described in this module has built into it a consideration of the role that immediate motivation can play in encouraging learners to engage with the target language in such a way that their language development is gradually but continuously pushed forwards in a useful and stimulating way. Here is Jane Willis talking about how doing tasks can provide immediate motivation: (see Transcript JW01).
4.1.2.6
Checking for motivational factors
As you work through the other activity cycles in this module you may like
to do a 'motivation check' from time to time to see:
- what is being proposed to engender in learners 'a state of cognitive and emotional arousal' (fun? intellectual challenge? competition with peers? curiosity?);
- what sort of action and 'sustained intellectual and/or physical effort' will result from this stimulation (reading, writing, speaking or listening in the target language?);
- what 'previously set goal (or goals)' will the learners be seeking to attain through this action? (being entertained / entertaining a classmate? solving a problem? winning a game? finding out about something interesting?).
4.1.2.7
Immediate motivation in TBL
So the first essential condition for successful language acquisition is
motivation, and for the purposes of this module we shall be focussing
on immediate motivation through the design and delivery of task-based
lessons.
If you want to read more about motivation and language learning, you may like to do this now. See Reading 1a and 1b.
4.1.2.8
Belief check
However, motivation on its own is not enough to enable someone to learn
a language.
As well as motivation, what else do you believe to be essential if someone is to learn a language? I've suggested a number of things here:
- a syllabus;
- someone to correct your errors;
- an extrovert personality;
- eposure to meaningful input;
- information about grammar rules;
- a coursebook;
- a high IQ;
- using the language;
- starting when very young;
- instruction from a teacher;
- other (add your own).
Can you decide on two that are essential in addition to motivation, that is, without which no-one could learn a language under any circumstances?
What about the other items in the list? Are they also important? Decide on any which you think are desirable, but not essential. Choose one which you think is more desirable than the others.
If you are working with a colleague, try to come to an agreement on the two essential conditions and the one most desirable condition. See Commentary 4.1.3.
4.1.2.9
Reflection on tasks
Now you have completed the task, spend a few minutes discussing the pros
and cons of this type of consensus discussion task. If you are not able
to work with a colleague, you can probably imagine what these might be.
Could you give this type of task (probably on a different topic) to your students?
4.1.2.10
Some final thoughts on how languages are (not) learned
While I was standing in the supermarket checkout queue the other day,
I noticed on the magazine stand a women's health magazine with the cover
headline: 'Five superfoods to boost your bust size'. The idea was that
if women ate more of these foods, their bust would miraculously grow.
Now I can almost guarantee that if I ate these foods I would indeed increase
in size, but not in the places I wanted! (I will leave to your imagination
all the undesirable places that might start to expand...). The idea that
you can feed someone something particular and expect it to result in this
type of specific, pre-determined growth seems rather far-fetched.
So why is a very similar practice so popular in language classrooms? Students are 'fed' particular examples of language and as a result, we predict that they will 'learn' specific, pre-determined structures / vocabulary / skills etc. Language acquisition is a natural process, and what really happens inside the minds of the students is as unpredictable as what happens in our bodies when we eat food. We can fairly safely say that something will be retained, and a lot will just pass through, but we can't possibly say exactly what. Even when every student in the class is 'fed' an identical language 'diet' we should expect that each one will be affected in a slightly different way.
Instead of dooming ourselves to disappointment when learners' language does not grow in the way we have tried to make it grow through forced feeding, it seems to me we would be far better off providing learners with a balanced and appetizing 'diet' of language, plus activities to help them 'digest' this and exercises that push them to improve their overall language 'fitness'. It is this latter approach that task-based learning aims to achieve, and details of how to go about it are given in the following activity cycles of this module.
