Cognitive Approaches to Second Language Acquisition
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This document provides an overview of cognitive approaches to second language acquisition (SLA). It discusses two main groups of cognitive theorists: processing approaches and emergentist/constructionist approaches. Processing approaches investigate how learners process linguistic information and develop this ability over time, focusing on computational dimensions of language learning. Emergentist approaches see language development as driven by associative learning from communicative needs and patterns in language input. Specific cognitive models discussed include McLaughlin's information processing model, Anderson's ACT model, and Pienemann's processability theory. The document also covers Slobin's perceptual saliency approach and its operating principles for first and second language acquisition.
Cognitive Approaches to Second Language Acquisition
- 1. Cognitive Approaches to Second Language Acquisition1 Presented by Ola Sayed Second Language Learning Theories By Rasmond Mitchel
- 2. Cognitive Approaches to SLA Introduction UG Theorists vs. Cognitive theorists. Two groups of Cognitive Theorists. Processing Approaches. Emergenist/Constructionist Approaches. 2
- 3. UG Theorists vs. Cognitive theorists 3 Cognitive theoristsUG Theorists Cognitive psychology & neurology Linguistic systemsHypothesis •One instantiation of learning among others. •Understanding how the human brain processes and learns new information is crucial to understanding SLA process. •Different from other kinds of learning. •Describing linguistic systems is crucial to our understanding of the SLL task. SLL How learners access competence in real time, and the strategies they employ when their incomplete competence lets them down. Distinction between competence and performance with more interest in competence. Central Issues Another form of information processed using general mechanisms. Separate innate module in the mind Language
- 4. From Innateness to Cognitivism 4 Innate • Language is a separate module in the mind. LAD & UG Some aspects • Of language acquisition are innate and other aspects are not. Only FLA • There is a language- specific module only for FLA. Cognitive • There is no language- specific faculty and language is learned just like any other type of knowledge. Language Faculty
- 5. Two Groups of Cognitive theorists. 5 Pienemann, or Towell & Hawkins are theorists who believe that language knowledge might be special in some way, but are concerned to develop transition or processing theories to complement property theories such as UG or Lexical Functional Grammar. Processing theorists. N.C. Ellis, MacWhinny, or Tomasello are theorists who think that the separation between property and transition theories is not legitimate. They want to explain both the nature of knowledge and how it is processed through general knowledge. Emergenist or constructionist theorists.
- 6. Overview 6 Processing Approaches • Investigate how SL learners process linguistic information, and how their ability to process the second language develops over time. • Focus on computational dimensions of language learning. • They are divided to: Information Processing Approach & Process Ability Theory. Emergenist Approaches • Share a usage-based view of language development, driven by communicative needs. • See learning as the analysis of patterns in the language input. It is an associative learning process that leads to regular/rule-like patterns. • Regularities that emerge from examples committed to memory give rise to slot-and-frame patterns. • Verbs are found productive in making abstract generalizations with regard to FLA, while chunks play that role when SLA is concerned. • Include approaches such as, Emergentism, Connectionism/ Associationism .
- 7. Cognitive Approaches to SLL 7 Process Approaches Information-Processing models of SLL McLaughlin’s (1987-1990) Information-processing model. Anderson’s Active Control of Thought ACT model. Theories of SL Processing. Processability Theory. Teachability. Perceptual Saliency Approach Operating principles of FLA. Operating principles of SLA. Connectionism/ Emergenist Approach. Connectionism in FLA. Connectionism in SLA.
- 8. McLaughlin’s Information-processing model 8 In general the fundamental notion of the information-processing approach to psychological inquiry is that complex behavior builds on simple processes. (McLaughlin and Heredia,1996, p.213) These processes are modular and can therefore be studies independently of one another.
- 10. McLaughlin’s Information-processing model 10 Automatization: is the shift-involved in learning- from controlled processing of information towards automatic one. Controlled Processing: the temporary activation of a selection of information nodes in the memory, in a new configuration. It needs a lot of attentional control & constrained by limitations of the short-term-memory. Automatic Processing: automatic sequences are stored as units in the long- term-memory. So they can be available very rapidly with minimal attentional control whenever the situation requires it. Practice (Repeated Activation)
- 11. McLaughlin’s Information-processing model 11 Restructuring: the continuous movement from controlled to automatic processing within the linguistic system of the SL learner. It destabilizes some structures in the interlanguage (previously acquired) which accounts for the reappearance of SL errors. It’s the result of exemplar-based representations becoming rule-based. What happens when a controlled process become automatic prematurely, before it’s native-like? Fossilization.
- 12. Anderson’s Active Control of Thought model 12 It enables declarative Knowledge (knowledge that something is smth) to become procedural knowledge (knowledge how to do smth). Can you give an example for each type of knowledge from SLL? There are 3 kinds of memory: Working memory (short-term memory) capacity limited. Declarative long-term-memory. Procedural long-term-memory.
