Unit 11 Input and interaction.doc

Unit 11 Input -- from perspective of interaction (1) Pre-questions 1. What does input mean? 2. What are the major views of input? 3. What is the use of input in SLA? 4. How does input interact with output? 5. What effects does Motherese have on L2 acquisition? 6. What effects does foreigner talk have on L2 acquisition? 15.1 Definition In previous units, L2 learner differences in learning a L2 were presented. All of the differences has to do with input of the L2. Definition: The target language data in spoken or written form produced by native speakers of that language or by users of that language as non-native speakers or by fellow learners of that language, which is exposed to the learner. This definition manifests 3 points: (1) “input” is the target language that is the language learner hears or reads, (2) the target language arrives at the learner either in spoken form or written form, or both in spoken and written form, (3) that target language is from native speakers of that language, or users of that language as non-native speakers such as teachers of the target language or other fluent users of the target language, or even peer learners of that target language, and (4) inferrably, the target language exposed to the learner is by means of face-to-face personal contact, by speakers present as real form of communication such as lecture, or by media such as TV program, Video viewing, broadcasting. Input involves two ends of the language data flow, the quality and quantity of input. The two ends are the learner and the source where the language data is sent—a person, a medium of any kinds. The quality concerns correctness and completeness, and quantity concerns how much and how often the data is sent. The input is seen at first as outside the learner and may occur in different situations. So far, there are different views about the iuput: the behaviorist, the nativist, and the interactionist views. 15.2 Three views on input in language acq