Task 3 - Observational Practice - Step 2 – Observation matrix

Daniela Bandera Hernández

Tutor: Mónica del Rosario Guillen

Curso: 518015_49

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA – UNAD

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LEARNING
LICENCIATURA EN IDIOMAS CON ÉNFASIS EN INGLÉS
2020
 Task 2 Observational Practice Step 1 Observation Matrix

Instructions: Choose at least 5 observation individuals (learners), in the different classes where you have
been developing your observation practice and analyze the following criteria in each of them, without
identifying their names.

1. Universal features of the L2 learner and the L2 learning process that determine the nature and route of
acquisition (e.g., age and critical periods; cross-linguistic influences; the role of the environment and
environmental triggers of acquisition; cognitive contributions; interlanguage variability vs. systematicity
and developmental stages and sequences);

2. Individual influences related to the differential rate of acquisition and ultimate success in an L2 (e.g.,
aptitude, motivation, and effect);

3. Social dimensions that influence L2 learning (e.g., social identity, power

asymmetries, class, and gender, macro socio-political and socio-cultural context).
 Task 2 Observational Practice Step 1 Observation Matrix

Learner 1

Universal features of the L2 learner and the L2 learning process

Analysis Criteria Pros Cons
Age The young woman is 26 years old,
she is motivated to learn a foreign
language, but it is difficult for her
to acquire the language, it can be
said that she has been trying to
learn for approximately 10 years,
she has also had little discipline.
Critical Periods The young woman has seen the
language since primary school,
which has made it easy for her to
learn the grammatical forms in
her studies and to advance a little
more in her study of the language.
As Hatch (1978a) has pointed out,
our assumption has been that
first we learn structures, then we
practice their use in
communication, and this is how
fluency
it develops.
Cross-linguistics influences Learning the new language is
difficult for them by not putting it
into practice, since the mother
 tongue predominates in all its
areas, making it more prone to
forgetting this learning.
BEHAVIORAL LEARNING THEORY,
according to which the learning of
a language was similar to any
other type of learning, which
requires the formation of habits.
These habits were formed when
learners learned, through
repeated practice, the correct
responses to certain stimuli. Ellis,
R. (2003)
Influence of the environment He knows his mother tongue well,
in the acquisition process which means that he can
appropriate his second language,
he relates the two languages,
managing to use them at the
same time and making himself
understood.
the order of acquisition for the
second language is not the same
as the
acquisition order for the first
language, but there are some
similarities. Krashen, S. (2009).
Cognitive Contribution As she is not so familiar with
listening to the language, she
tends to become confused and
 cannot understand certain
phonemes.
Interlanguage variability vs. The pronunciation of the foreign
systematicity and language is different from that of
developmental stages and his mother tongue, which leads to
sequences him not being able to pronounce
some words correctly.
Individual influences related to the differential rate of acquisition and ultimate success in an
L2
Aptitud The aptitude is fundamental in the
learning of this second language,
it is the ability that it carries out to
develop its learning.
A bilingual person is one who can
understand, communicate and
express yourself clearly and
precisely in two languages. Dalnez
(1994).
Motivation She is interested in the language
because she wants to learn it and
speak it fluently, her desire is to
travel the world and get to know
its cultures.
A positive attitude, then, will favor
the development of
communicative occupations
(Gardner and Lambert, 1972)
Effect Learning a second language will
bring positive changes in the
learner, managing to expand their
 knowledge and memory,
improving their cognitive process.
the subject is a
participant in your process,
whether they acquire or not
knowledge and
new behaviors based on your
own history and experiences
individual. (Esguerra Pérez and
Guerrero Ospina, 2010, p. 100)
Attitude It is a plus point, he stays in
continuous learning, managing to
expand his vocabulary,
maintaining a positive attitude.
Attitudes have also been
classified as positive, negative or
neutral. In the second language
acquisition, attitudes are
important because
directly influence achievement,
but established motivations
support for. A positive attitude,
then, will favor the development
of
communicative occupations
(Gardner and Lambert, 1972)
.
Communicative Skills She remains a bit insecure when it
comes to communicating in the
second language, she knows
 grammar, she works on
pronunciation, but when it comes
to transmitting her ideas in the
foreign language, she does not
organize her ideas.
DeKeyser (1998) emphasizes that
this practice needs to go beyond
“merely linguistic behavior”
(language-like behavior) and
include opportunities for learners
to participate in activities that
highlight connections of form and
meaning and reproduce the types
of conditions of use existing in
everyday communication.
Social dimensions that influence L2 learning
Social identity In his society he does not speak
specific sentences, he only limits
himself to making greetings and
simple prayers, in addition there is
no one with whom he can practice,
which has influenced him not to be
able to practice dialogue.
Various studies (Ellis, 1984a;
Myles, Hooper & Mitchell, 1998;
Myles, Mitchell, & Hooper, 1999,
for example) have shown that -
both in a school context and in a
natural context- learners store a
 large number of these
expressions.
Gender She is a young mother and wife,
who wishes to emerge.
Dörnyei (2005)
perspective there is a wide
variety of studies that
verify that age and sex are
variables of great importance in
learning terms of a foreigner
language.
Social and economic level His socioeconomic status is low,
but he still has tools like the
internet to listen to online classes
and practice.
Cenoz and Perales
(2000) and Moreno-Fernández
(2007), examine the influence
that the variables of the
sociolinguistic and socio-
educational context have in the
acquisition of a second language
(L2), indicating
that the
Socioeconomic status can also
influence the acquisition of L2 in
the school environment, which
continue to confirm initial
hypothesis.
 Task 2 Observational Practice Step 1 Observation Matrix
Learner 2

