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I felt this was the chapter with the most information on all the teacher/student concepts of language learning.  I also feel that with all the concepts presented in this chapter there was sufficient information for each proposal to identify each proposals importance to language learning.  Even though each proposal had its positive results -- they each lacked in either feedback, error-based correction, retention, proper-form of language use, and other key concepts of becoming a fluent speaker of another language.  

'Get it right from the beginning' -- is a teaching concept that I believe still occurs a lot in classrooms.  Students do not receive any constructive feedback and are unable to become proficient in the second language because of the lack of practice.  Students who are not taught in a positive environment seem to never truly acquire the target language long-term.

'Get two for one' -- is lacking the one of the most important aspects of language acquisition, a proper instructor with proficiency in the target language.  I liked how this proposal brings together the comprehension and production based learning.  Although I do not believe that only these two aspects of language learning can develop a proficient second language speaker.

'Let's talk' -- is one of my favorite proposals because it emphasizes natural conversational abilities. With this proposal students develop a comfort for conversation with others. I feel that most methods of teaching languages does not emphasize how crucial conversation is as well as the comfort levels in a conversation.  Even though this proposal indicates that through conversational error correction the student never truly understands key errors and therefore, can never 'fix' the errors -- I disagree with this key research result of the 'let's talk' proposal.

My final question for you guys is:

Introduction

Introduction scenario

List topics

Societies with open and accepting attitudes toward multilingualism

Societies with moderate views towards multilingualism

Societies that discourage multilingualism

Concept behind the increase of undergraduate students studying abroad

Thesis Statement

First Paragraph

Societies with open and accepting attitudes toward multilingualism

Transition sentence to second paragraph

Second Paragraph

Societies with moderate views towards multilingualism

Transition sentence to third paragraph

Third Paragraph

Societies that discourage multilingualism

Transition sentence to fourth paragraph

Fourth Paragraph

Concept behind the increase of undergraduate students studying abroad

Transition sentence to Conclusion paragraph

 Conclusion

Summarize Topics

Societies with open and accepting attitudes toward multilingualism

Societies with moderate views towards multilingualism

Societies that discourage multilingualism

Concept behind the increase of undergraduate students studying abroad

I thought this chapter was very interesting. I enjoyed reading the different teaching and learning techniques that have been attempted. 

Natural and Instructional Settings:  I found this information to be semi-unrealistic. Yes, there are employment positions where you are exposed to L2 language speakers, but usually in the professional realm, there really is no exchange of L1-L2 assistance. It seems like a nice concept, but realistically I do not think this happens as often as it should or does.  Therefore, I do not think an L2 learner can truly develop their L2 abilities or proficiency in the employment sector (unless it is a teaching-immersion job).  As far as it being a social interaction - in the natural setting - an L2 learner does have the opportunity to develop. I believe that through social interaction an L2 learner has a much higher chance to advance in their L2 proficiency.

Structure-Based Instructional Settings:  Although this concept does have its benefits - I do not think that the traditional method of teaching is conducive to assist larger classes (more than two-students at one time) to proficiently learn a foreign language. It seems that the motivation for learning a second language is to solely pass a course, and it is almost never for any other reason. I have met hundreds of students who have the same experience:

“I took four-years of (foreign language) in high school and two-semesters in college, and I did not learn anything. I have forgotten it all. It was such a waste of time and money.”

Through all the studies conducted of teacher-student or student-student language learning concepts it appeared as if they all had their positive and negative aspects for the L2 learner.  The concepts I liked most were the use of: genuine questions, immediate feedback on errors with suggestions, and negotiation for meaning. It seemed that the L2 learners responded to these approaches to language learning and they were also more comfortable with producing errors either written or verbal.

I agree with the sociocultural perspective -- thinking and speaking are intertwined and should not be separated in the context of one being more important than the other. The process of thinking and speaking have a major benefit of internalizing the information and producing more accurate output. It also benefits the learner to apply different methods to the information they have gathered. For instance writing and speaking can be closely associated to one another in form of continuous building-blocks for an L2 as well as an L1 learner (true mastery of a language).

I do find it interesting that most of the research on the Zone Proximal Development (ZDP) consists of the importance of having an interlocutor with greater knowledge then the L2 learner themselves. Although the book does mention, "This internalization is though to occur when an individual interacts with an interlocutor within his or her ZPD." This sentence does not discredit the ability to build onto an L2 learners scaffolding with a person equal to the L2 learner.  Although I do believe an individual could still greatly benefit from interacting with a person of lesser language ability or knowledge because it allows the L2 learner to be in a teaching position to generate an explanation of the level of knowledge they do contain.    

The Noticing Hypothesis struck me as a little too obvious. Yes, a person must realize they are acquiring language and/or its' rules to completely understand what they are learning for it to become acquired knowledge. I believe we all have been in situations where something just 'clicks' or a light turns on in your brain. That's when you understand the concepts or ideas you are attempting to learn. I know I retain information for longer periods of time when I truly understand the concept. It is those moments that you realize how upside-down you had it originally. Although I do agree with this perspective of retaining information easily once you notice information, I do not think that this hypothesis is measurable; Therefore, cannot be proven effective or not. A person is at all times acquiring information whether they realize it or not. The brain is constantly using the 'processing space' to complete daily tasks. 

