Study for natural approach, how it works, Stephen Krashen

1. NATURAL APPROACH
Mauricio Coelho • Lucas Lorran • Raquel Benaion • Willian Araujo

2. Summary
◦ Timeline
◦ Natural Approach Hypothesys
◦ Definition
◦ Difference between learning and acquisition
◦ Factors that modify acquisition
◦ Irregularity
◦ Personality
◦ Motivation
◦ Video
◦ References

3. Up to the 1950s From the 1950s to the 80s From the 1990s on
Grammar-Translation
Written language analysis
Language learning
Activities ABOUT the language
Intellectual effort
Audiolingual Approach
Spoken language analysis
Language drilling
Activities WITH the language
Mechanical practice
Communicative
Approaches
Language in use
Language acquisition
Activities IN the language
Communicative practice
Methodology for language teaching along the times can be
summarized in three distinct movements:
The Grammar-Translation
Method, based on
language analysis,
predominated until the
middle of the 20th century.
The audiolingual
approach in the 50s was
a reaction against the
grammar-translation
tradition. It was based on
the then prevailing
theories of structuralism
and behaviorism.
Acquisition requires meaningful
interaction in the target language –
natural in which speakers are
concerned not with the form of their
utterances but with the messages
they are conveying and
understanding." (Stephen Krashen).

4. The Natural Order hypothesis is
based on research findings (Dulay &
Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975; Makino,
1980 cited in Krashen, 1987) which
suggested that the acquisition of
grammatical structures follows a
'natural order' which is predictable.
For a given language, some grammatical
structures tend to be acquired early
while others late. This order seemed to
be independent of the learners' age, L1
background, conditions of exposure, and
although the agreement between
individual acquirers was not always
100% in the studies, there were
statistically significant similarities that
reinforced the existence of a Natural
Order of language acquisition.
Krashen however points out that the
implication of the natural order
hypothesis is not that a language
program syllabus should be based
on the order found in the studies. In
fact, he rejects grammatical
sequencing when the goal is
language acquisition.

5. NATURAL LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
◦ Similar to the way children learn their native tongue
 Produces functional skill
 Without theoretical knowledge
◦ Develops familiarity with the:
Phonetic characteristics of the language
Structure
Vocabulary
Oral understanding,
Capability for creative communication
Identification of cultural values.
1. If we want to “learn” about a language, we have
to “acquire” it first.
2. The more irregular the target language, the more
limited the result of studying it.
3. English scarcity of phonetic clues indicate the
need for oral practice rather than study.

6. Language acquisition
refers to the natural
assimilation of
languages, by means of
intuition and
subconscious learning.
Language acquisition is the
product of
real interactions between
people in environments of
the target language and
culture, where the learner, as
an active player, develops his
communicative ability.
LEARNING ACQUISITION
Artificial Natural
Technical Personal
Priority on the written language Priority on the spoken language
Formal teaching Meaningful interaction
Theory (language analysis) Practice (language in use)
Deductive teaching (rule-driven; top-down) Inductive coaching (rule-discovery; bottom-up)
Conscious Subconscious
Preset syllabus Learner-centered activities with room for improvisation
Translation and use of L1 included No translation; no L1
Activities ABOUT the language Activities IN the language
Focus on form Focus on communication
Produces knowledge Produces an ability

7. One of the most important aspects in the learning
of a foreign language is its oral production.
This fundamental skill is subject to an inhibitory
and persistent interference from one of the main
irregularities of English:
the oral interpretation of the written word.
SPELLING TO SOUND CORRESPONDENCE:
If there is regularity, there can be a rule and such
a rule will be useful to produce and monitor
language. The lower the regularity, the fewer the
rules and the more limited the monitoring.
The fact is that the contribution of learning will
only be effective and durable if the student
simultaneously develops familiarity and skill with
the language in natural environments.
THE LEVEL OF IRREGULARITY OF THE LANGUAGE AND THE
EFFICIENCY OF ACQUISITION VS. LEARNING

8. Extroverts, who talk too spontaneously, also
benefit little from learning. Their monitoring
function is almost inoperative and subject
an impulsive personality that manifests itself
without much concern with accuracy.
Introverts, who normally lack self-confidence
and often are perfectionists, will benefit little
from understanding the grammar of the
language and its irregularities. The result can
be even adverse, in the case of languages
with a high degree of irregularity such as
English.
The only ones who benefit from learning are people whose
personalities are midway between introvert and extrovert, and
manage to apply the monitoring function in a moderate and
effective form.

9. • Acquisition-inspired approaches are
normally detached from a syllabus and
naturally more geared towards the
learner’s needs and individual goals.
• They will also have activities based more
on conversation rather than the study of
grammar.
• As a result, they will produce more
readily useful knowledge and raise the
level of motivation as the learner builds
up his communicative skills.
• Learning-inspired approaches, normally tied to
a syllabus, will emphasize the production of
knowledge about the target language,
especially its grammatical structures, at the
expense of communicative skills.
• They will hardly meet the learner’s immediate
goals.
• If not offset by a lively and charismatic teacher,
the learning-inspired approach will drain the
motivation, especially considering that
proficiency in a foreign language can take a
long time to be attained.

11. References◦ Schütz & Kanomata, ESL. STEPHEN KRASHEN'S THEORY OF SECOND
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. Disponível em: <http://www.sk.com.br/sk-
krash.html>. Acesso em: 03 ago. 2017.
◦ Schütz & Kanomata, ESL. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION - LANGUAGE
LEARNING. Disponível em: <http://www.sk.com.br/sk-laxll.html>. Acesso
em: 03 ago. 2017.
◦ Stanford University. Krashen and Terrell’s “Natural Approach” by Ken
Romeo. Disponível em:
<https://web.stanford.edu/~hakuta/www/LAU/ICLangLit/NaturalApproac
h.htm>. Acesso em: 27 jul. 2017.
◦ KRASHEN, STEPHEN D.; TERREL, Tracy D.. The Natural Approach:
Language Acquisition in the Classroom. 1 ed. Great Britain, Phoenix
ELT, 1988. Disponível em: http://www.osea-
cite.org/class/SELT_materials/SELT_Reading_Krashen_.pdf Acesso em: 02
ago. 2017.
WIKIPEDIA. Natural Approach. Disponível em:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/natural_approach#cite_note-
footnoterichardsrodgers2001178-1>. Acesso em: 01 ago. 2017.