Describe the five theories that make up the monitor model

The Acquisition learning hypothesis
The Acquisition learning hypothesis claims that there are two distinctive ways of developing competence in a second or foreign language (Richards & Rodgers 2001): through acquisition or through learning. Thus they make a distinction between acquisition and learning.

The natural order hypothesis
The natural order hypothesis states that “We acquire the rules of language in a predictable order, some rules tending to come early and others late. The order does not appear to be determined solely by formal simplicity and there’s evidence that it is independent of the order in which rules are taught in language classrooms” (Krashen 1985).In other words in the learning process some grammatical structures generally tend to be acquired early while others are acquired late. This is regardless of the learner’s L1.Research is said to have shown that certain grammatical structures or morphemes are acquired before others in first language acquisition of English and a similar natural order is found in second language acquisition.

The input hypothesis
The input hypothesis claims to explain the relationship between what the learner is exposed to of a language (the input) and the language he acquires. This hypothesis postulates that “humans acquire language in only one way – by understanding messages or by receiving “comprehensive input”.

The monitor hypothesis
The monitor hypothesis states that what learners learn is available as monitor (Saville – Troike 2006:45).Learners make changes and edit what they are going to produce. The language that learners have learned consciously works as an editor in situations where they have sufficient time to edit are focused on form and know the rules (Gass &Selinker 1994) This conscious editor is called the monitor.
According to Krashen there are variations in use of the monitor that affect the language that learners produce. Acquired language skills can lead to improved fluency but overuse of the monitor can lead to reduction in fluency (Krashen 1988). In addition Krashen believes that there’s individual variation among language learners with regard to ‘monitor’ use. He posits that there are learners who use the monitor all the time. He describes these learners as ‘over-users’. Overusers will speak in a way that is not natural because they are consciously trying to produce correct language. On the other hand there are those who do not utilize the monitor as they should .These he describes as ‘underusers’. Underusers will often speak quickly but with a lot of errors. The last group is that of learners who use the monitor appropriately .They are described as ‘optimal users’. Optimal users are able to balance between speed and accuracy, while they continue to refer to what they have learnt; they also acknowledge the importance of communication.

The affective Filter Hypothesis
The affective filter hypothesis states that comprehensible input may not be utilized by second language acquirers if there’s a ‘mental block ‘that prevents them from fully profiting from it. Krashen calls this mental block ‘the affective filter’. According to this hypothesis not everyone has the same ability in learning a second language. There are certain variables which affect language acquisition. These are: self-confidence, motivation and anxiety. According to Krashen, the affective filter acts as a barrier to language input. The variables mentioned already play a crucial role in second language learning. Learners who are highly motivated, self-confident and less anxious are often successful in SLA.On the other hand those with low motivation, low self – esteem and anxious are ill-equipped for SLA.
Krashen claims that affective variables do not affect language acquisition directly but rather they cause a mental block that prevents input from reaching the LAD. The mental block (affective filter) might occur because the acquirer is unmotivated, lacking in self- confidence, or anxious. He came up with a model to explain how this happens.

---

francis1897 answered the question on March 8, 2023 at 13:51