How Are Second Languages Learned

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strategies for each theoretical believe. Stephen Krashen's "Monitor model" will illustrate the linguistic process. As an example of the second perspective Wallace E. Lambert's "Social psychological modal" will be outlined.

"The development of language proficiency begins with language input, that is, language input that is understood"(Gardner 1985, 127). According to Krashen the only way to learn a language is being exposed to comprehensible input. His "Monitor modal" illustrates two different techniques a language learner can use to acquire the target language. Therefore he makes a distinction between language learning and language acquisition. He clearly states, that only language acquisition is responsible for spontaneous speech acts and language learning can alone be used to "monitor" language output. On the one hand, language learning can be described as a conscious process of rule learning. The monitor acts as the learners' conscious grammar, which helps her/him learn ...

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understands. The amount of input is of immense importance to learn a language. According to Krashen the only threat to acquiring a language can be the affective filter. This filter is comprised of negative emotions, being for example motivation, self-confidence and low anxiety and hinders the individual to acquire a language. The filter prevents the listener to productively take in the language input and process it. The strainer can only be lowered if the acquirer can for example be motivated or the environment changed into a more comfortable situation. Krashens theory which supports the linguistic process was criticized to be too generalizing. He does not explain his terminology and ...

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