The+Work+of+Stephen+Krashen

Stephen Krashen: The Natural Approach and the Five Hypotheses

__ Stephen Krashen __ Stephen Krashen was born in 1941 in Chicago, IL. He received his Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of California, Las Angeles. Dr. Krashen has published more than 350 papers and books on Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition. He is best known for his work in the field of English as a Second Language. He developed the idea of the Natural Approach and the Five Hypothesis to Second Language Acquisition. His work is so important to the field of ESL because he changed the first ideas of Behaviorism, Innatism, and Interactionist theories.



__ The Natural Approach __ The Natural Approach is the work of Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell. There are two tenants that are the basis of the Natural Approach – one is language learning, the L2 learner must know the rules of the language such as the grammar. The other tenant is language acquisition – the ability to speak and understand the language, this taking place when communication occurs.

The Natural Approach also speaks of Affective Filters. The High Affective Filter is when a student experiences a high degree of stress or duress. The student cannot effectively learn the language because their Affective Filter is so high; they have a “mental block” so to speak. The Low Affective Filter is present when the learning environment is one that is comfortable for the student. The student feels comfortable and there is minimal distraction and stress. The student has little to no “mental block”.

__ The Natural Approach also focuses on five hypotheses to language learning. __

__ The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis __ Language acquisition is opposed to language learning. Language acquisition happens when a learner uses the language in a meaningful way. Language learning happens when the language learner studies the grammar of the language. According to the hypothesis a person can only become fluent through language acquisition.

__ The Natural Order Hypothesis __ The acquisition of grammar happens naturally in a predictable order, and cannot happen in any other way. A student will learn the new language naturally. The student will learn Subject Verb Agreement before they learn the Subjunctive form.

__ The Monitor Hypothesis __ The language learner uses the “monitor” which checks information for mistakes that was previously learned. The student will “check” what they are saying or writing through the information they have already acquired.

__ The Input Hypothesis __ Language is best learned when it is connected in some way to the learner, through necessity or interest. A student must be engaged in the learning process. A teen-aged student would be very interested in music or applications for jobs, but not as much on Shakespeare.

__ The Affective Filter Hypothesis __ The emotional state of the people learning the language will either hinder or help the learner. If a person is feeling stress from the learning environment they will not learn as much as a person who is comfortable in their learning environment.

__ Resources __

This website gives vital information on Stephen Krashen, Natural Approach, and the Five Hypotheses. [] [|Krashen and the Natural Approach] The Natural Approach, this website gives information and classroom applications of the Natural Approach. [] [|Foreign Languages Web]

Source Foreign Languages Web. (2010). //Natural Approach.// Retrieved from: [] Stephen Krashen. (2010). Biographical Dictionary. Retrieved from: http://www.s9.com/Biography/Stephen-Krashen



Jennifer Lassen McMurray Middle School jennifer.ireland@mnps.org