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Özge Yeşilbaş

ELT 5011

15.10.2015

It is widely believed that there are a lot of issues which must be considered in language

teaching. Practice is undoubtedly the main issue. Teachers must give importance to practice in

their classes to help the students to acquire the input and skills of the language. It is also

suggested that teacher design their syllabus according to the theories based upon English

Language Teaching. Six of these theories and their perception of practice will be examined in

this paper.

First of all, Behaviourist Theorists accept learning as conditioning and habit formation.

Learning a new language is a kind of behaviour for them, and design of the classroom activities

are based on behavioural change and habit formation. They also focus on the term “operant

conditioning”. When the students perform very well, the teacher reinforces this performance by

praise or approval. Accordingly, the student repeats that and performs in the same way again.

Behaviourists explain this relationship as “stimuli” and “response”. It is also asserted that the

children imitate what they hear. If they get positive feedback in the process of imitation and

practising language, this attempt turns into habit.

Secondly, Universal Grammar focuses on the features “marked” and “unmarked”. While

marked rules are typical language features, unmarked ones are universal and available in all the

languages. This theory implies that rules or word order are innate. We are automatically

programmed to acquire these rules and structures. In addition, this theory emphasizes there is a
link between application and language learning. If the students apply these rules in practice,

they will be able to acquire the input. Unlike Behaviourists, the claim reinforcement is not

possible in the class as it requires natural environment.

Krashen focuses on the significance of input and acquisition. He claims that a student

needs comprehensible input through classroom activities in order to acquire a language. When

he/she gets an idea about the grammar, the input will be easily received. Moreover, students

should be exposed to second language as much as they can. The more they are exposed to, the

better they will practice. On the other hand, if they are anxious and unmotivated, the process of

acquisition will be blocked. The students must be self confident and play an active role in the

group speaking in target language. This activity should be natural and the students must not be

exposed to a constant error correction.

Cognitive Theorists believe that learning is a kind of mental activity. It involves the

practice of complex cognitive skills. Unlike the other theorists, they claims that sub-skills such

as skimming and scanning are indispensable parts of learning. In other words, these skills must

be taught and automatized through practice in the class. In addition, the students’ attention is

crucially important to gain all these skills and strategies.

Conversation Theorists stipulates the practice and interaction in target language. They

assert that using scaffolding allow for conversation participation of weak students. To give an

example, repeating structure and fill in with correct information could be practised with the

students. They will definitely promote a better acquisition of target language. Another point to

consider is error correction and feedback. According to Conversation Theorists, the teachers’
main focus must be fluency. Feedback can only be given upon information or language

structures that are used by the students.

Schumann deals with “Acculturation” in her theory. It is defined as the process of

becoming adapted to new culture. In this theory, target language and culture are inseparable

parts of each other. That means, the students must be exposed to an interaction with native

speakers in natural context and get familiar with this new setting. Thus, the students will have

acquired the language in a more realistic way.

In the light of the ideas given above, there are several theories related to target language

acquisition which the teachers should take into account. We as language teachers should not

base our teaching on just one theory. Since there are a lot of theories, we must design our

syllabus or classroom activities and choose teaching method according to the profile or needs

of our students. In particular, it must be our main aim to combine our theoretical theory with

practice.

References

İpek H. (2009) Comparing and Contrasting First and Second Language Acquisition:

Implications for Language Teachers, Anadolu University, Eskişehir.

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