The Role of Interaction in Second Language Acquisition

The Role of Interaction in Second Language Acquisition



The Role of Interaction in Second Language Acquisition

Long, among other interactionists, also believes in the importance of comprehensive input. His interaction hypothesis also stresses the importance of comprehensible input as a major factor in second language acquisition; however, he also believes that interactive input is more important than non-interactive input. In addition, Long stresses the significance of interactional modifications which occur in the negotiating meaning when communication problems arise (Gass, S. M. 2003)

The major distinction between interactionist and nativist theories of SLA is that scholars such as Krashen emphasize comprehensible target language input which is one-way input and, on the contrary, interactionists acknowledge the importance of two-way communication in the target language. Interactionists agree that Krashen's comprehensible input is a crucial element in the language acquisition process, but their emphasis is on how input is made comprehensible. Moreover, Krashen distinguishes between language acquisition and language learning; however, this paper will focus mainly on Long's theory of SLA. (Gass, S. M. 2003)

Long believes thatwhat makes input to be comprehensible is modified interaction, or negotiation of meaning. In Krashen's input hypothesis, comprehensible input itself remains the main causal variable, while Long claims that a crucial element in the language acquisition process is the modified input that learners are exposed to and the way in which other speakers interact in conversations with learners. Long investigates conversations between a native speaker (NS) and non-native speaker (NNS) and proposes his interaction hypothesis as follows:

(Gass, S. M. 2003)

Negotiation for meaning, and especially negotiation work that triggers interactional adjustments by the NS or more competent interlocutor, facilitates acquisition because it connects input, internal learner capacities, particularly selective attention, and output in productive ways. (cited in Gass, 2002, p. 174). In other words, interactional adjustments make input comprehensible, and comprehensible input promotes acquisition, thus interactional adjustments promote acquisition. Long believes that when meaning is negotiated, input comprehensibility is usually increased and learners tend to focus on salient linguistic features (Kaufman, 2004) also summarizes Long's Interaction hypothesis as follows:

Speakers in conversations negotiate meaning. In the case of conversations between learners and others, this negotiation will lead to the provision of either direct or indirect forms of feedback, including correction, comprehension checks, clarification requests, topic shifts, repetitions, and recasts. This feedback draws the learner's attention to mismatches between the input and the learner's output. Negotiation of meaning leads to modified interaction, which consists of various modifications that native speakers or other interlocutors make in order to render their input comprehensible to learners. For example, native speakers in a conversation with non-native speakers often slow their speech down, speaking more deliberately.

Long, among other interactionists, also believes in the importance of comprehensive input. His interaction hypothesis also stresses the importance of comprehensible input as a major factor in second language acquisition; however, he also believes that interactive input is more important than non-interactive input. In addition, Long stresses the significance of interactional modifications which occur in the ...