Course title: PROCESS OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Instructors: Asst. Prof. Stela Letica Krevelj
ECTS credits: 3
Semester: I
Status: mandatory
Enrollment requirements: none
Course description: language acquisition and language learning; theories of language acquisition and teaching; processing input; learner output and classroom interaction; individual and contextual factors in language acquisition; intercultural and communicative language competence; language learning and teaching awareness; learner autonomy; research methods in second language learning and teaching.
Objectives: Students will get an insight into the complexity of the process of acquisition, processing, and use of the second language, contemporary theories of second language acquisition and foreign language teaching, and key terms related to the process of second language acquisition and teaching. The course will enable students to reflect critically on the theoretical aspects of language acquisition and teaching and to conduct small scale research studies in the field.
Course requirements: Students will be expected to read the literature assigned by the course instructor. High level of participation, especially in seminars, is expected. Students who pass the three revision tests do not have to sit for the final exam.
Week by week schedule:
| Week | Topics |
| 1 | Language acquisition and language learning; first language, second language, foreign language |
| 2 | Theories of language acquisition |
| 3 | Input, output and interaction |
| 4 | Individual and contextual factors in language acquisition |
| 5 | Revision – Test 1 |
| 6 | Theories of foreign language teaching |
| 7 | Communicative language competence |
| 8 | Language needs analysis |
| 9 | Intercultural competence |
| 10 | Revision – Test 2 |
| 11 | Language awareness |
| 12 | Language learner autonomy |
| 13 | Classroom discourse |
| 14 | Research into language learning and teaching |
| 15 | Revision – Test 3 |
Required reading:
– Lightbown, P.M. & Spada, N. (2006). How Languages are Learned. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
– Gass, S.M. & Selinker, L. (2008). Second Language Acquisition. An introductory course. New York and London: Routledge. [selected chapters] / Gass, M., Behney, J. & Plonsky, L. (2013) Second language acquisition: An introductory course (4th ed). New York: Routledge.
– Medved Krajnović, M. (2010). Od jednojezičnosti do višejezičnosti: Uvod u istraživanje procesa ovladavanja inim jezikom. Zagreb: Leykam International d.o.o.
– Nunan, D. (1991). Language Teaching Methodology. London: Pretice Hall.
Recommended reading:
– Cook, V. (2002). Portraits of the L2 user. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
– Doughty, C. J. & Long, M. H. (Eds.) (2003). The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. Malden, MA, Oxford, Melbourne, Berlin: Blackwell Publishing. [selected chapters]
– Ellis, R. i Shintoni, N. (2014) Exploring language pedagogy through second language acquisition research. Routledge.
– Jarvis, S. & Pavlenko, A. (2008). Crosslinguistic Influence in Language and Cognition. New York and London: Routledge.
– Kaplan, R. B. (Ed.) (2002). The Oxford Handbook of Applied Linguistics. Oxford : OUP.
– Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (1998). Uloga afektivnih faktora u učenju stranoga jezika. Zagreb: Filozofski fakultet.
– Mihaljević Djigunović, J. & Letica Krevelj,S (2012) Developmental dynamics in acquiring existential there in L2 English. Studia Romanica et Anglica Zagrabiensia. 57, 107-122.
– Mihaljević Djigunović,J i Medved Krajnović, M. (2015). (ur.) Early Learning and Teaching of English: New Dynamics of Primary English. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
– Vilke, M. (1977). Uvod u glotodidaktiku. Školska knjiga: Zagreb.