بحث اكتساب اللغة الثانية

Abstract

• Second language acquisition research (SLAR) should be viewed through a complex dynamical system lens, considering interconnected factors within the acquisition ecosystem.
• Current SLAR approaches are overly simplistic; a complex dynamical, nonlinear, open, and adaptive system of inquiry is proposed to address these complexities.
• The paper suggests that the Newtonian view of SLA research is inadequate for understanding the complexities of language acquisition.

Introduction

• Research in education, particularly SLA, has experienced fluctuations.
• There's no clear-cut definition for research in applied linguistics, leading to terminology confusion.
• Research can be categorized as primary (intervention/selective) or secondary (types of analysis).
• Different researchers have proposed various classifications of research approaches based on methodology, time orientation (cross-sectional/longitudinal), and paradigms (qualitative/quantitative).
• Current views of SLA research are insufficient to address the topic's intricacies.
• The paper aims to analyze SLA research through the lens of complex systems theory.

Complex System Theory: The Background

• Complexity theory originated from natural sciences and is applied to human sciences.
• It aims to explain how order emerges from chaos in systems, particularly in living systems, like complex adaptive systems.
• Historical roots in the work of Edward Lorenz in weather prediction highlight the sensitivity of systems to initial conditions.
• The butterfly effect demonstrates that small, seemingly insignificant changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale, unpredictable outcomes.

Complexity Theory and SLA

• Increased interest in applying complexity theory to SLA research is noted, moving beyond Newtonian paradigms.
• Language is viewed as a dynamic system with interconnected components (syntax, semantics, phonology, etc.).
• Interlanguage systems are examined using dynamical system theory to understand the dynamism and variability of learner systems.
• Affordance is a crucial concept, referring to the properties of the environment relevant to an active organism, emphasizing a learner's active role in the language acquisition process.
• Complex systems theory argues that SLAR should be studied as a complex, adaptive system considering its evolving nature and internal/external interactions with the environment.

Standard Research vs. Complex System Research

• Standard research is deductive and reductionist.
• Complex systems research is concerned with emergence and the dynamic interplay of factors within the system.
• Complexity theory emphasizes the interconnectedness and dynamism of language acquisition, which is not adequately reflected in standard research methodologies.
• SLA research is better understood when considering the system as a whole, recognizing the dynamic interplay of elements.

Conclusion

• The paper argues that traditional Newtonian approaches to SLA research are insufficient.
• A complex systems-based approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of language acquisition.
• Research in this area should move beyond reductionism and towards a dynamic understanding of the interactions among the multiple factors impacting the learning experience.

يتناول هذا البحث مجموعة من العوامل المعقدة المتعلقة باكتساب اللغة الثانية، ويقترح نظامًا ديناميكيًا لفهم هذه التعقيدات. يتم تحديد التصنيفات المختلفة للبحث في اللغويات التطبيقية وكيفية تصنيفها. كما يناقش البحث قيود النظرة النيوتنانية لبحوث اكتساب اللغة.