In second-language acquisition, the acculturation model is a theory proposed by John Schumann to describe how members of ethnic minorities, typically immigrants, migrant workers, or their children, acquire a second language in natural settings where that language is spoken by the surrounding majority. The theory's central claim is that success in acquiring the second language is directly tied to the acculturation process, meaning the extent to which the learner is able to orient socially and psychologically toward the culture of the target language. Learners who remain socially and psychologically distant from the target-language community, the model holds, acquire the language only to a limited degree, while those who acculturate more fully progress further.
Facts
Core ClaimThe acculturation model holds that success in learning a second language is directly tied to how far the learner acculturates, socially and psychologically, toward the culture of the target-language community. 1 FAQs
Which factors does Schumann's acculturation model say shape how far a second-language learner gets?
Schumann based the model on two sets of factors, social and psychological. How far a learner acculturates toward the target-language group depends on these factors, and they set the learner's social distance and psychological distance from that group.
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Source Acculturation Model (Wikipedia)
Developed By
Source Acculturation Model (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Acculturation Model (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead and Description sections
Schumann based his acculturation model on two sets of factors: social and psychological.
References section, Schumann citation (title and year fields)
The Pidginization Process: A Model for Second Language Acquisition
Associated With: Motivation in Second-Language Learning, Description section, psychological distance factors
Psychological distance is the extent to which individual learners are at ease with their target-language learning task.
Developed By: John H. Schumann, Lead section
In second-language acquisition, the acculturation model is a theory proposed by John Schumann to describe the acquisition process of a second language (L2) by members of ethnic minorities that typically include immigrants, migrant workers, or the children of such groups.
In Group: Language Learning in Social Context, Lead
In second-language acquisition, the acculturation model is a theory proposed by John Schumann to describe the acquisition process of a second language (L2) by members of ethnic minorities that typically include immigrants, migrant workers, or the children of such groups.
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