Input processing makes sense to me most. I still interpret information from one language to the other in this manner. Although English and Spanish do have SOV in general sentence structure; they are very different in that they have other rules such as changing the pronouns and verb word order. This process is difficult for me when I feel rushed, confused, or overly excited because I literally translate information from English to Spanish. When I am not in a pressured environment I tend to speak Spanish more native-like.  

The Interaction Hypothesis is the theory I agree with most. I do believe that a person needs to have their academic setting to learn language rules and how to interpret different phrases, but I also do not think that a person learns a language best through the interactionist process. The interactionist perspective gives different methods of learning or acquiring a language. I like that in these subtopics they all engage in different types of retention levels and through aspects of interactions. In the Modified Interaction theory, having interactions with a native-speaker of the language helps in adjusting to the level of the L2 learner. I believe that with the combination of Modified Interaction and Negotiation for Meaning an L2 learner can quickly advance in their comfort levels as well as in the L2 progression sequences. With the help of other language speakers who can assist the L2 learner with the following process: 1) Comprehension Check. 2) Clarification requests. 3) Self-Repetition or Paraphrase; the L2 learner can get on the spot gratification as well as ask as many questions and receive answers that will help with their L2 progression. 

When I travel to Europe and attempt to learn languages such as Czechoslovakian, Russian, French, etc. I tend to only remember phrases or conversations that I had a person of the native-tongue to help me interpret and process the language and information at hand. I do not recall any portions of the language that I heard outside of these scenarios. Social settings helped me retain the language for interaction and survival purposes.   

I must start off with saying that I agree with those professionals who believe there must be another theory to properly identify and explain those individuals who have overcome the Critical Hypothesis Theory that is so dramatized in this book. Obviously there are other major factors that can influence a persons ability to speak a second language fluently or near-fluent.  The Universal Grammar theory seems to be structured around the idea that it is the person's environment that effects the outcome of the proficiency of the language. The type of environment changes the frequency and intensity of how the brain is triggered to practice and interact with the language they are attempting to learn.  Therefore, making the L2 language more of a natural aspect then an academic formula in the learning process.

We speak about this in class all the time. The Monitor Model theory combines both social interactions and the academic field.  Through social interaction the language learner has more of an opportunity to interact and correlate word order to form a sentence. I must also mention the opportunity to socialize in a not-so formal settings makes language learning less stressful and the anxiety levels are less.  It seems that having an academic setting for language learning is the back-bone of language acquisition. The academic setting is not the primary solution, but it helps with language rules, grammatical rules, etc. that a person needs to understand why it is they use certain sentence structures in social settings.

*Declarative Knowledge is knowledge that we are aware of having (ex: grammar rules).

1. Language and Discrimination

2. Language and Stereotypes

The Spacing Effect is a very interesting phenomenon. I found it interesting because I feel that my brain takes a few days to either process information and of course review does help with that memory retention. Although, I tend to have really good short-term memory too. I seem to always remember the most random information that was given to me.

I think memory retention is all summed up by how much it interest you or how relevant it is to your life. Without true fascination or interest I think any piece of information would be hard to retain. I guess I tend to be interested in an array of subjects therefore I can retain more information regarding the subjects. What I am interested in knowing is how numbers and memory retention work together. I think that most people are either not good with numbers or they are (mathematicians). It seems like memory retention also has to do with what part of the brain is strongest and/or most used portion of the brain. Using that area of the brain would increase certain information retention more than other subjects or ideas.  

I would imagine that memory retention, as in the spacing effect, would have a major affect on vocabulary usage and retention as well. Without the general strength or interest in vocabulary you would most likely not retain it. It mentions how often one would uses certain vocabulary and in certain contexts. If you are not exposed to certain terminology on a weekly basis I would imagine you would not be so fluent or fluid with using or remembering the vocabulary.

I'm glad we touched this subject this week. I've been wondering about the research of the learning styles and proficiency rates surrounding adult learners. To me it does seem that adults would have a better proficiency success rate over others in learning a second language. By the time a person reaches adult ages they have an understanding of how their minds work and how to go about being successful in any field they conjure.  Adults also do not have to worry about physical or hormonal aspects an adolescent goes through in that young developmental stage.  At that age not only is it a critical period for your mental development, but it is also when everyone goes through their physical and emotional changes. As an adult I feel that since I know my own abilities and my weakness; it allows me to adapt to other situations and circumstance I would not have been able to as an adolescent.  As far as my cognitive abilities goes I feel that I am more agile to my academic and professional abilities. Therefore, it does not surprise me that adults did succeed in the tests given to them as a second language learner.  Plus as an adult, you are more than likely, learning a second language for reasons other than it was thrown or expected of you, as it is for children.  This gives adults a more sustainable and realistic motivation of why they are learning a second language.  In today's job market being bilingual equals financial raises and more job opportunities. This is another reason it does not surprise me that adults are more proactive and succeed at second language learning.

