Today, I had the pleasure of watching a videoconference with Stephen Krashen. Krashen is one of leading experts in second language acquisition and the author of the foundational book The Natural Approach. The topic of the conference was how to improve acquisition of language through reading. In his book, Krashen lays out four principles of acquisition:
- The natural order hypothesis – some grammatical structures are acquired earlier than others for any given language
- The input hypothesis – learners can only acquire language when they understand (i+1)
- The monitor hypothesis – learners monitor how correct the language they use is
- The affective filter hypothesis – emotional screen that can affect how input reaches the brain
Later there were more hypotheses added:
- The acquisition-learning hypothesis – acquisition is subconscious whereas learning is intentional
- The reading hypothesis – the more we read, the greater our acquisition will be
Today, he talked about a new hypothesis that he was developing:
- The conduit hypothesis – a natural flow of reading from one stage to the next
In the conduit hypothesis, students begin by listening to and reading stories in the classroom with the teacher to begin the journey of acquisition. Then, they can move on to guided self-selected reading where they continue to build their language. Finally, students can move on to “real literature” like novels and other reading materials.
Krashen noted several studies that said fiction was better than non-fiction for acquisition. He cited some recent studies that showed that reading fiction improved not only language acquisition but general knowledge as well. He said if you read ten John Grisham novels, it would be akin to a year of law school. He also pointed out that people read have more empathy for others.
What does this mean for the second language classroom?
First, Krashen said that instead of direct vocabulary instruction and making students keep a list of vocabulary, simply introduce another compelling story. It would be a more effective use of your classroom time.
Next, when students are ready for self-selected reading, you need to have a variety of materials for students to choose from. He said he doesn’t know if there is a difference between reading on the computer or reading with books in your hand. There haven’t been a lot of studies on the matter if any. I know personally, I would rather have a book in hand if possible. I have had my students read online by clicking on links that I provide them that take them to a story. Reading A-Z has a lot of books that can be used to print out on very easy levels. Verb Ninja is creating video readers on YouTube that would be beneficial for emergent readers (click the link to view a video). You could also order from Fluency Matters or Command Performance Books to get more advanced readers for your students.
When students begin to read, don’t bog them down with a lot of note-taking and summarizing. This will burnout students and destroy their love for reading. At best, have them keep a log of the books they read. Krashen recommended the “Star Method” when students read and like a book, they put a star on the inside of the cover. That way, when students are picking out a book, and they see one with a lot of stars, they may be interested in reading it.
What are your tips for getting students to love reading? Tell us about your classroom library!
References:
Best of Bilash. Retrieved from https://bestofbilash.ualberta.ca/krashen.html
Krashen, Stephen D., and Tracy Terrell. Natural approach. New York: Pergamon, 1983.
Krashen, Stephen D. The Good News in Reading Research. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/707903571/videos/2558575540962547/