In psycholinguistics, the interaction hypothesis is a theory of second language acquisition, usually credited to American psycholinguist Michael Long, which states that the development of language proficiency is promoted by face-to-face interaction and communication. Its main focus is on the role of input, interaction and output together in second language acquisition, positing that the level of language a learner is exposed to must be one the learner can comprehend, and that a learner who modifies their own speech to make it comprehensible facilitates their own ability to acquire the language in question. The idea took shape in the 1980s and has since been reviewed and expanded by a number of other scholars.
Facts
Core ClaimSecond-language proficiency develops when learners receive comprehensible input and actively negotiate meaning through face-to-face interaction, not from exposure to input alone. 1 FAQs
How does negotiating for meaning help a second language learner?
Negotiation gives the learner feedback and makes the input easier to understand.
According to the interaction hypothesis, a learner and a conversation partner who work through a breakdown in communication use strategies such as clarification requests, confirmation checks, recasts and comprehension checks. These are considered implicit feedback, while corrections and metalinguistic explanations are explicit feedback. Either way, the exchange gives the learner feedback on their own language use.
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Source Wikipedia: Interaction Hypothesis
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Interaction Hypothesis
Wikimedia FoundationInteraction hypothesis, opening paragraph
In psycholinguistics, the interaction hypothesis is a theory of second-language acquisition which states that the development of language proficiency is promoted by face-to-face interaction and communication.
Interaction hypothesis, Historical development section
Michael Long first developed the interaction hypothesis in his 1981 work titled "Input, interaction, and second-language acquisition".
Developed By: Michael H. Long, Lead
The idea existed in the 1980s, and has been reviewed and expanded upon by a number of other scholars but is usually credited to American psycholinguist Michael Long.
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