The Role of Interaction in the Developmental Process of Language
Acquisition
Leily ZiglariResearch Scholar
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, USA
Interaction(Vygotsky, 1978)
Interpersonal Social behaviorFace-to-face
activityOral medium
/written medium
Intrapersonal Inner speechMind modules
Language Acquisition
Language module account• learners learn the language
by the innate knowledge about language (Chomsky Argument)
Interaction-based account• Ellis (1994) defines
interaction as when the participants of equal status that share similar need, make an effort to understand each other. If role relationship is asymmetrical, meaning negotiation is inhibited.
Is interaction related to second language acquisition? How?
Which type of interaction promotes second language acquisition?
Pre-modification (positive evidence)Modified input (simplification)
Modified interaction Comprehension check Confirmation check Clarification Self-repetition , or choice questions
Evidence (Long, 2003)
Positive evidence
• Correct form of the utterance or model in which the child is exposed to
Negative evidence
• Information directly or indirectly given to the child when he makes an error
Language acquisition is fostered by conversation Earlier: LA is through modified input
Brian MacWhinney (1975, 1982, 1987, 2005)
• Competition model • Emergentism• Children acquire language
in an item-based pattern• CHILDS System • Input in LA
• Tomasello (2003)• Pine & Lieven
(…..)
Interaction Hypothesis (Long,1984, cited in Doughty & Long
2003)
“negotiation for meaning and negotiation work that triggers interactional
adjustments by the NS or competent interlocutor, facilitates acquisition
because it connects input, learner internal capacities and output in production
ways.”
Sociocultural Theory, Interaction, and Second Language Acquisition
Next version (IH)
noticing, learner internal mechanisms, modified output, positive evidence, negative evidence, opportunities
for outputinput→ learner internal mechanisms →output
Second version (IH)Modified input
Early version (IH)comprehensible input:
context, simplified input, interaction
a.a. Problems to distinguish separate parts of meaningProblems to distinguish separate parts of meaningb.b. Restriction of SLA theory based on negotiation of meaningRestriction of SLA theory based on negotiation of meaning
c.c. Problems of individual differences Problems of individual differences
Context-dependent & Social interaction= primary roleLanguage= context-dependent properties
Meaning= socially constructed & emerged out of interactionMediation= social interaction
Functions= performed collaboratively
Vygotsky Perspective
Func
tions
Social plane, Interpsychological category
between people
Psychological plane
Intrapsychological category Within the child
Self-regulation
zone of proximal development
Interpersonal process
Intrapersonal proc ess
Interactionist perspective
Interaction Hypothesis Socio- cultural theory
•Social interaction• negotiation of meaning•Interaction facilitates acquisition•Interaction= not necessary
• social interaction + private speech•Interaction in general structure•Interaction= meaning construction•Interaction= primary
Interaction in L2 Classes Conversational Structure
A: what is your father’s job?
B: my father is now retire. trigger
A: retired? indicator
B: yes. response
A: oh, Yes. reaction
Interaction in Socio-cultural approach
Interactive input non-interactive input Interactional modification simplified input Linguistic modification → interactional modifications
modified input discourse management discourse repair
collaboratively meaning construction
How Make Interaction Happen in the classroom?
Controlling the discourse is in the hand of the students Providing tasks in the classroom Having topic-oriented classrooms Providing activities like: Conversation/interview talking circle Providing IRF sequence in the classroom Creating a context of language use Providing opportunities for learners to express their
personal meanings Helping learners to participate in activities beyond their
level of proficiency Offering a full range of contexts that cater for a full
performance in the language
Limitation of socio-cultural approach
Language use rather than language acquisition
No criteria to distinguish private speech & social speech
Cross-sectional rather than longitudinal study
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