English

Didactics I
Mod. 1.1
Language
Learning
Concepts
L. Fielden Burns
lvfielden@unex.es
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Recall: What’s this cat’s name?

Can you see why?

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Mod 1 Overview
-Language systems and skills
-Models of SLA acquisition
- input, output interlanguage and negotiation
-Directions in research:
Aptitude
Learning styles
Affect and motivation
-Terminology
-Epistemology
-Approach vs. method
Part 1.

1. Language 2. Language
systems skills

4. Balancing
3. Comparing systems and
skills
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What is language?

Pass me the book.

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 Language Systems

-Sounds /p/ = P
-Meaning of each word or groups of words = L
-How the words interact with each other = G
-The use of the words in particular context = F
-How sentences relate or don’t = D

From Schrivener, 2011. Learning Teaching. 7

 Language Systems

-Sounds /p/ = Phonology

-Meaning of each word or groups of words = Lexis/Vocabulary
-How the words interact with each other = Grammar
-The use of the words in particular context = Function
-How sentences relate or don’t = Discourse

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Question: Pass me the book.
Answer: Mary’s gone home.

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A request or an order
Verb (imperative) + first person object pronoun +
definite article + noun
Phonological
This may suggest a reason the book cannot be passed Lexical
(because Mary has gone home and she has the book Grammatical
with her). Functional
Pass= give, hand over, present
Discoursal
me= reference to speaker
The book= object made of paper with words or
information
pliz pæs mi ðə bʊk.
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1. Which system do we teach?

We can focus on one or a combination in series, for example.

Grammar + Pronunciation + Function

How the language is structured, how to say it and how its used.
 Can you play the guitar?
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Phonological
Lexical
Grammatical
1. The construction can + pronoun Functional
2. The meaning of play and guitar Discoursal
3. Variations / kæn juː/ (strong) vs. /kən jə/ (weak)
4. Asking about ability
5. Typical questions and reply sequences containing this language
 Distinguish between language
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systems Phonological
Lexical
1. I went to Paris vs. I’ve been to Paris Grammatical
2. Lend us a fiver vs. Could you possibly lend me 5 Euros? Functional
3. Library vs. bookshop Discoursal
4. “Woman” compared to “women”
5. Sorry vs. excuse me
6. HUt vs. hAt
7. Impotent vs. important
8. Some vs any with nouns
 Distinguish between language
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systems Phonological
Lexical
1. I went to Paris vs. I’ve been to Paris G Grammatical
2. Lend us a fiver vs. Could you possibly lend me 5 Euros? F Functional
3. Library vs. bookshop L Discoursal
4. “Woman” compared to “women” P
5. Sorry vs. excuse me F
6. HUt vs. hAt P
7. Impotent vs. important P (word stress) / L / G (prefixes -im)
8. Some vs any with nouns G (countable versus uncountable adverbs for
nouns)
 Language systems Language skills
Language Language skills
systems doing
knowing

Phonology Productive:
Lexis Speaking
Grammar Writing
Function Receptive:
Discourse Reading
Listening
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Language skills
Language skills
MACRO
MICRO
Productive: -Understanding the gist (who is talking,
Speaking where are they etc)
Writing - Understanding precise information
Receptive: (quantity, numbers, prices).
Reading -Compensating for words not heard
Listening clearly (bar, etc) hypothesizing,
predicting etc.

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The communicative purpose of language:

-No one area of skills of language system exists

in isolation: There is no speaking if you don’t have
vocabulary, etc. We need to know and do.

The purpose of learning a language is to

participate in exchanges of information:
What might some of those be in class?

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Section wrap-up
Language Language skills
systems

1. 1.
2.
3. 2.
4.
5.

