CTEL CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories 4 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to Universal Grammar (UG) theory, ELL students have an advantage if they begin L2 acquisition:
- After age 12, when abstract reasoning matures
- Before puberty, when access to UG is still available (Correct answer)
- After mastering L1 literacy skills fully
- During adolescence, when motivation peaks
Correct answer: Before puberty, when access to UG is still available
Chomsky's UG theory, applied to SLA, suggests that children may have greater access to innate language acquisition mechanisms before the critical period closes around puberty.
Question 2: Which evidence best supports the existence of a Critical Period for L2 phonological acquisition?
- Adult learners outperform children on explicit grammar tests
- Native-like pronunciation is rarely achieved by learners who begin after puberty (Correct answer)
- Children acquire vocabulary faster but grammar slower than adults
- Learners from similar L1 backgrounds always have the same accent
Correct answer: Native-like pronunciation is rarely achieved by learners who begin after puberty
Research consistently shows that learners who begin L2 acquisition after puberty rarely achieve native-like pronunciation, supporting a critical period specifically for phonology.
Question 3: Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) predicts that the greatest difficulty in L2 learning occurs when:
- L1 and L2 have similar vocabulary but different pragmatics
- The L2 has fewer grammatical rules than the L1
- Structures in L1 and L2 are most different from each other (Correct answer)
- The learner has high motivation but low aptitude
Correct answer: Structures in L1 and L2 are most different from each other
CAH, rooted in behaviorism, predicts that differences between L1 and L2 structures cause interference and are the primary source of learner errors.
Question 4: Error Analysis replaced Contrastive Analysis as the primary framework for studying learner language because:
- Error Analysis focuses on L1-L2 structural comparison only
- Error Analysis revealed that many errors are not predictable from L1 interference (Correct answer)
- Contrastive Analysis was too difficult to conduct reliably
- Error Analysis relies solely on written data
Correct answer: Error Analysis revealed that many errors are not predictable from L1 interference
Researchers found that many learner errorsāsuch as overgeneralizationāare developmental and not caused by L1 transfer, undermining CAH's predictive power.
Question 5: A student who uses more complex language in a structured writing assignment than in casual conversation is demonstrating which SLA concept?
- Affective filter fluctuation
- Style-shifting based on attention to form (Correct answer)
- Negative transfer from the L1
- Plateau effect in CALP development
Correct answer: Style-shifting based on attention to form
Labov's style-shifting concept, applied in Krashen's Monitor Model, explains that learners use the Monitor moreāand produce more accurate languageāwhen they have time and focus on form.
Question 6: Which of the following classroom practices is most supported by Input Processing Theory (VanPatten)?
- Choral repetition of grammatical forms
- Processing instruction that directs attention to meaningful form-function connections (Correct answer)
- Translation exercises from L1 to L2
- Isolated vocabulary memorization before reading
Correct answer: Processing instruction that directs attention to meaningful form-function connections
VanPatten's Input Processing Theory led to Processing Instruction, which teaches learners to connect grammatical forms to their meanings through structured input activities.
Question 7: The 'Noticing Hypothesis' (Schmidt) implies that teachers should:
- Avoid drawing attention to form to maintain fluency focus
- Create conditions that direct learner attention to specific target forms (Correct answer)
- Rely exclusively on implicit learning through exposure
- Eliminate error correction to reduce affective filter
Correct answer: Create conditions that direct learner attention to specific target forms
Schmidt argued that learners must consciously notice a linguistic feature in the input for it to be acquired, so instruction should highlight target forms to promote noticing.
CTEL CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories 4
According to Universal Grammar (UG) theory, ELL students have an advantage if they begin L2 acquisition: