1. TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
It is particularly useful because dropping the “T” allows for a focus on the language and its learners rather than just the teaching of it.
2. SLA: Second Language Acquisition
Second language acquisition is the process by which people learn a second language in addition to their native language(s). The term second language is used to describe the acquisition of any language after the acquisition of the mother tongue. The language to be learned is often referred to as the “target language” or “L2″, compared to the first language, “L1″, referred to as the “source language”. Second language acquisition may be abbreviated “SLA”, or L2A, for “L2 acquisition”.
Second language acquisition theory seeks to quantify how and by what processes individuals acquire a second language. The predominant theory of second language acquisition was developed by the University of Southern California’s Steven Krashen. Krashen is a specialist in language development and acquisition, and his influential theory is widely accepted in the language learning community.
There are five main components of Krashen’s theory. Each of the components relates to a different aspect of the language learning process. The five components are as follows:
• The Acquisition Learning Hypothesis
• The Monitor Hypothesis
• The Natural Order Hypothesis
• The Input Hypothesis
• The Affective Filter Hypothesis
3. L1: “Language 1″ = the student’s native (primary or first acquired) language.
L2: “Language 2″ = the language being learned or studied.
