CAUSATIVE VARIABLES IN
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Prepared by:
Jezril Anne May B. Abasola
Hanica Jane De Dios
Aileen B. Pantalla
1. Comprehensible Input and
Strength of the Filter.
 In order to acquire, two conditions
are necessary. The first is
comprehensible (or even better,
comprehend ed ) input containing
i + 1 , structures a bit beyond the
acquirer's current level, and
second, a low or weak affective
filter to allow the input "in".
2.
Language Teaching
• The more we know about
language and language learning,
the more informed decisions we
make about language teaching.
• Its primary function is to supply
comprehensible input for those
who cannot get it elsewhere,
those constrained by their
situation (i.e. foreign language
students who do not have input
sources outside the class) or by
their competence (those unable to
understand the language of the
outside world). While it is less
useful for those who have other
sources of input, there still are
things the competent classroom
can contribute to the intermediate
student.
3.
Exposure Variables
• There is no variation in the
acquisition process itself, but
there is in:
• The rate and the extent
acquisition as a result of
the amount of
comprehensible input
received, and the strength
of the affective filter.
• Performance, brought
about by the extent of the
learner’s reliance on
‘learnt’ knowledge.
• 3 TYPES OF MONITOR USERS:
• Over-users. This is when
performers monitor all the
time. As a result, they may
speak with hesitation and
usually correct themselves
in the middle of the
utterance.
• Under-users. This is when
performers depend only on
the acquired system. They
do so either because they
have not learned or
because they don’t want to
use their learned system.
They don’t self-correct
even if the three conditions
are met.
• Optimal users. This is
when the performer uses
the monitor process when it
is suitable and will not
affect communication.
When the three conditions
are met, the optimal
performer will monitor to
make his output more
accurate.
4.
Age
• It has been popularly assumed
that age itself is a predictor of
second language proficiency, that
younger acquirers are better at
second language acquisition than
older acquirers.
• Affects the amount of
comprehensible input that is
obtained
• Influences the affective state of
the learner
• After puberty the affective filter is
likely to increase in strength
• Younger learners may get more
than older learners
• Age also affects ‘learning’; older
learners are better in studying
language form and using ‘learnt’
knowledge in monitoring
• Krashen, Long, and Scarcella
(1979) reviewed the available
empirical research on the effect of
age and second language
acquisition and concluded that all
published studies were consistent
with these three generalization:
• 1. Adults proceed through
the early stages of second
language development
faster than children do
(where time and exposure
are held constant).
• 2. Older children acquire
faster than younger
children, time and
exposure held constant.
• 3. Acquirers who begin
natural exposure to second
languages during
childhood generally
achieve higher second
language proficiency than
those beginning as adults.
5.
Acculturation
• According to Brown
(1980:129), acculturation is
the process of becoming
adapted to a new culture.
• According to Maxwell
(2002), acculturation is the
process whereby the
attitudes and/or behavior of
people from one culture are
modified as a result of
contact with a different
culture.
• Schumann (1978b) has
hypothesized that acculturation is
the "major casual variable in
second language acquisition" (p.
29).
• Schumann defines two
types of acculturation:
• "In type one acculturation, the
learner is socially integrated with
the TL group and, as a result,
develops sufficient contact with TL
speakers to enable him to acquire
the TL. In addition, he is
psychologically open to the TL
such that input to which he is
exposed becomes intake.
• Type two acculturation has all the
characteristics of type one, but in
this case the learner regards the
TL speakers as a reference group
whose life styles and values he
consciously or unconsciously
desires to adopt. Both types of
acculturation are sufficient to
 cause acquisition of the TL, but
the distinction is made to stress
that social and psychological
contact with the TL group is the
essential component in
acculturation (as it relates to SLA)
that that adoption of the life style
and values of the TL group
(characteristics traditionally
associated with the notion of
acculturation) is not necessary for
successful acquisition of the TL"
(p.29).

TEACHING IMPLICATION

REFERENCE
Krashen, S. D. (1987) Principles and
practices in second language acquisition.
New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Retrieved
from
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/vivich
ultzend/second-language-acqusisition-
theory-67259827