Universal features of the L2 learner and the L2 learning process

Analysis Criteria Pros Cons
Age The young man is 28 years old, in
his childhood he was not
interested in learning the
language.
Critical Periods The young man did not know the
language in other years, which
makes it a slow process.
Krashen (1981) suggested that
learners acquire the language
better when they are exposed to
“understandable input” and are
motivated to grasp that input.
Cross-linguistics influences He practices infrequently for work,
but his acquisition is good every
time he practices, and his wife
helps him by increasing his
vocabulary of the second
language.
The methodology used is that of
presentation-practice-production
(PPP), where "presentation" refers
to the provision of explicit
information on a grammatical
 structure (oriented to declarative
knowledge), the "practice" refers
to the use of exercises that
involve production Controlling the
target structure and "production"
involves the use of tasks designed
for learners to adopt real-life
behavior and complete
automation. (eg: Harmer, 2001;
Hedge, 2000)
Influence of the environment His cognitive process is very good,
in the acquisition process which means that he can
appropriate everything that
surrounds him and handle it in the
best way, such as learning a new
language.
The acquisition-learning
hypothesis
affirms, however, that adults also
acquire, that the ability to "grasp"
languages don't disappear at
puberty. This does not mean that
adults will always be able to reach
levels like those of native
speakers in a second language.
Krashen, S. (2009).
Cognitive Contribution Although he began to learn a
foreign language in his adulthood,
his cognitive process is favorable,

Interlanguage variability vs.
systematicity and
developmental stages and
sequences
Individual influences related to the differential rate of acquisition and ultimate success in an
Aptitude
he has a very acceptable
assimilation of the language.
The acquisition-learning
hypothesis
affirms, however, that adults also
acquire, that the ability to "grasp"
languages don't disappear at
puberty. This does not mean that
adults will always be able to reach
levels similar to those of native
speakers in a second language.
He has an accurate hearing which
has helped him to hear the ups
and downs of the new language,
he can identify the words by
listening to them.
According to Vygotsky (1989),
acquisition and improvement
of the child's mother tongue
helps you learn english
language why not
interfere in this process.
L2
He manages an aptitude, which is
increasingly motivated to
continue, has good learning skills.
A positive attitude, then,
will favor the development of
communicative occupations
 (Gardner and Lambert, 1972)
Motivation You stay motivated, you keep a
study plan, you want to travel the
world.
Dulay,
Burt and Krashen (1982) From
social psychology, these authors
consider that motivation, in
learning an L2, can be of three
types: • Instrumental motivation:
the subject studies the L2 because
the knowledge of this helps to
achieve a goal, such as reading
scientific articles, stalking
original movies, or graduate.
This type of motivation implies
little or no desire to integrate
socially in the L2 community
speech.
Effect Knowledge is expanded
worldwide, bringing positive
changes to your personal growth.
the subject is a
participant in your process,
whether they acquire or not
knowledge and
new behaviors based on your
own history and experiences
individual. (Esguerra Pérez and
Guerrero Ospina, 2010, p. 100)
Attitude The attitude of overcoming
himself is what has led him to
want to learn two languages, he is
at a level of positivism, with
learning the language.
Attitudes have also been classified
as positive, negative or
neutral. In second language
acquisition, attitudes are
important because they do not
directly influence achievement,
but supportive motivations are
established. A positive attitude,
then, will favor the development
of communicative occupations
(Gardner and Lambert, 1972)
Communicative Skills He is still unable to communicate,
does not know grammar, and has
little vocabulary, which makes it
difficult for him to create
sentences and communicate in
the foreign language.
As Hatch (1978a) has pointed out,
our assumption has been that
first we learn structures, then we
practice their use in
communication, and this is how
fluency
it develops.
Social dimensions that influence L2 learning
Social identity
Gender Male, father and husband.
Dörnyei (2005)
perspective there is a wide
variety of studies that
verify that age and sex are
variables of great importance in
learning terms of a foreigner
language.
Social and economic level
She is from a country where the
learning of a second language was
not promoted, it has been difficult
for her to establish
communication with people from
other cultures.
His socioeconomic level is low,
which has not allowed him to
practice the language more
regularly, the job to which he is
dedicated does not allow him to
have time available for the
language.
(1989) argues that it is not just a
physiological problem that
restricts
the ability to learn from another
tongue at a certain age, but
other factors directly related to
age must also be taken into
account
counts, such as motivation to
 acquire a second language,
integration in a foreigner
speaking community, availability
of time to study and practice,
collaboration of the interlocutors
native people,
mother
language
interference, fear of being
ridiculed, among others.
Task 2 Observational Practice Step 1 Observation Matrix

