CURRENT THEORIES OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Fall, 2014 APLN520 Mondays, 5:30-8:00 CS 204
Instructor: Mary Call
Office: Schmitt 240F Telephone: 973- 655-5137 or 4286 e-mail: callm@mail.montclair.edu
Hours: Mondays & Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 and 8:00-8:30 pm Or by appointment
Text: Theories in Second Language Acquisition VanPatten & Williams, Eds.
Other readings will be posted on Canvas.
Course Requirements:
Mid-term & Final Examinations
Paper and Presentation on Theories of SLA
Participation in classroom discussions
Students are required to monitor their MSU e-mail and Canvas accounts.
Objectives of the Course: This class is designed to introduce you to research into the acquisition of second and
foreign languages. To achieve this objective, we will study past efforts to describe how people acquire languages
and what we have learned from these endeavors. We will then explore current theories that inform contemporary
efforts to understand the process of language acquisition. You will deepen your understanding of a particular
aspect of second language acquisition by writing a paper that delves more deeply into that topic. Finally, you will
present your findings to the class at the end of the term.
Calendar: (Note well: These dates are tentative and additional readings may be added.)
9/8 Introduction to the course
9/15 Chapter 1, Theories in SLA and Chapter 2, Early Theories
9/22 Dulay & Burt, “Should We Teach Children Syntax?”
Bailey, Madden & Krashen, “Is There a Natural Sequence in Adult Second Language Learning?”
Johnson & Newport, “Critical Period Effects in Second Language Learning”
9/29 Chapter 3, UG and SLA
Bley-Vroman, “What is the Logical Problem of Foreign Language Learning?”
White, “Adverb Placement in SLA”
10/6 Chapter 9, Autonomous Induction Theory
Slabakova, “L1 Transfer Revisited: The L2 Acquisition of Telicity Marking...”
10/15 Chapter 4, The Concept-Oriented Approach (a functional approach)
Bardovi-Harlig, “The Relationship of Form and Meaning”
MacWhinney, “Applying the Competition Model to Bilingualism”
10/20 Chapter 6, Skill Acquisition Theory
McLaughlin, Rossman, & McLeod, “SLA: An Information-Processing Perspective”
Mid-Term Exam due on 10/19 via Canvas. Bring a hard copy to class on 10/20
10/27 The Noticing Hypothesis Schmidt, “Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning”
Rebuschat, et al. “Implicit and Explicit Knowledge of Form-Meaning Connections”
11/3
Chapter 5, Associative-Cognitive Creed
Tyler, Chapter 2 “The Basics of Cognitive Linguistics”
11/10 Chapter 7, Input Processing
Chapter 8, Processability Theory
Clahsen, “The Acquisition of German Word Order”
11/17 Chapter 10, Input, Interaction, and Output
Swain & Lapkin, “Interaction and Second Language Learning”
11/24 Chapter 11, Sociocultural Theory and SLA
McCafferty, “Adult Second Language Learners’ Use of Private Speech”
Aljaafreh & Lantolf, “Negative Feedback as Regulation and Second Language learning in the ZPD”
12/1 Chapter 12, Comparison/Contrast of Nine Theories
Papers due 12/1
12/8 Affective Variables Gardner & MacIntyre, “An Instrumental Motivation in Language Study”
Final exam due 12/7 via Canvas. Bring a hard copy to class on 12/8
12/15 Student Presentations