Check the Linguistionary

Most experts and specialists find sinful pleasure in using (and showing off) complicated, convoluted and highly specialized vocabulary; linguists are no different unfortunately (though they should know better.)

To help make linguistic research articles and materials more approachable, I have translated a number of key terms and linguistic buzz words into human language.

acquisition-learning hypothesis

One of Steven Krashen’s five central hypotheses (the other four are below).  He draws a distinction between language “acquisition” (a natural, subconscious process seen in all children but few adults) and language “learning” (a modern, conscious process seen in no children but nearly all adults).  It is this difference that explains why all children learn to speak their native language fluently while adults struggle to reach even a basic level of proficiency in foreign languages.  Krashen believes that if adults would only put aside the focus on learning about foreign languages (grammar rules, word classes, and other “metalinguistic” information) and actually put themselves in environments where acquisition can take place, they too could master foreign languages just as they did their first.

affective filter hypothesis

Another Krashen hypothesis.  The word “affective” means emotional.  When you are overtaken by negative emotions (boredom, stress, anger, etc.), the affective filter goes up, decreasing both you performance in the language and your ability to acquire new information.  When you are calm, motivated and confident, the affective filter goes down and you find it easier to communicate (use what you know) and learn new information (expand what you know).

input hypothesis

Another Krashen hypothesis.  To acquire a first or foreign language, a learner must be exposed to a great deal of meaningful input (what he calls “Comprehensible Input”).  For children, this input comes in the form of hearing spoken language from one’s peers (parental language input actually has a minimal effect which is why children don’t take on the accents of 1st generation immigrant parents).  Literate adults can also get input via reading, though listening input should take precedence especially in the early stages.

monitor hypothesis

Another Krashen hypothesis.  As discussed above, most adult learners  focus too much on learning about the language and not actually acquiring it.  One result of this is the adult tendency to over monitor their speech in a conscious effort to apply grammar rules and use proper vocabulary.  If a language is acquired naturally, there is little need to monitor structure and vocabulary and one is able to converse in a free flowing way.  Monitoring is more appropriate, however, in writing where one has the time and need to be careful about word choice, style, etc.

natural order hypothesis

Another Krashen hypothesis.  Children acquire language structures in a predictable and consistent order (i.e. learning the simple tenses before the perfect tenses).  Interestingly, the very same order applies to adult foreign language learning.  Many assume that the order of acquisition follows a linear line from simple to more complex structures, but in fact, many seemingly simple structures are acquired later than those that appear more complex on the surface.  A good example of this is the 3rd person singular ’s’ that is added in sentences like “He lives in Seattle now.”  It is one of the last structures to be acquired by both native English-speaking children and foreign adult learners.

rote memorization

Learning new vocabulary (or anything for that matter) by simply repeating it many times.  For example, most people “learn” (or rather fail to  learn) Chinese characters by simply writing them down several hundred times.

silent period

The silent period refers to the time in which a learner gets the necessary input to acquire a language.  Natural (though not necessarily accurate) output will happen only once the learner reaches a certain threshold of vocabulary and intuitive understanding of the language structure.  Most adults never get a silent period in foreign language learning which helps explain why so many quit or fail: being forced to talk before you are ready is a sure fire way to raise the “affective filter” and therefore lower performance and motivation to continue learning (or rather “acquiring”) the language.