Page 10 - ELG1807 July Issue 459

RESEARCH NEWS .

Krash ‘n’ burn: Does this study

disprove famous language learning

theory?

New research taking on the ‘input hypothesis’ finds that speaking in L2 helps
improve understanding

By Federica Tedeschi speech production. Studies have might not seem that big, but a word
Students who are required to already shown that retrieval is more in natural speech is typically shorter WHAT IS KRASHEN’S
produce speech in L2 appear effective for vocabulary learning. than half a second,’ Hopman ‘INPUT HYPOTHESIS’?
to improve their language The authors hypothesised that pointed out. In 1977, linguist Stephen
comprehension faster than learners ‘these same production processes ‘A person who is falling behind Krashen published his
who only practise comprehension, would be especially helpful for when hearing a sentence is at a real theory saying that language
according to a study from the language learning beyond the single disadvantage.’ learning is driven by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison word level...’ The artificial language used in comprehensible input that
in the US. ‘Our work is the first to relate the experiment had a strict word learners are exposed to.
Lead researcher Elise Hopman production to learning of the order as well as a morphemic Understanding spoken and
told the Gazette that these findings grammar of a foreign language,’ system based on suffixes requiring written language input is
were in contrast with ‘Krashen’s Hopman told EL Gazette. grammatical agreement. seen as the only mechanism
that results in the increase
influential input hypothesis, which The researchers recruited two Materials consisted of a cartoon of underlying linguistic
focuses on comprehension as the groups of around 60 English native- world of monsters situated on competence, and language
main (and only) way for a learner speaker undergraduates. Both alien landscapes, which included output is not seen as having
to really learn the grammar of a groups studied the same artificial both still pictures and short videos. any effect on learners’
language.’ language, which was presented to Although there was no explicit ability. The hypothesis is still
The importance of production both using the same videos and grammar teaching, the sentence popular in the United States,
in L1 has also recently been pictures. structures were built up gradually where Krashen is now the
highlighted in a study of language However, while one group was from word to sentence level. professor
ability among toddlers, reported in only asked to comprehend the Members of the comprehension emeritus at
the University
the March Gazette. language, by matching a sentence to group were asked to recognise the of Southern
Again, contrary to the input a picture, the other was required to right sentence describing a picture, California.
hypothesis, it found that toddlers’ produce the language by describing and the accuracy of their response
ability was based on the number of the pictures. was immediately presented on comprehension performance’,
interactions between parent and Both groups then took a number screen. according to the researchers. They
child, not the number of words the of comprehension tests. Production participants were attributed the better performance
child was exposed to. The production group did shown a picture and asked to from the production group to the
The authors of the latest better in both accuracy and speed. generate the description in the new need to recall known grammar,
study, who have a background They were ‘significantly more language themselves; responses retrieve lexis from long-term
in cognitive psychology and accurate than participants who got were recorded and participants memory and plan the utterance.
neuroscience; rather than second comprehension training,’ the paper could listen to the right answer after
language learning, were influenced stated. having produced a phrase. The n Production Practice during
by memory theory. This describes Production-trained participants results showed that ‘production Language Learning Improves
the difference between recognition, were up to half a second faster than practice wouldn’t just strengthen Comprehension, Elise W. M.
used in comprehension, and participants from the other group. people’s production performance Hopman, Maryellen C. MacDonald
retrieval, which is needed for ‘To a lay person, half a second but could actually yield stronger http://lcnl.wisc.edu/elise-hopman/
10 July 2018

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