Ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｃｅｓ ｂｅｔｗｅｅｎ ＳＬＡ ａｎｄ Ｆｏｒｅｉｇｎ Ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ Ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ

Abstract:Theories of Second Language Acquisition have been applied in the English teaching of Chinese schools for a long time. However， some of them are not applicable actually because of the differences between the two notions， second language and foreign language. Understanding these differences is significant for the language teaching in China. In other words， language educators should have a clear comprehension of the differences between Second Language Learning (SLA) and Foreign Language Learning， so that they can use the proper teaching methods to teach English efficiently.

Key words: Second Language Acquisition Foreign Language Learning language exposure

作者簡介:康曉會(1980—)，女，河北冀州人，英語教育學碩士，河北農業大學外國語學院助教，研究方向:英語作為外語教學(TESOL)。

【中圖分類號】G642 【文獻標識碼】A 【文章編號】1002-2139(2009)-17-0150-01

Various theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) have being applied in the practical English teaching in Chinese schools. However， English in China should be treated as a foreign language rather than a second language; therefore， some of the theories of SLA are not applicable because of the differences of the two notions.

Second languages and foreign languages are radically different in terms of the language environment. L2 learners have a more natural language setting in which to learn than FL learners. L2 learners are usually surrounded by other L2 speakers from their country. Additionally they have more frequent access to the language (e.g.， through the TV， newspapers and advertisement)， this is especially true if it is an official language in the country. However， it is usually impossible for FL learners to have such a language environment.

Besides the input from the language environment， L2 learners can also receive the “comprehensible input” (Krashen， 1981) from the classroom instructions. This is usually unavailable to FL learners because the language level of FL teachers is generally worse than that of L2 teachers.

Second language often holds an important position within a country， for instance， English is a key factor in job seeking or promotion in India and a number of African countries. As a consequence， learners are expected to reach a high level in L2s. It is unlikely that a foreign language is essential in the society; therefore learners are not required to attain a high proficiency.

Taking all the differences between SLA and FL learning into consideration， we can find that roughly， FL learning is more difficult than L2 learning. This is predominately because of the learning environment that cannot supply FL learners’ critical exposure to the targeted language.

Foreign Language is usually learned as an instrument for economic and technological exchanges with the outside world. Therefore most learners stop learning after school and after that there are few chances for them to use the foreign language. For this practical reason， it is more difficult for them to gain nativelike competence than L2 learners， who both have a stronger motivation to learn and better language environment. Most successful FL learners who may have reached a “close native” level or nativelikeness， rely on intensive exposure to the language， this is in addition to other factors such as motivation， efficient input and output.

Talking with the English teachers at the university where I work for， I often heard the complaint that undergraduates are not able to make progress in English learning because they are adults. But age is not the pacing factor for FL learning， and more exposure to the target language is a good way to improve English learning. For example， showing and instructing them to listening to some original English sound programs and tapes which are adjust to their English level. Plus the advantages of adult learners such as advanced cognitive ability and better learning consciousness， they are able to benefit from the exposure or the “comprehensible input” (Krashen， 1981) to some extent.

English learners in China usually ask “How can English pronunciation be improved?” Talking with these confused students， it becomes clear that several of them consider that their pronunciation or accent has become fossilized， they can not significantly improve now that they are passed childhood. However， it is the factor of exposure rather than age that is important. Both repeating after the tapes of native speakers and imitating their pronunciation as well as accent are efficient methods to be recommended. However， it can not be expected to “reach the aim in one move”. It costs time and perseverance， which is difficult for both teachers and learners. English is a foreign language in China， so the exposure to English language mainly comes from the classroom formal instruction.

As English teachers who only have several hours to expose English to students each week should take this period of time seriously， that is to say， they should have the awareness that their English is part of the input， often the most important part. Therefore it is necessary to guarantee that the input is accurate， this relies on ego-enhancement. Meanwhile， for students’ self-directing learning in their spare time， teachers should take the responsibility to give advice on proper English materials such as English newspaper or English broadcasting programs to make sure learners receive positive exposure to the foreign language.

References:

[1] Krashen， S. (1981) Second language acquisition and second language learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press