GL READINGS

• Critical Period Hypothesis


  • Discusses the debate surrounding the Critical Period Hypothesis in second language acquisition, which suggests that there may be a biological schedule after which L2 acquisition processes and outcomes are fundamentally altered
• Case Studies


  • Presents case studies of successful late L2 learners like Julie and Laura, challenging the notion of a critical period for L2 acquisition
• Rate and Ultimate Attainment


  Explores the questions of rate and ultimate attainment in L2 learning, highlighting the variations in individual language learning processes related to age
• Age Effects


  • Discusses how age can impact the speed and extent of language learning, contrasting the relatively uniform nature of monolingual first language acquisition with the variability in L2 acquisition
• Emphasizes the universal influences of age on L2 acquisition and the ongoing challenges in understanding the relationship between age and L2 learning
• Interlanguage


  The language system constructed by learners at different stages of L2 acquisition
• L1 Transfer


  • Explores how learners transfer linguistic features from their first language to the new language, leading to both positive and negative effects on L2 learning
• Similarities and Differences


  • Delves into how learners navigate the similarities and differences between languages during the acquisition process
• Interlanguage Processes


  • Discusses the cognitive and linguistic processes involved in the development of a learner's language
• Variability and Systematicity


  • Explores how learners exhibit variability in their language development while also demonstrating systematic patterns in their interlanguage
• Morphosyntactic Development


  • Examines the patterned attainment of morphological accuracy and the emergence of tense and aspect in L2 morphology
• Acculturated Attitudes


  • The importance of learners' attitudes towards the target language and culture, suggesting that acculturation can play a significant role in language learning success
• Comprehensible Input


  • The significance of providing learners with input that is understandable and meaningful, highlighting the role of input in facilitating language acquisition
• Negotiated Interaction


  • How interaction and negotiation for meaning contribute to language learning, emphasizing the importance of meaningful communication in the acquisition process
• Pushed Output


  • The concept of pushed output, where learners are encouraged to produce language beyond their current proficiency level, promoting language development through active use
• Attention to Language Code

  • The importance of learners' attention to the language code, suggesting that noticing and processing linguistic data are essential for effective language learning
• Information Processing


  • Explores how information is processed in the human mind, discussing the role of memory, attention, and cognitive mechanisms in language learning
• Memory and Attention


  • The significance of working memory and attention in language acquisition, highlighting how these cognitive functions influence the learning and retention of linguistic information
• Cognitive Theories


  • Discusses various cognitive theories related to second language acquisition, including proceduralization, automaticity, and skill acquisition theory
• Noticing Hypothesis


  • Introduces the Noticing Hypothesis, which suggests learners need to consciously notice and register new linguistic elements to learn them effectively
• Emergentism


  • Touches upon emergentist perspectives in second language acquisition, which propose that language learning emerges from complex interactions between cognitive, social, and environmental factors
• Language Aptitude


  • Explores the concept of language aptitude, which refers to the cognitive abilities that influence language learning
• Age and Aptitude


  • Examines the relationship between age and language aptitude, highlighting how different cognitive abilities impact language learning at different stages of life
• Implicit vs. Explicit Learning


  • Discusses the role of implicit and explicit learning processes in language aptitude, emphasizing how learners with varying aptitudes may approach language learning differently
• Motivational Theories


  • Explores different motivational theories in language learning, including integrativeness and self-determination theory
• Dynamic Motivation


  • Emphasizes the dynamic nature of motivation, highlighting how external factors, time, context, and behavior can impact learners' motivation levels
• L2 Motivational Self System


  • Introduces the L2 Motivational Self System, which emphasizes the role of learners' ideal L2-speaking selves in shaping motivation and language learning goals
• Personality and Learning Styles


  • Discusses how personality traits and learning styles influence language learning outcomes
• Anxiety and Willingness to Communicate

  • Delves into the role of foreign language anxiety and willingness to communicate in language learning
• Self-Regulation Theory


  • Introduces self-regulation theory as a framework for understanding how learners regulate their learning behaviors and emotions in the language learning process