I did want to mention that the study of the Critical Period Hypothesis regarding adolescents and their true development in a second language ends at an earlier age then originally thought. While I was reading that I did agree with that because of how I stopped speaking Spanish in my adolescent years.  I do feel that my native-like accent, as a Spanish-speaker, will never be attainable because I stopped speaking Spanish so early in my adolescence.  Although to counter that, as an adult, I do feel that I can have a higher success rate because of my cognitive abilities.

It amazes me that the estimate of the English vocabulary contains anywhere between 100,000 to one million words! That is so much to learn for a person who does not speak English as their L1.  It does not surprise me that there could be that many words in the English language. As the book was explaining that this could (I think should) include clusters of words such as: "teach, teacher, teaching, and taught."  I believe all the words should be counted separately because there is not one sentence you could use only one of these words and make the sentence reflect the situation.  This also includes expressing and interpreting emotional and intonation stress on words throughout a conversation which could emphasis information differently. In the English language we have so many fluctuations in our sentences.  For example with a smaller English vocabulary a person would not be able to read a medical record, legal documents, or basic social forms without an extensive English vocabulary.

In every culture and with every language pragmatics is very important.  I have noticed that people who speak Asian or European languages tend to have more direct responses then a native-English speaker.  Knowing what response is polite, respectful, and expressed in a manner to which the conversation would better suite the L2 speaker in their given situation. I have even found myself responding to some L2 English speakers with a confused expression to indicate my confusion of how to counter-respond to their comment.  It is difficult to communicate with people you feel are treating you poorly through the tone and word choice when you are unfamiliar with them and their culture.  Although, I do think that through patience, empathy, and understanding L1 and L2 speakers can have a smooth positive conversation.

New York City:  NYC is by far one of my favorite cities in the world.  I try to travel there once to three times a year depending on school. One aspect I love about NYC is the diversity and all the authentic food you can find on every corner.  Although, I do love NYC the few poor experiences I have had is in Chinatown.  I am not sure if I interpret the intonation or misunderstand the culture of the people living and working in the Chinatown area, but every time I go there I am horribly mistreated. I am always waved out and disregarded or mistreated in shops.  I always go back there because I love the food and the curbside culture, but I feel like I am always being yelled at and waved away the moment they realize we cannot fully communicate.

My questions since the majority of the class is Asian: am I misinterpreting the Asian cultures?  Should I feel mistreated when it seems that people are waving me away, yelling, and/or have a tone expressing anger?

Throughout this reading I found myself comparing my own L1 and L2 experiences.  I believe that I relate more to the L1 Influence scenarios mentioned. As I've explained in class, I myself struggle with purposely as well as accidentally formatting my Spanish (L2) sentences in the English format. I believe that is because English makes so much sense to me and it is the language I am most comfortable with.  English is truly my L2 language, but since English was used in social and academic settings, it eventually overtook my initial L1 language, Spanish.  It is easier for me to express my emotional, physical, and mindset in English then it is in Spanish.

I also found it interesting that the readings mentioned the stages in which an L2 learner will most likely stop at certain stages if the stage they are in does not interfere with communication with the people of that language.  Initially when my mother came to the United States she practiced and practiced English, especially when she was undergoing her American Citizenship testing.  My mother would not let any of us speaking in Spanish because she wanted to become comfortable with the English language as well as for the Citizenship test.  Eventually she became very proficient in the English language.  She was even comfortable speaking to native English speakers.  Today, she is a nationalized American citizen, but she no longer feels comfortable speaking to native English speaks.  I believe this happened because 1) she stopped using English in social settings  2) she was a stay-at-home mom  3) she reverted back to her native Spanish tongue.  Therefore, now she has fell back from the fluency stage to possibly Stage 3-5 in each of the examples given in the reading. Including the above reasons behind why she has declined in her English level of proficiency, I also believe it is due to the fact that her level of English has not brought her any conflict.  Therefore, she can efficiently communicate with the little English she can speak. Plus she has four daughters who are very fluent in English.  We end up communicating for her in social settings, so she does not have too. 

I had to edit my first post and divide it into two separate post, so here is my conclusion of my Week 1 post for Week 2:

I believe that all the language developmental perspectives apply to the development of children and their language abilities.  It seems to me that you need Behaviourist perspective because ‘imitation, practice, feedback on success, and habit format’ in a social environment is needed in a child’s development.  However, the Innatist perspective argues that we are all born with the ability to learn and develop language skills as we do with walking.  Then the Interactionist perspective derived from the Innatist perspective.  The Interactionist perspective claims that the development of all humans is based on cognitive processes which are developed as any other skill a human can perform. As for the Connectionism/Usage-Based Perspective I believe also derives from all the above perspectives.  I think this because they all involved environments and the initial ability to develop as a human being. 

Bilingualism confuses me as a definition of L2 Learner.  In my opinion if an L2 Learner is raised with two or more languages in their household and is fluent in all the languages (reading, writing, verbal) then this should not be considered for an L2 Learner definition.  Yet, if the one or more of the languages are lost in the person's youth and they have difficulty as well as are not fluent in the languages then, yes, they should be categorized as an L2 Learner.