CONTENT-BASED SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING …

1 101 Madrid, D. y Garc a S nchez, E. (2001): CONTENT-BASED SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING , en E. Garc a S nchez (ed.): Present and Future Trends in TEFL, 101-134. Universidad de Almer a: Secretariado de publicaciones. CONTENT-BASED SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING Daniel Madrid University of Granada Elena Garc a S nchez University of Almer a 1. INTRODUCTION. CONTEXT AND THE NATURE OF INSTRUCTION When teachers and researchers reflect on the variables that most strongly influence the successful TEACHING and learning of a target LANGUAGE (TL), they find that those related to the context and the nature of LANGUAGE instruction are decisive.

2 The effect and value of the LANGUAGE used for classroom instruction is of paramount importance. Abundant research and theory have been produced in connection with this issue, and several directions, techniques and strategies have been recommended in order to create the best conditions for LANGUAGE TEACHING and learning. Some key issues are: - Instructed foreign LANGUAGE learning (FLL) techniques versus naturalistic SECOND LANGUAGE acquisition (SLA) strategies. - Crosslingual versus intralingual techniques - Analytic versus integral methods - Code versus CONTENT-BASED programmes - Etc.

3 These dichotomies argue about two polemic opposed views of L2/TL TEACHING and learning: a) the degree to which a TL is best learnt through natural development and exposure to it in meaningful contexts or b) in a structured, formalistic environment in a classroom setting. Close to the value of SECOND LANGUAGE instruction is the nature of instruction offered in different learning contexts. Here two very well know options emerge: the FLL context, where the TL is treated as a school subject taught in a graded way, with emphasis on forms, rules and structures and little support and use in the surrounding environment versus the SLA context, where the TL is used as a means of instruction and communication in class, and often in the community.

4 It must be noticed that even though SLA and FLL or SLL are different concepts, in practice most writers and specialists use them interchangeably, especially in the USA: ".. we use the words learning and acquisition interchangeably, although they are sometimes used in the L2 literature to distinguish between conscious and subconscious LANGUAGE development" (Dulay, Burt & Krashen, 1982:11). 102 ".. no distinction is made between acquisition and learning, the two terms being used interchangeably" (Ellis, 1994). The same applies to the distinction between "foreign LANGUAGE " (FL) and " SECOND LANGUAGE " (SL/L2). An FL is a LANGUAGE which is not a native LANGUAGE in a country.

5 It is taught as a school subject, but it is not used as a means of instruction nor as a LANGUAGE of communication in the community. A SL/L2 is a LANGUAGE which is not a native LANGUAGE in a country but which is widely used as a means of communication. It is the term used to describe a native LANGUAGE in a country or community as learnt by people living there who have another first LANGUAGE . English in the USA is the SECOND of millions of immigrants. Despite this distinction, both terms are also interchangeable: "In North America, applied linguists' usage of foreign LANGUAGE and SECOND LANGUAGE are often used to mean the same" (Richards, Platt and Webber, 1985:108).

6 In bilingual or plurilingual communities, we can often talk about first SECOND LANGUAGE (an L2) or SECOND SECOND LANGUAGE (an L3). In this chapter we have used the term "target LANGUAGE " (TL) most times, which means any additional non-native LANGUAGE . 2. INSTRUCTED FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING (FLL) AND NATURALISTIC SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (SLA) The type of context provided for SECOND LANGUAGE instruction is crucial to understand the difference between what is called FLL (or SLL) and SLA. The most well-known position concerning the influence of formal and informal linguistic environments on TL development is that of Krashen (1988).

7 FLL takes place in settings where the LANGUAGE learnt plays no major role in the community and is learnt in the classroom, in a conscious way, through the study of rules and exercises. According to Krashen and his collaborators, this distinction is made as follows: Learning: "Learning is a conscious process that results in knowing about LANGUAGE " (Krashen, 1984:1) ".. adults have two independent systems for developing ability in SECOND languages, subconscious LANGUAGE acquisition and conscious LANGUAGE learning" (Krashen, 1988:1). "Conscious LANGUAGE learning .. is thought to be helpful a great deal by error correction and the presentation of explicit rules".

8 (Krashen and Seliger, 1975) "Conscious learning is available to the performer only as a monitor" (Krashen, 1988:2) Acquisition: In SECOND LANGUAGE acquisition contexts the LANGUAGE is used as a means of communication in the community. In these situations, SLA takes place in a natural and subconscious way, when learners engage in communicative activities. So, it is often the subconscious process of "picking up" a LANGUAGE through exposure. The SLA process is 103 similar to the process children use in acquiring the L1. Some of its main characteristics are the following (Krashen, 1998): "It requires meaningful interaction in the target LANGUAGE -natural communication-in which speakers are concerned not with the form of the utterances but with the messages they are conveying".

9 ( ) "Acquirers need not have a conscious awareness of the "rules" they possess, and may self-correct only on the basis of a "feel" for grammaticallity" (p. 2) ".. the classroom may serve as an "intake" informal environment as well as formal linguistic environment" (p. 47) "The classroom can be valuable, and in fact generally is of value, in LANGUAGE acquisition as well as in LANGUAGE learning" (p. 48) "The child relies primarily on acquisition" (p. 49), "but formal study, or its essential characteristics, is significantly more efficient than informal exposure in increasing SECOND LANGUAGE proficiency in adults" (p.)

10 41) As Ellis points out, it is difficult to know whether the knowledge learners possess has been acquired, learnt or both. SLA appears to be a complex, multifaceted process which means different things to different people. For Ellis, (1994: 15), "the goal of SLA is the description and explanation of the learners linguistic or communicative competence". Ellis also talks about naturalistic SLA and instructed FLL. The former takes place in naturally occurring social situations and the latter occurs through study , with the help of guidance from reference books or classroom instructions (1994:12).