Question

What does Krashen suggest about the explicit teaching of grammar rules in a language acquisition-focused classroom?

• A. A. It is essential for initiating the acquisition process.
• B. B. It primarily contributes to 'learning' and has a limited role in 'acquisition'.
• C. C. It helps lower the affective filter by providing clear structures.
• D. D. It accelerates the natural order of acquisition.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. B. It primarily contributes to 'learning' and has a limited role in 'acquisition'.

Krashen's Input Hypothesis and the Role of Grammar

• Stephen Krashen is a prominent linguist and researcher in the field of second language acquisition. His theories, particularly the Monitor Model (also known as the Input Hypothesis), have significantly influenced language teaching methodologies.
• Krashen's model is composed of five main hypotheses: the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, the Monitor Hypothesis, the Natural Order Hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis, and the Affective Filter Hypothesis.

Acquisition vs. Learning: The Core Distinction

• Krashen makes a fundamental distinction between 'acquisition' and 'learning':
• Language Acquisition: This is a subconscious process, similar to how children acquire their first language. It involves natural communication in the target language where the focus is on meaning, not form. This is the primary way language proficiency develops according to Krashen.
• Language Learning: This is a conscious process of studying and knowing about the language, including explicit knowledge of grammar rules, vocabulary lists, and error correction. It typically occurs in formal classroom settings.

The Role of Explicit Grammar Teaching

• According to Krashen, the explicit teaching and learning of grammar rules primarily contribute to 'learning'.
• This conscious knowledge of grammar forms the 'Monitor' (as per the Monitor Hypothesis). The Monitor is an internal editor that allows learners to check and correct their output, but only when certain conditions are met: sufficient time, focus on form, and knowledge of the rule.
• The Monitor's role is limited. It can only refine or edit language output, but it does not initiate utterances or directly contribute to the fluency and spontaneity that comes from 'acquisition'.
• For Krashen, explicit grammar instruction has a limited role in actual language *acquisition* because acquisition happens subconsciously through comprehensible input, not through conscious rule memorization.
• An over-reliance on the Monitor can lead to hesitant speech and a focus on correctness over communication.

Implications for Language Classrooms

• Krashen advocates for classrooms that prioritize providing comprehensible input – language that is slightly beyond the learner's current level (i+1), but still understandable.
• In an acquisition-focused classroom, the emphasis is on communicative activities, rich input, and creating a low-anxiety environment, rather than on explicit grammar drills.
• While he doesn't completely dismiss grammar, Krashen suggests that conscious grammar rules are most useful for *monitoring* output, not for *generating* language. For true fluency and communicative competence, acquisition is key.