Can you give examples of each of the 5 systems? 18

 Language systems Language skills
Language Language skills
systems doing
knowing

Phonology Productive:
Lexis Speaking
Grammar Writing
Function Receptive:
Discourse Reading
Listening
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Part 2.
1. Krashen’s
model of
language
acquisition

2. Output and
3. Error
interaction
correction &
feedback
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1. How do children acquire language?
2. Do parents teach their children to talk?
3. What would prohibit a child from learning
to talk?
4. How can a child who can't even tie her own
shoes master a system as complex as the
English language?

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 Monitor

SLA Affective
Basics:
Krashen’s Natural Order

Monitor Input
Model
Acquisition-Learning
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1.

Natural order hypothesis:

1. Predictable (universal)
patterns in language
learning.

2. Predictable errors
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What language skills are

developed first?
Predictable errors 25

The trees have

growed!

This creates common

language errors:
Overgeneralization
2.

Meaningful Input hypothesis:

Expose students to quality input:
messages which contain language
a little above their existing
understanding and from which
they can infer meaning.
 But.. what is meaningful?

-Relevant/topical to learners?
-Realistic (authentic)?
-In the context of the learning
moment? 1:10-1:59

What were the two words you saw learned in context here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJpKkKq2kik&t=66s
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A new study has shown AN INTERESTING RESULT

ABOUT THE ROLE OF INPUT AND INTERACTION IN
CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE LEARNING.

1. What is the surprising result?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNJQGbNbI-8
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A new study has shown that the more children
participate in back-and-forth interactions with their
caregivers, the more activity they have in the part of
the brain responsible for language production and
processing.
The study also showed a strong connection between the
number of turns children take in conversation and the
scores they receive on standardized language tests [1,2].
The more children are involved in back-and-forth
exchanges, the greater the impact on their language
skills.

https://news.mit.edu/2018/conversation-boost-childrens-brain-response-language-0214
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNJQGbNbI-8
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What sort of input in

English is typical in a
primary classroom? In
what moments?
3. 3.
Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis:
Subconscious vs conscious process.

Acquisition includes a creative

construction process, which includes
operating strategies: such as paying
attention to the ends of words, to
formulate changing hypotheses about
rules.
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Hypothesis testing leads to rule

refinement as learners make sense of
input and impose structures on it. That
working system is called interlanguage. It
has aspects of L1 and L2 and is unique to
learners.
 Intake is how learners process input and 33

assimilate language in their interlanguage

system. This is incomplete (they will not
take ALL input) or all the same way.

What did
you do last
Fui al
weekend?
campo…..
NATURE?

S’s Intake= focused on T’s Intention= focused on past

feedback for nature tense for last weekend
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-How can we include more

acquisition (subconscious
learning) in our teaching?
4.

Affective filter hypothesis:

Engaging curiosity, not causing anxiety.
Note: FLL anxiety (Horwitz, 1988)
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https://www.acaexplorers.com/blog/motivation-to-learn-and-the-affective-filter/
Talk to your partner about: 37

-A positive language learning experience you have had.

What made it positive?
- A negative language learning experience you have had.
What made it negative?
-A time you felt embarrassed using English. What
happened?
-A time you felt good using English. What happened?

How can we create positive environments for

YL to experience English in?
5. 38

Monitor
hypothesis:
self-regulation
 Can I ….go outside?
Can I….go to the
toilet?

Noticing hypothesis (Schmidt, 1990):

Help them notice FL features.
In YL this often means a lot of repetition
and a smart use of resources.
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LAD
Output (Swain, 1985): what learners produce.
When it is comprehensible, it results in a cycle
of feedback for testing hypotheses and
redefining rules.

Producing output obliges learners to work to

make themselves understood (rephrasing,
carifying, redefining, asking for clarification,
etc). Doing this with others leads to
negotiation of meaning. 41
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1. What are the 5 hypotheses of

Krashen’s model?
2. Define: Input, intake, negotiation
of meaning, and interlanguage.
3. Describe recasting (RER) for error
correction.

Note: Most of this content is taken from Hedge, Chapter 1.

 Monitor

SLA Affective
Basics:
Krashen’s Natural Order

Monitor Input
Model
Acquisition-Learning
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