Foundations of World Language Education: Theories of Language Acquisition and Learning
Foundations of World Language Education: Theories of Language Acquisition and Learning
This domain tests whether you can connect language-acquisition theory to concrete teaching decisions, not just name theorists. Expect items on comprehensible input, interaction, output, the zone of proximal development, and communicative competence.
Core rules and concepts
- Krashen's input hypothesis holds that learners acquire language when they understand messages slightly beyond their current level (i+1); the affective filter rises with anxiety and lowers when tasks feel safe.
- Acquisition is implicit and meaning-focused; learning is conscious rule study. Grammar drills alone rarely build spontaneous communication.
- Swain's output hypothesis and Long's interaction hypothesis emphasize that learners need to produce language and negotiate meaning when communication breaks down.
- Vygotsky's zone of proximal development calls for scaffolding: models, sentence frames, visuals, and partner rehearsal that are gradually removed.
- Canale and Swain's communicative competence includes grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competence; a learner can communicate with imperfect grammar.
Worked example
A novice class avoids speaking during a partner task. A theory-informed response is not to add more verb conjugation drills. The teacher pre-teaches only high-frequency chunks, models the task, gives a sentence frame, and lets pairs rehearse before public sharing. This lowers the affective filter, supplies comprehensible input, and creates scaffolded output within the ZPD. The reasoning: the target is interpersonal communication, so confidence and negotiation matter as much as accuracy.
Traps that cost marks
- Equating grammar knowledge with communicative ability.
- Correcting every error during a fluency task, which raises the filter and interrupts meaning.
- Calling any group work communicative when students only recite memorized lines.
- Ignoring the difference between acquisition activities and conscious rule practice.