Krashen+and+The+Natural+Approach



**Stephen Krashen** is a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California. He is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and development. He has written over 250 articles and books in the fields of bilingual education, neurolinguistics, second language acquisition and literacy. He has received numerous awards for his work. He and Tracy Terrell developed the Natural Approach to Second Language Acquisition. The Natural Approach has had a large impact in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s.

**The Natural Approach** is based on the theory that language acquisition occurs only when students receive messages they understand -- comprehensible input. There is an emphasis on reading and listening comprehension for beginning students. The focus is on teaching communicative abilities. The foundation for this approach is Krashen’s five hypothesis.

**__Krashen's Five Hypothesis__** **The Acquisition/Learning Hypothesis** -- Language acquisition is an unconscious process developed through using language in a meaningful way. Language learning is consciously learning or discovering rules about a language. Language acquisition is the only way competence in a second language occurs.

**The Monitor Hypothesis** – Language that we have consciously learned operates only as a monitor or editor that repairs acquired language.

**The Natural Order Hypothesis** --The acquisition of grammatical structures develop in a predictable order. This does not mean that grammar should be taught in this natural order of acquisition

**The Input Hypothesis** -- Language is best acquired from messages that are just slightly beyond a learner’s current competence. This is called comprehensible input.

**The Affective Filter Hypothesis** -- Motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety all affect language acquisition by impeding or blocking input necessary for acquisition.

**Helpful Resources** An informative power point on The Natural Approach [|Power Point]

A Summary of Stephen Krashen's "Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquision" []

Strategies for teaching using the Natural Approach []

Gema Sieh Highland Rim School gsieh@lcdoe.org