Second Language Acquisition: Processing Strategies and Learnability
Processing Strategies in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Canonical Order Strategy
The canonical order strategy is the first strategy learners develop. It relies on basic word order (Subject-Verb-Object) and focuses on meaning without requiring extensive grammar knowledge. Learners at this stage operate on a semantic and lexical level.
Initialization/Finalization Strategy
As learners progress, they become more attuned to the beginnings and ends of sentences. Discrepancies between their internal rules and the input language become noticeable, leading to the movement of initial and final elements within sentences.
Subordinate Clause Strategy
The subordinate clause strategy involves the ability to identify and manipulate subordinate clauses, requiring more advanced processing skills. Learners at this stage can move elements within and between clauses, demonstrating a higher level of grammatical understanding.
Systematicity and Variability
SLA is characterized by both systematicity and variability. Systematicity refers to the universal and hierarchical nature of processing strategies, while variability acknowledges individual differences in the application of these strategies. Learners may employ different solutions to overcome processing constraints based on their input and learning styles.
Processability Theory (PT)
Processability Theory attempts to describe the architecture of the human linguistic processor. It posits that learners can only process linguistic structures that their cognitive system can handle at a given stage. PT proposes a hierarchy of processing procedures that are necessary for language acquisition:
- Lemma access: Processing words without grammatical information.
- Category procedure: Processing words with basic grammatical information (e.g., number, gender, tense).
- Phrasal procedure: Operations within phrases (e.g., agreement between adjectives and nouns).
- S-procedure: Operations beyond phrases, including word order and subject-verb agreement.
- Subordinate-clause procedure: Handling different clauses and their relationships.
These procedures are specialized, automatic, and implicational, meaning that they build upon each other in increasing complexity. PT emphasizes the incremental nature of language acquisition, where new procedures are developed while existing ones continue to operate.
PT and the Multidimensional Model
Processability Theory has been integrated with the Multidimensional Model of SLA, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding language development. The model highlights the interaction between processing procedures, linguistic features, and learner-internal factors.
Implications for Language Teaching
PT suggests that language instruction should be aligned with learners’ current processing capabilities. Teaching structures that are beyond their current stage can be counterproductive. The theory advocates for a focus on “teachable” features and the importance of providing comprehensible input that gradually challenges learners’ processing abilities.
Moving Forward with PT
Processability Theory continues to evolve as a cognitive model of SLA. Its strengths lie in its explanatory power, predictive value, and ability to account for individual differences in language development. Research is ongoing to further explore the universality of processing sequences and the role of L1 transfer in SLA.