CLAD Theories of Language Acquisition 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The term 'fossilization' in second language acquisition refers to:
- The permanent storage of L2 vocabulary in long-term memory
- The cessation of progress in a learner's interlanguage despite continued exposure (Correct answer)
- The natural slowing of language acquisition after puberty
- A learner's reliance on L1 syntax when speaking L2
Correct answer: The cessation of progress in a learner's interlanguage despite continued exposure
Fossilization describes the phenomenon where certain non-target-like features become permanently fixed in a learner's interlanguage.
Question 2: According to the Critical Period Hypothesis, after puberty:
- Language acquisition is impossible without formal instruction
- Learners can no longer acquire language unconsciously and accent-free acquisition becomes more difficult (Correct answer)
- All first language acquisition ceases entirely
- Second language acquisition accelerates due to greater cognitive maturity
Correct answer: Learners can no longer acquire language unconsciously and accent-free acquisition becomes more difficult
The Critical Period Hypothesis suggests that after puberty, the brain loses some plasticity for language, making native-like accent acquisition especially difficult.
Question 3: Which of the following best represents 'language transfer' from a learner's first language (L1)?
- A Spanish speaker learning Italian finds verb conjugation easy due to L1 similarities (Correct answer)
- A learner avoids using the subjunctive because it is difficult
- A student translates academic texts to improve reading comprehension
- A teacher uses the student's L1 to explain new grammar rules
Correct answer: A Spanish speaker learning Italian finds verb conjugation easy due to L1 similarities
Positive language transfer occurs when L1 features facilitate L2 learning due to structural similarities between the two languages.
Question 4: Acculturation Model, developed by John Schumann, proposes that second language acquisition is driven by:
- The quality and quantity of grammar instruction received
- The degree to which a learner socially and psychologically integrates into the target language community (Correct answer)
- Innate language acquisition mechanisms activated by input
- The learner's working memory capacity and processing speed
Correct answer: The degree to which a learner socially and psychologically integrates into the target language community
Schumann's Acculturation Model holds that social and psychological distance from the target culture determines the rate and ultimate success of L2 acquisition.
Question 5: In the context of CLAD, which strategy best supports language acquisition according to sociocultural theory?
- Providing students with grammar worksheets to complete independently
- Using think-pair-share activities where students discuss concepts collaboratively (Correct answer)
- Correcting all spoken errors immediately to prevent fossilization
- Delaying academic content until social language fluency is established
Correct answer: Using think-pair-share activities where students discuss concepts collaboratively
Think-pair-share and other collaborative structures promote language development through social interaction, consistent with Vygotsky's emphasis on dialogue.
Question 6: Which of these best describes 'negative transfer' (also called 'interference') in second language acquisition?
- A student avoids producing sentences because they fear making errors
- A learner incorrectly applies L1 patterns to L2, causing errors (Correct answer)
- A student transfers academic skills from L1 to support L2 literacy
- A learner uses memorized phrases without understanding grammar rules
Correct answer: A learner incorrectly applies L1 patterns to L2, causing errors
Negative transfer or interference occurs when a learner incorrectly maps L1 structural patterns onto L2, producing non-target forms.
Question 7: The 'Interaction Hypothesis,' associated with Michael Long, argues that language acquisition is best facilitated by:
- Silent reading of authentic texts without teacher intervention
- Modified interaction and negotiation of meaning during communication (Correct answer)
- Memorization of high-frequency vocabulary lists
- Formal grammar study before engaging in conversation
Correct answer: Modified interaction and negotiation of meaning during communication
Long's Interaction Hypothesis holds that negotiating meaning during conversational breakdowns provides the modified input learners need to acquire language.
CLAD Theories of Language Acquisition 4
The term 'fossilization' in second language acquisition refers to: