Discussion Questions of SLA
Chapter 1: Learning a first language
1. Think of three or four ‘telegraphic’ ntences that a young child might produce. The may be in English or another language you know well. How are the ‘little ntences’ similar to tho in the adult language? How are they different?
2. Rearchers have ud both longitudinal and cross-ctional approaches to宝的繁体字 investigate the order of acquisition of grammatical morphemes in English by young children. Describe the approaches in your own words. What are the challenges and the potential benefits of each?
3. What is the ‘wug test’? What do the findings from the wug test tell us about Children’s developing language? What advantages does the wug test have over studies that obrve children’s language in natural ttings? Can you think of some disadvantages?
4. What is metalinguistic awareness? Why is it a prerequisite for being able to understand
most jokes and riddles? Think of a joke or riddle you know. How is metalinguistic awareness related to your understanding of what makes this joke funny?
5. What have rearchers obrved about the frequency with which young children engage in imitation and repetitive practice? In what way are young children’s linguistic imitation and practice patterns different from tho of some foreign language class?
6. Give examples of both grammatical and lexical overgeneralization errors found in early child language. What is the general learning principle that underlies such errors?
7. How do the stories of Victor and Genie (pages 19–21) support the critical period hypothesis? Do you find this evidence convincing? Why do most rearchers consider that the evidence from urs of American Sign Language that was collected by Newport and her colleagues (page 21) is stronger support for the CPH?
8. How are Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s views of first language acquisition similar? How do they differ?
9. What was unusual about Jim’s exposure to language? How does this ca support an interactionist perspective on language acquisition?
Chapter 2: Theoretical approaches to explaining cond language learning
The behaviourist perspective
10.本科考研 State the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) and explain why it is often linked to the behaviourist theory. What are its limitations?
11. What contribution has behaviourism made to our understanding of how languages are learned? What is the theory not able to explain?
乾隆的母亲The innatist perspective
12. Sum up, in your own words, the main points surrounding the debate about the nature and availability of UG in SLA. Where do you stand?
13. Name the five hypothes that make up Krashen’s Monitor Model. According to this
model, what conditions must be prent for ‘acquisition’ to take place? What are the conditions for language ‘learning’?
14. What are the limitations of Krashen’s theory? Why do you think that Krashen’s ideas have been so influential in cond- and foreign-language education?
The cognitive perspective
15. How does 天津早餐information-processing model explain SLA?
Interactionist position
16.用已经造句 In what way are proponents of the interactionist position in SLA in agreement with Krashen’s monitor model? In what way do they go beyond it?
17. What kinds of conversational modifications do native speakers make when they talk to non-native speakers? What similarities and differences would you expect to find between the modifications and tho that are obrved in child-directed speech? Why?
18. Several theories for L2 learning have been propod in this chapter. Is one of them more consistent with your own understanding of how languages are 好笑的英语learned? If so, how have your experiences as a learner brought you to this view?
Chapter 3: Factors affecting cond language learning
19. Why is it difficult to asss the influence that personal characteristics have on2008奥运会 the development of L2 proficiency?
Intelligence
20. Language learners’ performance on IQ tests is related to certain aspects of L2 ability but not to others. Give examples to explain this statement.
Aptitude
21.贺年广告 What lessons can language teachers learn from the rearch on language aptitude and L2 instruction by Wesche (1981)?
Learning styles
22. Bad on what you read in this chapter, do you think that there is an ideal way to teach/learn a language? For example, as a foreign language learner or teacher, what are your views about teaching grammar? Do you have any specific preferences for how it should be taught or when? Do you know what your students’ preferences might be for grammar teaching and do you think it would be uful to find out?
