TEFL Second Language Acquisition 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept refers to the range of tasks a learner can accomplish with guidance but not yet independently?
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Correct answer)
- Comprehensible Input (i+1)
- Affective Filter
- Natural Order Hypothesis
Correct answer: Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Vygotsky's ZPD describes the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with scaffolded support from a more capable person.
Question 2: According to the Natural Order Hypothesis, grammatical structures are:
- Acquired randomly depending on instruction
- Acquired in a predictable sequence regardless of L1 or instruction (Correct answer)
- Learned faster when taught explicitly first
- Acquired only after all vocabulary is mastered
Correct answer: Acquired in a predictable sequence regardless of L1 or instruction
Research supports that certain grammatical morphemes (e.g., -ing before plural -s) are acquired in a consistent order across learners.
Question 3: What is 'scaffolding' in the context of SLA and language teaching?
- A rigid grammar-translation method
- Temporary support provided to help learners perform tasks they cannot yet do independently (Correct answer)
- Testing learners on previously taught material
- A type of error correction technique
Correct answer: Temporary support provided to help learners perform tasks they cannot yet do independently
Scaffolding involves providing structured support that is gradually removed as the learner gains competence, rooted in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory.
Question 4: Which term describes the output learners produce when they 'push' themselves to use more precise or complex language structures?
- Noticing
- Comprehensible output (Correct answer)
- Recasting
- Schema activation
Correct answer: Comprehensible output
Swain's Output Hypothesis argues that producing 'pushed' output forces learners to notice gaps in their competence and develop accuracy.
Question 5: A learner who avoids using the subjunctive because they are unsure of it is demonstrating:
- Overgeneralization
- Transfer
- Avoidance strategy (Correct answer)
- Backsliding
Correct answer: Avoidance strategy
Avoidance occurs when learners deliberately bypass difficult or uncertain structures, which can limit their interlanguage development.
Question 6: Which factor is considered an 'individual difference' that significantly affects the rate and success of SLA?
- The order of grammatical morpheme acquisition
- Learner motivation and attitude (Correct answer)
- The teacher's first language
- The number of students in class
Correct answer: Learner motivation and attitude
Motivation and attitude are among the most influential individual factors affecting how successfully and quickly learners acquire a second language.
Question 7: What does 'noticing' in SLA refer to, as described by Richard Schmidt?
- Correcting students' written errors on paper
- A learner's conscious attention to specific features in the input (Correct answer)
- The teacher noting down student progress
- Observing classroom behavior
Correct answer: A learner's conscious attention to specific features in the input
Schmidt's Noticing Hypothesis states that learners must consciously attend to linguistic forms in the input for acquisition to take place.
TEFL Second Language Acquisition 2
Which concept refers to the range of tasks a learner can accomplish with guidance but not yet independently?