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Introduction
There are three major scientific research methods
that are used to study the theories of Second
Language Acquisition (SLA). These three
methods are:
1- Behaviorist Tradition
2- Cognitive-Computational Tradition
3-Dialogical Tradition
1- Behaviorism
- this school has been followed till 1960s.
- The focus in this school was on the learner’s
external environment.
- The external environment is doing the role of
Stimulus for the learning process.
- As well as the learning process depends on
the external environment, it is regarded as
habit-formation.
- Habit formation is (the link between stimuli
and responses
-The
learner’s
mental
abilities
are
disregarded in this school. As his mind
does not belong to the external
environment.
2- The cognitive-computational
tradition
- this school is divided into two sections:
-The first is called the hypothetic-deductive. And the second
is called the new information processing.
This school believes that the human body is responsible
for outward behavior and the human mind is responsible
for the mental/inward process. Both of them are important
in this school.
-in this school the human mind is superior to the human
body.
-
The hypothetic-deductive method
- This method will be explained throughout
this example. When the teacher gives the
learner a question. The learner tries to
think and get some suggestions. His/her
suggestions may be right or wrong. These
suggestions are known as deductions.
When these deductions are correct, they
are regarded as explanation for future
actions. If these deductions are wrong,
the question will be repeated
Conversational-adjustment
hypothesis
the previous example will be understood in
another way. The result of questiondeduction is renamed as the conversationaladjustment hypothesis. In that way, if the
linguistic/conversational adjustment promote
comprehension
of
input
and
that
comprehension input promotes acquisition.
Therefore, it could be deduced that
adjustment promotes acquisition.
A---B
B---C
The new-information Method
This method shows the mechanism for the
processing of information or knowledge.
In this method, the input, the output,
short-term
memory,
and
long-term
memory are evoked.
The point here is that the mental process
require a hard ware system-the human
brain- and a soft ware program-the human
mind- where these processes are
prepared, processed, and stored.
Cognitive tradition & UG Chomsky
Some researchers tried to link between the
cognitive tradition and the theory of universal
grammar by Chomsky. They assumed that the
meaning of any given sentence needs a
reference and a sense.
Reference is to know either the circumstances
around the sentence are true or false. Sense
refers to the idea of this sentence. Is it logical
or not.
Example:
1- the morning star is the evening star.
Reference= circumstances= the two stars
come from the same planet so the
meaning is clear (the morning star is the
evening star).
Therefore, if we change the sentence:
2 the evening star is the morning star= the
result is not the same meaning.
So, we have to move to the second factor

Is sense.
The first sentence has logic while the second
sentence does not have this logic.
Out from this example, we have to know that
the two factors (reference and sense) should
be adopted to understand the meaning of any
sentence.
Summary of Cognitive tradition
Generally, this method stresses the importance
of the mental processes. By the use of logicdeductive method. This method shows the
importance of the internal processes rather
than the external processes. In the cognitive
tradition, the external environment is less
important than the internal because human
beings are born with innate nature to
understand and realize cognitively. We are
born with our own computer
that is
responsible for the cognitive development.
Therefore, behaviorism school depends mainly
on the external environment (the body),
cognitive theory depends on the internal
world (the mental processes), and the
computational information sees the human
mental processes are governed by software
program.
Q1: there are three main scientific research
methods that affect SLA. Describe with
examples. (what are the …..?)
3- The Dialogical Tradition
This method tries to make the balance
between the internal and external world of
both
behaviorism
and
cognitive
traditions. It shows the balance between
the mind and the body. This approach
takes into consideration the dynamic
roles of social contexts, socio-cultural,
historical, and institutional backgrounds
that affect the cognitive growth.
This tradition stresses the importance of
social,
cultural,
political,
historical
matters in the person’s life.
To conclude, the three traditions of SLA are
devoted to investigate the external world,
the internal world, and finally, the
relationship
between
the
two
environments.
*** Behaviorism and SLA
Behaviorism was regarded as a general theory
of learning (either first or second language).
It was mentioned that learning is advanced
by stimulus-response process by means of
reinforcement and practice.
First language learning is viewed as the
imitation of utterances the child exposed to.
Therefore, How do children learn to speak is
an important question?