In the field of second language acquisition, Stephen Krashen, Ph.D, is a name that rises above the academic din that usually begins when the subject of Language Acquisition versus Language Learning is brought up. The noise becomes even more deafening when someone, such as myself, would dare to report how the theories of Dr. Krashen have affected his personal adventure in trying to achieve the highest possible degree of spoken fluency. Without at least one Ph.D under your belt, you are considered (I want to say "an idiot" but I won't) unqualified to utter the words, "I get it?"



We live in an age that those in white coats are the final arbiters of truth. Unless you've earned your white coat, you'd best sit there with your hands folded in your non-doctorate lap and keep your mouth shut. How can you begin to understand the theories of basket weaving when you don't have a Ph.D in basket weaving? (I've never been one for convention, so here goes.)

Lest I bore you with touting Dr. Krashen's academic resume and become guilty of white-coat worship myself, try Googling "Dr. Stephen Krashen" when you have nothing else better to do than sift through the over 131,000 hits. The man does have an impressive track record and reputation in this field. However, critical thinking does demand that while his credentials do demand consideration, is what he proposes true and reasonably worth our time and effort to examine?

Dr. Krashen's explanation of Second Language Acquisition follows along five points:

1) the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis,

2) the Monitor hypothesis,

3) the Natural Order hypothesis,

4) the Input hypothesis,

5) the Affective Filter hypothesis.

Perhaps I should have begun my series on Learning Spanish with this material, so bear with this diversion as I try to explain it (and all I was in college was a lowly Voice Performance Music major!).

"Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill." ? Stephen Krashen

NEXT: The Acquisition-Learning hypothesis