CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories Flashcards

Cummins' distinction between BICS and CALP suggests that ELL students who appear fluent in everyday conversation may still struggle academically because:

Answer: CALP takes significantly longer to develop than BICS

BICS can develop in 1–3 years while CALP may take 5–7+ years, so conversational fluency does not indicate readiness for unscaffolded academic tasks.

The 'Output Hypothesis' proposed by Merrill Swain argues that language production helps acquisition by:

Answer: Forcing learners to notice gaps in their linguistic knowledge

Swain's Output Hypothesis holds that producing language—not just receiving it—pushes learners to notice gaps and test hypotheses about the target language.

A teacher who praises an ELL student's attempt to communicate but gently recasts an error is applying which SLA principle?

Answer: Implicit negative feedback through corrective recast

A recast is an implicit corrective feedback move where the teacher reformulates the learner's erroneous utterance correctly without interrupting communication.

Which SLA theory most directly supports using cooperative learning groups with mixed language proficiency levels?

Answer: Sociocultural theory and ZPD

Sociocultural theory holds that higher-proficiency peers can scaffold lower-proficiency learners within their ZPD, making mixed-level cooperative groups theoretically justified.

The 'natural order hypothesis' in Krashen's Monitor Model predicts that:

Answer: Grammatical morphemes are acquired in a predictable, universal sequence

Based on Dulay and Burt's morpheme studies, Krashen proposed that learners acquire grammatical morphemes in a predictable order regardless of their L1 or the order taught.

An ELL student who says 'I goed to the store' is demonstrating:

Answer: Overgeneralization of an L2 rule

Overgeneralization occurs when learners apply a target language rule (regular past tense -ed) too broadly, including to irregular verbs—a sign of active L2 hypothesis testing.

Which instructional approach is most aligned with Ellis's Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) within an SLA framework?

Answer: Having students complete real-world communicative tasks that require language use

TBLT is grounded in SLA research showing that meaningful task completion—not form-focused drills—drives acquisition by creating genuine communicative need.