Thursday, June 20, 2013

The 'DISCOURSE THEORY' A Research Paper.

   The Discourse Theory                                                                   Ranjit Kumar Jha
                                                                              KathmanduUniversity2012
Second language Acquisition or second language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Second language acquisition is also the name of the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. Second language refers to any language learned in addition to a person’s first language; although the concept is named second language acquisition, it can also incorporated the learning of third ,forth or subsequent language.
Second language acquisition is totally conscious process because it has some rules and regulations, theoretical concept or some structural pattern or systems. The language that we learn consciously after the first language is second language acquisition.
One of the most controversial issues in second language learning/acquisition theories is how learners learn second language. There has been a lot of discussion and the debate regarding this issues but the final solution is yet to be discovered. Discussion of second language acquisition process became a very controversial issue in 60s and 70s mainly after the emergence of the mentalist approach to learning theory led by Noam Chomsky, who propose the view that language learning is habit formation only language can only learned by reward and punishment. Behaviorist theory believe that language learned as the formation of behavior.
In this article,I should like to discussion about the Discourse theory in second language acquisition with particular references to the strengths and weaknesses of the many studies carried out at that time.
The Discourse Theory
There has been no shortage of theorizing about second language acquisition. The research literature abounds in approaches, theories ,models, laws, and principles.
Discourse theory refers to the process in which language can learned by communicating with the target language speaker. It follows from a theory of language use, in which communication is treated as the matrix of linguistic knowledge that language development should be considered in terms of how the learners discover the meaning potential of language by participating in communication. If we want learn or acquire the second language or target language. The main ways to learn that by make a hot interaction with the target language speaker. We should need many exposure that make we habituated to use target language.
Halliday,(1975) shows that the development of the formal linguistic devices for realizing basic language function grows out of the interpersonal uses to which language is put. It can be learnt through learning to communicate.
The Behaviorist Theory and Second language Acquisition
According to behaviorists  learning theory, old habit get in the way of learning new habits, and SLA is strongly influenced by learners L1.there is a popular belief that the role of L1 in SLA is a negative one, that is L1 gets in the way or interference with the learning of L2.some researches like Bright and  McGregor(1970),believed that when SLA is concerned ,the grammatical apparatus programmed into the mind as the first language interference with the smooth acquisition of the second. the  vector of “interference” was the result of what was called “proactive inhibition”. this is concerned with the ways in which previous learning prevents or inhibits the learning of new habits.
Discourse theory on SLA
Among all the  theory of second language acquisition ,Discourse theory is one of the major and most reliable theory applied in second language acquisition The discourse theory has great implications in an educational context. It shows how written, visual and oral texts give more depth to the text when the context is understood more deeply in the relevant circumstances in the social context. Instructional dialogue should be closely linked to the particular scenario in a classroom. The thoughts and connections between teachers and students during the process of teaching and learning acquisition develop the rigorous nature of pedagogy.
Discourse involving in child learners
Discourse theory is a very useful for child learners .child have some specific mental  structure to acquire the language very  rastely, and when child involves in participating in different language learners than they can get better mastery over the language. They interact better than the adults. They have very less chance to make mistake at any cost .they enjoy to interact without any hesitations .Hatch shows that in child learners discourse, conversations typically competence with attempts by the child to “open the channels “by calling for adults attentions. The adult then responds by identifying the object that appears to have attracted the child’s attention and the child repeats the have of the objects.
Classroom Implications of the Discourse theory
Discourse theory has a very important role in second language teaching. There are so many methods and techniques that we use for teaching and learning the target language in language classroom. Discourse theory supposed to one of the very effective method for learning the target language. teacher should create an interactive environment in language classroom. They try to make them involve in discussion in target language.
Criticisms/weaknesses of the discourse theory
Although this is a very effective theory, this theory is criticized by many of the people. The main criticism  the theory deserves in the methodological weakness. There is no certain method that we imply to the learners directly. Language cannot be learnt  while learners hadn’t interest to make interaction. It depends the mood of the learners. may be the learners feel shy to communicate with others .In that case, this theory became failure. There should be requirement of mastery over on vocabulary to interact with target language learners.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Discourse theory is one of the effective theory for second language acquisition. One of the controversial issue in second language acquisition in 60s and 70s was now learners learn second language. Discourse theory is one of the modern theory applied in second language acquisition. Traditionally, second language teaching was based on the follow of rules and structure which assumed that language can be learned by following the grammatical pattern or structure of the target language. This theory is criticized by different grammarians and structural linguist saying that language is not a process of communicative and practice but a structural practice and memorization which the learners has already in their mind.
References
1.      Ellis,R 1985.Understanding second language Acquisition .Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2.      Ellis .R 1994.The study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford Applied Linguistics.
3.      Chomsky, N.1959.Behaviourist Theory. Cambridge Press.
4.      Krashen,S.1974.TheoryofSecondLanguageAcquisition.Cambridge:Cambredge. University press.
5.      Wikipedia of Second Language Acquisition.(internet)
6.      Krashen,S.1982.Second Language Acquisition and Second Language learning. University of California: University press.

7.      An Airticle of Discourse Theory On child Language Learners.

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