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Date Posted: 14:20:09 06/06/03 Fri
Author: Bianca Mantovane de Freitas
Subject: TASK 5

Compare the two texts and give your own oppinion about how language is acquired

The text “Fractal Model of Language Acquisition” defends that the process of acquire a L2 is something very complex, not so linear as some authors consider, and, more than that, this process involves several parts, fragmented, been part of a whole. The text defends that there are different people and those differences must be considered in a process of acquire a new language. Some theories, like behaviorism, input hypothesis, Hatch’s theory of interaction and Swain’s theory, etc consider acquisition of a new language as a linear process, almost predictable. Those theories can be seen as “efforts to explaining parts of a whole. But learning can not be consider a linear process, because language, though and people are dynamic, almost never predictable. Than, the author proposes a fractal model, composed of sub systems equally complex and dynamic, formed by some aspects like interaction, context social-historical, automatism, affiliation, etc. All the fragments interfere in the process of learning a new language. Considering a language’s acquisition as dynamic and complex process and the student’s characteristics as a significant part of this process, we can realize the importance of interaction, creation and motivation in the process. Considering each student’s individuality and personality, “the professor would be to encourage opportunities to use the language and give each learner the freedom to use the strategies that work best for them…”
In Krashen text, he presented two independent systems of a second language performance: the acquired system and the learned system. In my opinion, he simplified the process of acquire a new language exposing it as a linear process, not considering students differences. In Krasher’s acquisition-learning hypothesis, he attributes part of the process of acquire a L2 to the internal grammar, same used by children when they learn the mother tongue, and than the process will continue with formal instruction. According to Krasher “learning is less important than acquisition.” The monitor hypothesis focus on conversation and interaction, and this monitor is suppose to planning, editing and correcting. The natural order hypothesis suggests that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a natural order, completely predictable. Finally, the input hypothesis tries to explain the process of acquisition itself, concerning with acquisition, not learning. According to this, the learner improves and progress in a natural order.
The two texts proposed are very different, and the main difference is that Krashes presented through his theories that he believes in the process of learning a second language as a linear process, totally predictable and generalized. Vera presented it as a complex process, individualized, formed of fragments that are part of a whole. In my opinion, language is complex, dynamic and non-linear, demanding a non simplified treatment.

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