What Are Language Acquisition Theories? (4)

4. Input and Interaction Theories

a. Comprehensible Input (Krashen)

(See Monitor Model linked below.)

b. Interaction Hypothesis (Long)

Key Idea: Interaction helps learners acquire language by negotiating meaning.
Implications: Activities like role-plays and pair work encourage learners to ask for clarification and receive feedback, strengthening their understanding.

c. Output and Feedback

Key Idea: Learners improve by producing language (Swain’s Output Hypothesis) and refining it through feedback.
Implications: Speaking and writing activities combined with corrective feedback enhance language accuracy and fluency.

d. Input Processing (VanPatten)

Key Idea: Learners focus on meaning before noticing grammatical structures in language input.
Implications: Teachers should design materials that highlight grammar naturally within meaningful communication.

Conclusion

Language acquisition is a complex process that involves both biological and environmental factors. Theories such as Nativism, Social Interactionism, Connectionism, and Emergentism each offer unique perspectives on how people acquire their first language. While the Nativist approach highlights innate abilities, the Social Interactionist theory emphasizes the role of communication. Meanwhile, Connectionism focuses on repeated exposure, and the Emergentist theory blends multiple influences. By understanding these perspectives, linguists, educators, and researchers can develop more effective language teaching methods.

In the next part, we will explore additional theories on language acquisition. Stay tuned!

The Monitor Model is a theory developed by Stephen Krashen to explain second language acquisition (SLA) Link 👇 below