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