How does input influence second language learning
Introduction
Input in learning refers to anything that the students are exposed to and may be expected to form some kinds or reactions which can be conscious or subconscious. Input can also be used to refer to anything that can activate the sensory system. There are two types of inputs that are discussed in this chapter. They are very important when a person wants to learn a second language. We are going to base our study on this chapter and the way inputs can aid the learning of the second language. There is need to have a distinction between linguistic and non-linguistic inputs which play a major role in learning a second language. Linguistic input is a type of input that comes from some kind of acceptable language. It includes: spoken and written inputs which are done in the target language. Non-linguistic inputs are also referred to as extra-linguistic inputs. These are inputs which accompanies the situation in which the linguistic input is offered or perceived. It is mainly meant to enhance the linguistic input which is being given. It lacks the obvious linguistic forms and includes forms such as photos and smells. It is possible to generate linguistic output from any form of non-linguistic input. Both forms of inputs are closely related and work hand in hand. It is not possible to use any of them in isolation. Linguistic input needs to complement non-linguistic input so as to work effectively (Mitchell and Myles 2004).
The two types of inputs influence second language learning in different ways. In order to be of the greatest importance, different types of sensory inputs are produced and perceived at the same time. Once there is this co-occurrence of inputs, one which has a richer context will be easily encoded and retrieved by the targeted group. Without the presence of the extra-linguistic forms of input, linguistic inputs will be virtually impossible. Therefore both of them go hand in hand and non can work in isolation.
Interaction is also very important in the second language acquisition. This can be experienced in a situation whereby there is some form of communication breakdown and learners are forced to interact so as to negotiate for the meaning of a given set of information. During this time of when there is communication breakdown interaction helps to make input more logical and provide feedback to the learners and hence pushing them to modify their speech. In a situation whereby a person constantly interacts with people speaking a different language, that person can easily acquire that language through the interactions that he/she gets from other people.
The primary factor which can be seen to be affecting the second language acquisition is the type of input that the learner obtains. Comprehensible input is very important in the acquisition of second language. It can be established that the duration by which a person stays in a foreign country is closely related to the level of a foreign language/second language acquisition. Reading also has some effects on the level of mastering a language. A person who performs a lot of voluntary reading in a given language, is likely to develop better skills like perfecting grammar, vocabulary and writing in that language. According to the universal grammar model, input can be said to the mechanism by which people learn second languages. Input should not always be grammatically dependent if a person wants to learn a language fast. Grammar sequence can be ignored during the first stages of the language acquisition. Once a person masters the language, he/she can then make attempts to perfect the grammar later on. However, if a person strives to master the correct grammar as he/she is struggling to know the language, then it can take a very long duration for the person to know the language.
The input hypothesis covered in the book deals mainly with information acquisition and not the process of learning. This hypothesis (input hypothesis) claims that humans acquire the second language through understanding messages or by getting some comprehensible input from different places. There is also a very big significance on the language input that parents often give to their children. Children often acquire the language being spoken by their parents. Some interactionalists claim that the language manners of adults when dealing with their children or other children who are not their own is mainly to maintain the process of acquisition and the information described as scaffolding for the child’s language learning (cited in Mitchell and Myles 2004). When studying the interactions between children and their parents, it is found that conversation is developed through various forms of games and verbal communication. This process takes time for the child to fully comprehend and acquire the language. This process takes time before the child can utter the actual words. In order to fully understand the importance of input in second language learning, there is need to pay great attention to the interaction in which learners were engaged in. Interaction should therefore become increasingly well-targeted to the particular development needs of the individual learner (Mitchell and Myles 2004). Input acts like fuel for learning in the brain. There is need to have some form of input so that the sensory and the cognitive systems can work sufficiently. If there is lack of input then students do not get a chance to effectively use their cognitive system.