- 13. Anderson’s Active Control of Thought model 13 Stages of Learning (movement from declarative to procedural knowledge): It explains the step-by-step nature of learning. The proceduralized knowledge is available quickly and efficiently, difficult to modify and applicable only to the situation that gave rise to it. The learner’s speech becomes more fluent as more knowledge becomes proceduralized. So are all or most of the SL grammar is learnt through the conscious study and application of explicit rules?
- 14. Application of ACT to Leaning strategies 14 Anderson’s model has been applied Learning strategies by O’Malley & Chamot. What do we mean by Learning Strategies? What is the difference between them & communication strategies. Learning strategies are classified into three categories: Metacognitive strategies. Cognitive strategies. Social or affective strategies.
- 15. Application of ACT to Leaning strategies 15 In the view of O’Malley & Chamot If learning strategies are a skill then they can be taught and will become proceduralized quickly, therefore freeing working memory space for other aspects of learning. But It’s found that learning them involves investment of time and effort in order to be effective.
- 16. Application of ACT to Leaning strategies 16 They make it clear that this approach deals with the rate of learning and how learning strategies influence it rather than the language learning rout followed by students.
- 17. ACT & fluency Development in SLA 17 Tomwell & Hawkins have incorporated aspects of ACT into their model of SLL. They reject the idea that Anderson’s model can account for all aspects of SLL, especially the acquisition of ‘core’ grammatical knowledge. Their model attempt to integrate how learners learn the SL system with how they learn to use the system In order to explain the natural order of grammatical structure and the rigid stages SL learners go through in their SLL they resort to UG. They argue that Declarative knowledge could be implicit or explicit & the learner will not have a conscious analyzed knowledge of UG
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- 19. Tomwell & Hawkins Claims & different kinds of learning. 19 Internally derived hypotheses about SL structure give rise to a production stored in procedural memory, first in associative level and eventually in the autonomous form. Explicit rules can be learnt and stored as procedural knowledge. Learning strategies facilitate the proceduralization of mechanisms for faster processing of linguistic input. This model attempts to reconcile internal UG-derived hypothesis with what actually happens during the processes of LL and Language use.
- 20. Theories of Second Language Processing 20 Processability Theory by Pienemann outlined by Pienemann claims that a theory of grammar (Lexical functional Grammar LFG; psychologically plausible) and a processing component should be used in order to understand SLA. LA is the gradual acquisition of the computational mechanisms that operate on the linguistic knowledge the learners construct. Feature Unification ( one characteristic of LFG) involves: The identification of grammatical information in lexical entry, The temporary storage of that knowledge and Its utilization at another point in the constituent structure. E.g. a noun & its article should have the same gender, number and case features. *Peter walk a dogs. Learners cannot access hypotheses about the SL that they cannot process. There is hierarchy of processing resources in which learners will gradually move ‘up’ the structure, first accessing words, then their syntactic categories, then joining them in a phrase. E.g. a word need to be added to the L2 lexicon before its grammatical category can be assigned.
- 21. Theories of Second Language Processing 21 The hierarchy of processing resources
- 22. Theories of Second Language Processing 22 Processability Theory by Pienemann He makes a prediction for acquisition route. He applied his model to both morphology & syntax in SLA and one of the major findings was the clear developmental route in the acquisition of German word order, found in both naturalistic and classroom learners. The stages are due to the hierarchy of processing procedures that he has outlined, in terms of grammatical information. Teachability Hypothesis : Rigid route→ structures become learnable when the previous step on the acquisition have been acquired.
- 23. Theories of Second Language Processing 23 Perceptual Saliency Approach by Slobin who: It’s the Perceptual Saliency that drives the learning process, rather than an innate language-specific module LMC (language making capacity). He devised a number of operating principles which guide children in their processing of the linguistic strings they encounter. Operating principles of FLA by Slobin. Operating principles of SLA by Anderson.
- 24. Operating Principles of FLA by Slobin 24 They are based on the claim that certain linguistic forms are more accessible or more salient to the child than others. They are 5 cognitive (rather than linguistic) principles that characterize the way in which children perceive their environment and try to make sense of it. Based on these principles Slobin predicted 5 LA universals. By 1985 the list of operating principles reached the number of 40.
- 25. Operating Principles of FLA by Slobin 25
- 26. Operating Principles of FLA by Slobin 26 LA Universals:
- 27. Operating Principles of SLA by Anderson 27 Anderson’s principles are based on those of Slobin but are adapted to the learners of second language They are 7 elaborated principles (p.118)
- 28. Operating Principles of SLA by Anderson 28
- 29. Operating Principles of SLA by Anderson 29
- 30. Operating Principles of SLA by Anderson 30
- 31. Operating Principles of SLA by Anderson 31
- 32. 32 Ola Sayed Ahmed