Learner 3

Universal features of the L2 learner and the L2 learning process

Analysis Criteria Pros Cons
Age A 17-year-old teenager, in the
fourth semester of university,
willing to learn a second language.
Critical Periods At that age, their learning of a new
language tends to be a bit more
difficult, since they already have a
structure of the mother tongue.
Lenneber (1975),
linguist and neurologist, pioneer
of the hypothesis about language
acquisition and cognitive

Cross-linguistics influences
psychology, bases its arguments
in physiological matters, such
as changes in the chemical
brain composition
cortex, neurodensity or frequency
of brain waves. The results
achieved in these areas helped
affirm your hypothesis of the
critical period that occurs when
children reach puberty, from
that the ability to acquire a
the second language decreases
He performs learning as a duty, in
his environment nobody speaks a
foreign language, which makes it
difficult for him to practice.
(1989) argues that it is not just a
physiological problem that
restricts
the ability to learn from another
tongue at a certain age, but
other factors directly related to
age must also be taken into
account
counts, such as motivation to
acquire a second language,
integration in a foreigner
speaking community, availability
of time to study and practice,
collaboration of the interlocutors

Influence of the environment The classes are proactive and
in the acquisition process generate a great learning of the
language, managing
understand Good grammar and
pronunciation.
Vygotsky (1989),
acquisition and improvement
of the child's mother tongue
helps you learn english
language why not
interfere in this process.
Cognitive Contribution
native people,
mother
language
interference, fear of being
ridiculed, among others.
to
His cognitive process tries to
assimilate all the learning, but it is
difficult for him, he tries to
translate each sentence, to learn
little by little.
Howatt
(1984) argues that, throughout
the history of mankind, the
teaching other languages has
had a long history due to
human need for
communicate and establish
relationships between different
cultures, traditions and customs.
Interlanguage variability vs.
systematicity and
developmental stages and
sequences
Individual influences related to the differential rate of acquisition and ultimate success in an
Aptitud
that Development cover obtained
little knowledge of the language
and had no interest in learning it.
Due to globalization, she sees it as
an option to improve her lifestyle.
Jones (1989) argues that
awareness of sounds that making
up words contributes to
spontaneous approach of the child
to
writing.
L2
He maintains a determined
aptitude to ignite, and to develop
his full potential.
Dulay,
Burt and Krashen (1982) From
social psychology, these authors
consider that motivation, in the
learning of an L2, it can be three
types: • Instrumental motivation:
subject studies L2
because the knowledge of that
helps
achieve a goal, such as reading
scientific
articles,
stalking
original movies, or graduate.
 This type of motivation involves
little or no desire to integrate
socially in speech L2
community.
Motivation Motivation is often lost when you
cannot communicate clearly with
your teacher or someone who
speaks English.
Harmer (1989), in
on the other hand, the kind of
Motivation is not decisive in the
success or failure of learning a
L2, since many other factors
intervene in this process, such as
the people in the apprentice
environment: family, teachers
and colleagues.
Effect He has managed to change his
local thinking, to something
transcendental, learning a new
language has brought him new
friends.
the subject is a
participant in your process,
whether they acquire or not
knowledge and
new behaviors based on your
own history and experiences
individual. (Esguerra Pérez and
Guerrero Ospina, 2010, p. 100)
Attitude
Communicative Skills
Social dimensions that influence L2 learning
Social identity
His attitude has led him to
maintain it, compared to the few
dispositions he has had to
practice.
Krashen
(1983) warn that several
emotional and attitudinal factors
can lead to poor learning
It is difficult for him to pronounce
correctly, but he can say hello and
make everyday expressions.
Various studies (Ellis, 1984ª;
Myles, Hooper & Mitchell, 1998;
Myles, Mitchell, & Hooper, 1999,
for example) have shown that -
both in a school context and in a
natural context- learners store a
large number of these
expressions.
He is from an accepted society,
with a social circle, open, however
he cannot enter into conversations
with anyone.
Krashen (1981) suggested that
learners acquire the language
better when they are exposed to
“understandable input” and are
motivated to grasp that input.
Gender Female, adolescent. Outgoing and
friendly.
Dörnyei (2005)
perspective there is a wide
variety of studies that
verify that age and sex are
variables of great importance in
learning terms of a foreigner
language.
Social and economic level His economic level is good, his
family has given him the
possibilities to study at a good
university, but his little love for a
foreign language has not allowed
him to acquire it specifically.

Proposal
 One of the options that would be given to improve, they must put communication much more into practice, since they do not

have someone to practice with, the vocabulary learned is lost and they are demotivated, so far the study they carry out is very minimal,

it is proposed that they should implement continuous classes where the language you want to learn is spoken, applying simple and

understandable examples, in which the presentation-practice-production (PPP) methodology is applied, where “presentation” refers to

the provision of explicit information about a grammatical structure (oriented to declarative knowledge), “practice” refers to the use of

exercises that involve a controlled production of the target structure and “production” involves the use of tasks designed so that

learners adopt a behavior typical of life real and complete automation. (eg: Harmer, 2001; Hedge, 2000). To achieve greater results.
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