The current theories that exist dealing with input and interaction in the second language acquisition have made claims that the input that is given during the process of second language acquisition has lots of importance in the learning process. Input and interaction best facilitate the process of second laguage acquisition. If a pupil is left without any significant amount of input then the student will not be able to learn the second language. However, a pupil who is in an environment that has lots of input will be able to acquire the second language much faster. Teachers and parents who are charged with the responsible of helping young children to acquire the second language should therefore put more emphasis on the types of inputs that the children get.
In situations whereby the pupils get insufficient amount of input then the pupils are not likely to learn the second language with ease as their counterparts who have a significant amount of exposure to different forms of input. Input as a form of interaction plays a very important role in the process of second language acquisition. Research has proved that children will only be able to learn either the first or the second language in an interactional environment. It is therefore impossible for a child to learn the first language through watching television or listening to audio clips in that particular language. In the process of learning the second language, a person has to get some forms of input from a professional in that language. A person cannot learn the second language through reading or watching a television. There is need to have a second person who monitors the phonetics so as to ensure that the person learns the second language efficiently and can speak that language well with the right phonetics. Research has proved that in cases whereby the parent are not involved in interactional occasions with their children, then it is not possible for learning to take place in such environments.
For proper learning to take place, the type of input being offered to the children or the learners need to be of a particular type. Comprehensible input is very vital in the process of learning the second language.
Interaction also plays a very important role in the second language learning process. When a person interacts with people speaking a different language, acquisition of the second language can be made very easy as opposed to a situation whereby a person attempts to learn a second language in an environment that none speaks that kind of language. Children who are born in areas where there are people from mixed origins, then they are likely to acquire the second language without much struggle. Interaction is a very important step in the acquisition of the second language. In a situation where people speaking different languages interact, they will have to form some kind of common language which is comprehensible to both parties. Negotiation will have t take place and in the process a person will be pushed towards acquiring a language that was not originally his/hers.
Output on the other hand has also been found to be playing a very important role in the acquisition of second language. When a person is in the process of learning the second language, he/she needs to constantly practice the language so as to ascertain that he/she is uttering the right words. Reading alone or input alone is not sufficient. A person needs to give some outputs so that he/she can ascertain the mastery skills or progress of the language. Output helps learners to move from the semantic and non-deterministic approach to a new level of complete grammatical process which is very essential for the accurate use of the second language being acquired. During output, learners can easily identify any gap existing between what they say and what they were intending to say. In the process of seeking harmony between the two (what the person says and what he/she was intending to say), the learner can sufficiently gain a better command of the second language. Output also helps a third party to evaluate a person’s progress in learning the second language. If a person utters a word wrongly or the sense that he/she was intending to portray has not been properly portrayed, then he/she can be corrected hence marking a very important step in acquiring the second language.
Conclusion
Second language learning is a very complex undertaking. Despite the numerous researches that have been conducted by different professionals, still there is no any sufficient proposed method of learning the second language. Learning the second language is made easier if the target populations are young children. However, as the age increases the complexity also becomes more. Adults who are willing to learn the second language often gets it harder as compared to young children who are learning the second language. The duration with which a person stays in a foreign country also determines the extent to which a person can learn the second language. Inputs and interactions play the biggest role in the process of learning the second language. If a person intending to learn the second language is not properly furnished with the necessary inputs, then he/she is not likely to learn the language as fast and as well as another person who has all the necessary inputs. The inputs could include lessons from teachers, reading materials or watching people speak the language. A person who interacts with other people speaking the same language is also likely to learn the language more easily that a person who does not interact with other people speaking the same language (Mitchell and Myles 2004). A person who stays in a place where people are speaking the second language is likely to learn the language faster than a person staying in his/her native country where no one speaks the language. The more the person stays in that country, the better his/her skills will become. This is attributed to the numerous interactions received which helps him in getting more inputs and also gives him/her a chance to test the output. Therefore for a successful learning of the second language, a person should try to get as much input and as possible and also engage in multiple interactions with people speaking the second language so as to perfect his/her skills in the second language (Mitchell and Myles 2004).
References
Mitchell, R. & Myles, F. (2004). Second Language Learning Theories (2nd ed). London: Arnold.
