CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories Flashcards

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is best applied in ELD instruction by:

Answer: Providing tasks just beyond students' current level with teacher support

The ZPD refers to the range between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance, making scaffolded instruction the ideal application.

Which of the following best describes Selinker's concept of 'interlanguage'?

Answer: The evolving linguistic system learners create between L1 and L2

Interlanguage is the dynamic, rule-governed linguistic system that learners construct as they progress toward target language proficiency.

Acculturation Theory, proposed by Schumann, suggests that SLA success depends primarily on:

Answer: The social and psychological distance between learner and target culture

Schumann's model posits that the degree to which a learner integrates into the target culture—social and psychological distance—is the primary driver of SLA success.

According to Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, a high affective filter in ELL students is most likely caused by:

Answer: Fear of embarrassment and low self-confidence

A high affective filter—caused by anxiety, low motivation, or poor self-confidence—blocks comprehensible input from reaching the language acquisition device.

The concept of 'negotiation of meaning' in SLA refers to:

Answer: Interactional adjustments made to reach mutual understanding

Negotiation of meaning involves conversational moves such as clarification requests and comprehension checks that help interlocutors achieve mutual understanding.

Which scenario best illustrates 'language fossilization' in a secondary ELL student?

Answer: A student who permanently retains an L1 grammatical error despite continued instruction

Fossilization occurs when certain L1 errors become permanently embedded in a learner's interlanguage and resist further development even with exposure and instruction.

Long's Interaction Hypothesis adds to Krashen's Input Hypothesis by emphasizing the role of:

Answer: Two-way interaction in producing comprehensible input

Long argued that face-to-face interaction—not just exposure to input—is crucial because it triggers negotiation of meaning that makes input comprehensible and acquisition possible.