6 CONTRIBUTION OF LINGUISTICS TO FL TEACHING AND THE PROCESS OF LINGUISTIC LEARNING
CONTRIBUTION OF LINGUISTICS TO FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING ● THE PROCESS OF LINGUISTIC LEARNING: LEARNING AND ACQUIRING ●
6.1. CONTRIBUTION OF LINGUISTICS TO FL TEACHING ●
Different disciplines of Linguistics have influenced FL teaching in one way or another. DESCRIPTIVE LINGUISTICS COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS
HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS
THEORETICAL LINGUISTICS APPLIED LINGUISTICS
LINGUISTICS
COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS
PSYCO LINGUISTICS GENERATIVE LINGUISTICS
SOCIO LINGUISTICS
6.1.1. Theoretical Linguistics contribution to FLT â—?
Concern about developing models of linguistic knowledge. Search of linguistic properties. Rules for the context of the conversation
Study on meaning. Thematic roles, argument structure, sense Semantics and reference
Rules for creating sentences from words. Word categories. Systematization of descriptive grammar
Pragmatics
Linguistic properties
Rules for use of language Grammar
Phonetics
Syntax Phonology Morphology Word structure and meaning Relationships through morphemes
Study of sounds (phones): speech & non-speech, production, audition and reception
Study of sound systems and phonemes: sound distinction, sound alternation, syllable structure, stress, accent and intonation
6.1.2. Applied Linguistics Theoretical linguistics used to address the real-world problems.
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6.1.3. Psycholinguistics Study of the psychological and neurobiological factors for humans to acquire, use and understand language
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Developmental psycholinguistics: related to children's ability to learn language 6.1.4. Sociolinguistics
Study of the effect of any and all societies (cultural norms, expectations and context) on the use of language
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2L acquisition&education: 1950-60: errors and contrastive analyses. 1970: Chomsky's Universal Grammar influence. 1990: Cognitive psychology research methods: Importance of sociolinguistics and discourse analysis. Before cognitive research: based on philosophy. When getting reliable data: biology, neuroscience, cognitive science... Covers the cognitive process for generating grammatical and meaninful sentences. Study of social dialects and their factors, regarding to social constraints. The effect of language on society
6.1.5. Generative linguistics
Based on “Generative Grammar”: ● Chomsky: set of rules to be applied to generate sentences that are grammatical in a given
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6.1.6. Cognitive linguistics
The important essece of language is innately based in evolutionarily-developed faculties
6.1.7. Computational linguistics
Interdisciplinary field: statistical and logical modelling of natural language from computational perspetive
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Characterized by the use of transformational grammar. As attack to behaviourism (Skinner) As psycology and psycholinguistics have matured, less use for generative linguistics. Focus on language creation, learning and usage shoul be explained through cognition. (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis)
Formerly, computer scientists research. > realized language was too complex > interdisciplinary field: computer scientists, linguists, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychologists and logicians...
6.1.8. Descriptive linguistics
Study of how language is spoken
Opposition to former linguistics: how people should speak
6.1.9. Historical linguistics
Study of language change.
Four concerns: ● Describe and account changes in particular languages ● Describe the history of speech communities ● Reconstruct pre-history languages and determine their relatedness (comparative linguistics) ● Develop general theories about how and why languages change
Saussure distinguish between synchronic and diachronic linguistics.
6.2. The process of linguistic learning: similarities and differences between learning L1 and acquiring FL 6.2.1. Leaning the Mother Tongue ●
Before 1-yo: the language centre in the brain is activated –
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Around 6-yo: firm foundation in mother tongue. –
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Around 3-4 yo: command of grammatical structure and add vocabulary. Teenagers have problems at school related to language handling.
The better you speak your MT the easier you get the FL Important: to have a talkative and well-educated environment.
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Acquisition & Learning (depending on internalization of system of rules) Regarding to Grammatical Competence: –
Natural Acquisition and The Natural Approach (Krashen)
No connection
Between rules acquired naturally and rules learnt consciously. First is spontaneous; second helps monitoring the use of language Teachers should promote acquisition.
Affective filter
Anxiety, fear of grammatical mistakes... can prevent learners from acquiring language. This filter should be deactivated in the classroom
Focus on meaning
Rather than the grammatical forms in class. Offer an input at a +1 level of comprehension and visual aid (mime, gesture, actions..) and intonation. Inborn natural acquisition capacity will take care.
LAD (Language Acquisition Device, Lennenberg) and Universal Grammar
Special capacity for language: an abstract system to undestand the language we are exposed to and govern the rules of its system.
6.2.2. Children's capacity for natural acquisition Children (<7 yo) may have advantages over adults in acquiring sound systems. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
At the early beginning a native speaker is more recommendable.
6.2.3. Learning (and acquisition) FL Compentece = managing rules by natural acquisition + explicit knowledge about the language (grammar, fluency and accuracy..) Nowadays, grammar is focused to develop comprehension skills Common sense also useful for non-verbal communication in comprehension.
6.2.4. Learning to learn and learning to acquire Strategies to connect cognitive actions to comprehension of cognitive goals: ●
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For FL learning strategies: –
Metacognitive strategies: thinking about the learning process, planning and monitoring.
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Cognitive strategies: interacting with materiral to be learnt, manipulating... taking notes or making summaries
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Social and affective strategies: interacting with another person to assist learning: cooperating through questions for clarification
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Learning strategies emphasise on what learners can do consciously to achieve success.
PBL
8 yo and 11 yo students are consciously aware of almost as many strategies, but the youngest have less anxiety.
6.2.5. Social-psychological distance Social and cultural factors to take into account: affective characteristics (motivation, empathy..) and social characteristics (ability to fit in groups...).
6.2.6. Acculturation (socialization) or the adoption of behaviour patterns of the surrounding or the target culture. The learner's social and psychological contact with the target language group. ●
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Positive contact -> receptive to input and interaction. Teacher creating positive attitude -> acquisition process more successful. –
Fluency, accuracy, range
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Length and complexity
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Cognitive level of task (progressive more demanding)
6.2.7. Interlanguage development Emerging linguistic system developed by the learner of the FL who is not fully proficient yet: an approximation to the target language preserving some features of MT and creating innovations. –
Selinker, 1972.
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Through language transfer, overgeneralization and simplification techniques.
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Becomes clearer when the grammar rule has been consciously taught and learnt and still not fully internalized. ●
In spontaneous communication, maybe not the correct form is used, but an approximation, that gradually is closer to the native speaker.
6.2.8. L1/L2 interdependence Chomsky: L1 acquisition is an abstraction of the grammar hypothesis about grammatical rules. L2, though, is a process of training. Approaches: â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
Translation approaches focus on extension of L1.
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Communicative approaches, use of L2 in the classroom, without excluding absolutely L1.
Heziberri metodologia
When teaching L1 in primary, focus on fluency through literacy acquisition and thinking regulation.