1. Krashen’s Theory: SECOND
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Antonia Cornejo Campos
Francisca Urrutia Mundaca
Universidad de las Américas
Phonetics II

2. The psychologist Stephen
Krashen

3. Five main hypotheses:
• The acquisition-learning hypothesis
• The monitor hypothesis
• The natural order hypothesis
• The input hypothesis
• The affective filter hypothesis.

4. Acquisition
• Subconscious process
• Similar to learning native language

5. Learning
• Conscious process
• “Rules" and "grammar“
• Formal instruction
• Less effective than acquisition (according to Krashen)

6. Acquisition – Learning Distinction
Acquisition
Sub-conscious
by environment
(Ex: games,
Movies, radio)
Picking up words
Learning
Conscious by
instructors
Correct errors
Knowing about
Grammar rules

7. Monitor hypothesis
• Relationship between acquisition and learning.
• The acquirer/learner must know the rule.
• The acquirer must be focused on correctness.
• Having time to use the monitor.

8. Natural Order Hypothesis
• The acquisition of grammatical structures follows a
“natural order” which is predictable.
• He rejects grammatical sequencing.
• Teaching of grammar can result in language acquisition
– when students are interested.

9. Input Hypothesis
• Structure that is “a little beyond” where we are now.
• “going for meaning” first.
• Speaking fluency cannot be taught directly.
• Provide comprehensible input.

10. Affective Filter Hypothesis
• ‘Affective variables’: Motivation, self-confidence and
anxiety.
• Learners with these affective variables are better
equipped.

11. Conclusion
The acquisition-learning hypothesis is at the core of
modern language acquisition theory, and is perhaps the
most fundamental of Krashen's theories on second
acquisition.

12. Bibliography
• Krashen, Stephen D. Principles and Practice in
Second Language Acquisition. Prentice-Hall
International, 1987.
• Krashen, Stephen D. Second Language Acquisition
and Second Language Learning. Prentice-Hall
International, 1988.