CTEL CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is best applied in ELD instruction by:
- Assigning tasks students can complete independently
- Providing tasks just beyond students' current level with teacher support (Correct answer)
- Testing students on grade-level content without scaffolding
- Grouping students only by native language
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes Selinker's concept of 'interlanguage'?
- A bilingual student's native language
- A pidgin language used between two communities
- The evolving linguistic system learners create between L1 and L2 (Correct answer)
- The formal grammar taught in ESL classrooms
Correct 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.
Question 3: Acculturation Theory, proposed by Schumann, suggests that SLA success depends primarily on:
- The learner's IQ and phonological memory
- The social and psychological distance between learner and target culture (Correct answer)
- The quality of grammar instruction received
- The age at which the learner began studying
Correct 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.
Question 4: According to Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, a high affective filter in ELL students is most likely caused by:
- Extensive use of comprehensible input
- Low anxiety and high motivation
- Fear of embarrassment and low self-confidence (Correct answer)
- Regular opportunities for negotiation of meaning
Correct 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.
Question 5: The concept of 'negotiation of meaning' in SLA refers to:
- Translating academic texts collaboratively
- Interactional adjustments made to reach mutual understanding (Correct answer)
- Formal grammar correction during writing conferences
- Deciding which language to use in a bilingual classroom
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which scenario best illustrates 'language fossilization' in a secondary ELL student?
- A student who refuses to speak English in class
- A student who permanently retains an L1 grammatical error despite continued instruction (Correct answer)
- A student who switches languages mid-sentence
- A student who plateaus temporarily before making new gains
Correct 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.
Question 7: Long's Interaction Hypothesis adds to Krashen's Input Hypothesis by emphasizing the role of:
- Immersion in silent reading environments
- Two-way interaction in producing comprehensible input (Correct answer)
- Explicit grammar instruction over conversation
- Native-language literacy as the foundation for L2
Correct 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.
CTEL CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories 2
Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is best applied in ELD instruction by: