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The Din in Head.
the
Input,
and the
Language Acquisition Device
Steohen D. Krashen
Universiry Southern California
of
(his
paper phenolhenon papcr
ABsrR^cr 7!'i disLtlsses a Thc carly s.cr ions oJ dcscribc rhc Din
repcar
ta ,tunf lunsuuEe acqun?rc, or inrolun' in lhc Head. I hcrc Prolcs{tr Lla.bcls in-
Jartiliat
wheutyl ||ards, lucid
tat! aJ se@n.l la1Euuse saurds, sigh(lul and dcsc.iption ot hc' c\pcricncc.
phruses.
and CuRnt se.and lahguake aqubilion thcn add onc ofrny o$n. Thc nci sccrion bricly
we ".lin' rcvicss rcccnr work in l.rng!aec
thaaD. as as .ase histotr rcpans oJ the somc sccond ac-
\'i1h quisition is.clc\anr final
drc o4sist.41 the hlpothesb that the dn1 in Ihcorl rhar ro thc tcc-
phcnomrnon
!h? hedd is d ofsttrrlklttut somc hypolhcses abour thc Di.
rctult of the lahsxase 1ion.
acqutrtio, and \'hcn suegesrions as irs uriliry in languagc
dcrtce, is set oJJ" tht !t- and sone ro
qttnet
rcLei?s sls,iJndnI atnouh!s.l otnpfthen r.aching and acquisiLion. Th. hyporhcscs are
prucli.ul
sibte ntprt. The ,t1! hdve based eDrirely oD whar can bc te.med anecdoral
dih wlue; it
prordnls
t71a! tett us \|hen ve dlc ntput and scli:r.p(nt.d dara. Th.) may, houc\cr, be
Jot.eal proccdu'.s
larEuase a../uisltio ln .lestes. rcsrablc usnrg morc rigjd .xpcrimcDral
ont (he
wi(h repons wilh
and a.c consisrcnr both and
$ha( is knoen abou( lansuagc
cLrrcnllj- sccond
P'olcssor Llizabdh Barbcr ol Occidcrral Col
lcsc .cccntly phcnomenon
has dcscribcd a in hel
second languagc D.soiplions ol lhc Din
Fisonal acqujsition cxpcricncc
l! jn(cresring. We firn Lur! ro P'oltsor Barber's descriprion,
thal exl.cnrely Ir is an cxpcricncc
paper
many us have had in raken fronr a on lansuage acquisirion aDd
of allempling ro acquirc a
sccond languase in.aLUral circumnanc.s and applicd lineujsrics. Proltssor Barbcr is borh a
linguist
somcrimcs nr lbrmal circumsrances. I vill suee$L and an a.cheolog;r. and rhis exccrpt
hcrc thar rhis cxpcriencc, rhc in rhe Head," dcscribcs hcr lanluagc acquisirion lnd languagc
"Din (lip
prac reccnl
may bc of impo ancc borh Lhcorctically and use cipcricnc$ on a ro Europc:
nay rcsuh
Ircall}. Il bc a ol rh. opcralion of rh.
languagc (LAD) na) ''I .ndr l!n hlLrfav.lLine in a dozcn.ountri.s, mon.
acquisllion dcvice itscll, and
pracricalcnds. l! D Eare,n EufoFc. Sjncc I Nas $.rknre r.tlicr than
rcry hlr
bc urilizcd lbr sonc Ir b.
us. lor long langraSc r.uriDe, I had ro comnu.icar. in an)_ la.guagc I could
abl€ 10 lcll c&rnplc, ho$ yea^agoand
r0!d
lesons should bc, and $hcn Lhcr a.c rfi..rirc. I hadnudicd Ru$ianrcn had n sonc
\incc, bur I h.d nlvcr sD.k.. ir $u.b: I had i.ai.cd
oo ern Or.ck by rravelling on! slmnicr in lhe
p:ia (Ph.D.,.6;ueoi1y ballsoodr ol G,!.c!, qnh enc hcLF h.m nj_ cla!Lral
St D. kmhen or cairo,nh, t-or Cr.ck, I had i.vcr rcad r rD.l had ro{ us.d r ar all
Arr.ld) i! ?ro,s 6f bur
linrukis ai rh. Univdlity.f Sdtndi trhich
Calitomia, ls A]l8clq. in thc i .rvcnirs s.\cn(ccr )carr. Fr.nch, I had
qL
^)
L/|:Iv. -
ANNAI,S
LANGUAGE
FOREIGN
42
in New Yofk knrdly invired
r*clvc and hnd Lhe GoeIhc lnniluc
Frcnch schoolyard ar ago
Lcarned in a participatc workshot/synrposium on
(udied c.rnr^n, uhich I had me 1o in a
i. hifh school, and
im-
eere nrore wiLh several
.Dc summcr by cofl.snondcnc., rcond lansuagc acqujsrion. alone
nudied
ftom
rcad and spolen bolh
nicdrlrc\ sc^iccabl.: I had Noflh Amcrican and Erropean scholar.
orher
wcrc
dur thal lhccurakr\ I *a. $.rki.3 $nh.r Thc ro.kin8 lansua-qcs of lh! sy'nposium
''lr rurned Lhe usualFmcLicc bcinsrhar
norhins bur Ru{ian Enslish and Ccdnan,
lh. Hcrntascin Lenin-sr!d stokc presenr
wolld thcir work and makc rhen
rhc thid, I \as schola^
Thc tun day I was ronsue ri€d, bul by in own languag., assunrirg lhar
g.tinealonC wcll Thar r, $c$ere franagnero codncnrs rhcir
enough. would be able to undeBland.
(o allothcrs
and fonh and c.joy o.c
rhc infonnarion ba.k
set ailh !)mc lineukric
I sas acurcl) lcamc ro rhe conic.cncc
even rhouEh
anorhefs acquainrnncc, an! extent
awarc rhal I sas makinF cro6 hesnarion. I had nor Lrscd Ccrman ro
-r.dnimaricaL whcn I had I0 monrhs io Vi.nna.
saseirht. rhar or hopclc*ly nalllh. since 1962, spenr
Bur i{
c\ert\h.re. prcscn'
adl..'
{ork. AnJ_ self.esp.ctlns ii.sl day rhe symposium, allrhc
..nvcFari.n and rhe On rhc of
you ld() posiible
ri!e in Rursian on rhc ordcr of $ith part
were in Enelish onlt o1 rhe
ei\cs ro casc, ralions
caleSorles .l ldns ro choose from, ac.ordr.B whcn Gcrman was ustd, it
gcnd.r. m.n!.n long and discussion in German.
numbe., r.d animacy, nol lo I fclt
to dive dad. lrc somctrhal uncomiotuble "Cer
ll halc
clalses
and declcnsion
shorr torms vou would and
tosclect a iormconsciousLv, lind dan shy," not surc I u.derstand,
labyrinrh vou
inrorhis to
in ralk thar ocnins, nor at allcager
your $on mor rh€ casral
you proudly \vilh hatd
Rh.n su.facc was A majol
(he usc Geinan. Thc nexr day diflcrcnL.
n tc. nrilcsdotrn nrad
thrm.lhar rhcconlc'salidr present.tion was nsdc in Gennan, lanins well
your socral
Eirhcr rhar, o. inrcrlocuror is sound aslc.t. It *as a topic lhar nor oDlt in-
paong rlnr .ur ro bc,more lran eran o\q an hou.. on
'mp.na.r pe.sonal-
mc, rhat conc€rned mc
in a scicntilic conve^alion. rcrcsrcd bur one
marical corrcch.$, even
aho. rhc linguh( in me*asnoriciDE $ork was even cit€d scveralrimcsl Alrer a
''By iherhnddar ly. My
$ofds, sounds, in
a risins dn or Rusian in my head: whilc I was so ensrosed rha( I rhe
\orccs "Jorsof'(bar
r rhc ol
ronarions, all s*iofrins !bou1
rhrascs, presenrarion I fol
peolle our all was benrg madc in Cerman.
rhe I ralkcd wirh. This dh blockcd lery
to a largc cxten! !o a
'nv lo*ed it easily, lhanks
invesely to
la.euaecs to a degree
olher ltoponional coDIcxr.
a iamiliar exL.alinguisric
Mary rimcs on thc trip, aflcr
well I kne$ rhem
how Fronr
giren al$.r_s Piofessor Barbefs Din bcsan soon aller.
icw days of a languagc, my social sig.ah Franciso Lt)
in rhar lniguaSe, rcgardlen ofqhar I $as rry Nes York, I ilcrv direc(l! 10 San
came our *here I conducred a
E.!hsh, ol couae. anothcr Gcorhc Instirule,
ar rhc monenL c\lepr
ins ro lalk {eekcnd vorkihot on lansuasc reachine. On thc
I had lcaned my basic
and iDrc.cningly, Frsnch. planc, jcI rarll;ne
rvalking horcl, I thc Din
and I havealwavs 1o lh.
bychild\ merhods,
henchai a.hild, I When
oi ir cleanlv at as Barber describcd it.
switch in and our in n) b.ain. exacrly
rcrained theabilityro
And \hcrcas cernan was dLllicuh ro
n.me.fr no(ic.. got workshop I was, fbr thc llrsl Limc in
$as I ro thc
s*irch 10, Spa.nh, ny mo! recenr lanSuagc, yca6, willine bul .agcr ro comnrunicalc
nor onl! qilh
five in German, and I charrcdinCerman rhepal
so imcnse ailer
"Tb. sounds in my head be.ame gcl in
rhc brcaks and al loBclh.rs
on rhem,like v,3'uch ricipanrs during
I found nysellchcwlns
day! rbat I was confident and
cvenine. I noriccd thar
as I the
rhylhn ol my oln ioo$rets
iirguisric cud, ro rhe p€rfect.
qalkcd whencv.r I noticcd fairly fluem. but nol I {as nor orcrly con-
and nrEeuh5.
rhe iredLs my and urashancdl! askcd
sould ro knos whar ccrn.d abour etror
llnsqisr in ne demtnd
thk din, rhe whcn somconesaid
was lbr rcpcrjrion and clarificaLion
l.look whar I say
Hallrhc rire I had
I wls slyiDs. sorndhins ldid nor undersrand.
recon{rucr Fhar n mcant fion lh.
ur, o. somehoR
ing carlicr. lirrlc $hilc after rhe
shi.h I had hcard it houa or days Din lasLcd oDly ibr a
conrcxr in Thc
phrases cou6c $as
rehearal oi rhess of
Thc connanr Neekend. AItcr a ies days back
qurkly quicllyi San Francisco
il easicr aDd casicr to sp.ak and
makin! *ith wilh Gcf
in Los Anlelcs, no conlacl
poppcdour Bur I hadno hoine
rhings asprslabri.arcdchunls. scar I was Gernran
man, ir to olf. Soon
red nrro my b.gan
control ovc' shar my Nbconsciou!
ro bc
Ir fcd nrc $hat { considet.d
''.hcwel'each day.
nemorable llurlly irom a Nrprising or {rcsful or .cadc6
Thcsc t$o anccdorcs sboutd somc
whar marim.lly Fnc
incidcDt nor I considered
isolatcd phcnoftcni, ir
my overall command ofRusian im idea oilh. Din cnough lo.clalc lo
uselul. Nonerhele$, prcscnl
proved Neek than n {ould hale h a rhcn otrn e\pcri.nce. I norc such dara
nore in a sinsle re!ie{ some conceprs rn cur.cnr
(qo reading."l aftcr a bricf of
momh or ot inrensive languaS€ acquisnion Iheory Ihar will bc
lecond
I rdd now mr osn c\pc.ienc$, ior bccausc uscful in sraring hypotheses aboul Lhc Dnr latcr
r5e) . lr laSr
,lc) bJ. o..J'f. dre r.
a.. JniqJr.
J|,., -1
b
FEBRUARY I983 43
Serond Langurge Acquisnion very
Theoryr A intercslrng
hypolhess
is $e
Second languagc presurc rhat acquirc
acquisjrion bcsl when
rhcort thc ir conpl.rcty
distinguishcs subconscious o|l, sben
l:ngua!e a.grlsr/ron anxrdy r zero. *ben
rhe
acqLr;eis focus
second language ly is enrtre
leorrdg. Acquisition on
is comnrunicalioni in
shon, when
'ion the inLer
hyporhcsizcd ro bc subconscious
in rhe cbange
sense rhar or input is so interesling
that lhe
while il is happcnire we are acqui.er
nor usually aware
ot "toreets" Lhat it is in a
iti our focus second laneuaee.
is clscwhcre,
on rhe mcssacc rhal is We can
summarize thc
above by saying
be'ng that sec,
colrrmunicaled. l hc
!csults ofacqunitioD ond languaee
are acquisilion occurs whcn
aho n'bconscious co6p.ehen-
we cannol
al\ays describc siblc inpur is delivercd
in a low
ouracquircd lnowlcdgc. anxjcty siruarion,
bur, rarher, havc whcn
a real messages
"itel" ol rcaljnre.esr
for corecrncss arc transmlled
in a languaee wc
ha\c acquired.
Conscious learning is rhe rulcs."
plicir "kno*ins o. cr 'l
knowledee. ln evc.yday he
spcech, ir is eran- Din l{tpoiheeis
mar- ln my ric*. res€arch suggens I prescnl
rhar acquisi, now a
ccnrral hyporhcsis
js phenomena, conccrn;re
rion lar morc imponant
rhan lcarnnre. Acquisi- lh€ Din a hypothcsis trnh
rion is responsiblc consislcnr
ior llucncy rhe repofls
our in second as well
as thc rheory
dcscrjbed
laneuage, *hilc lcanrine srrres above:
onlr as a Nlonilor, The Dih it a rcsuh ol slitrulotior oJ the
or cdrror: Ne use
our corscious
kno$lcdge
of L
rules orly makc anSudge Ac.tuisitiok Deri.e.
rc corecrbns,
cithcr bcfore
producc or This hypothclis
alicr we has rvo
in corollaries:(t)
rhc sccond Thc Din
scl ofi by comprchensibl. is
inpurj (2)
put and This in-
The nceds ro quanriric!
thcory hyporhesizcs {c contain sisnificanr
rhar acquire in
only oi rhe
onc say: acqunefs i +
by undesranding mcssases I structures which
in rhe tbe
second ye! , acquirer has
language yel nol acquir€d (Note
rhar utilizc slruclurcs wc but is'1eady"
quired. halcnol ac, probably io.. that i +
Put proceed! I is
difltrcnLly, ii an a set of srruclures
acqujrcr and norjust
This one.)
along a. hypoLhesis
order of acquisirion is clearly
ol nrucLures: consisrenr
Barbels lirh
rcpoft as $cll
as my
osn. In both
1234......i rherc was cascs,
considerablc
comprehcnsiblc
input.
trhce i rs In
his or her current
sragc of delelopmen(, Ilarber's
case thc input
camc iiom inreraflion
he or she proceed and
can to in
lhe next sbDcture mycase
i + l rhc Din was figsc.cd good
by a dose
by undestanding ot
input thar
contains i + 1.1
We acquirc, (2)
in othersords. via prcdicrs
.onryrchensible Corollarr rhal
thc Din will
/nprl, listcning nor oc
by or reading vcry peribnncrs,
for meaning. We cur in ad!anccd
do sin.e
nor pracricing lhey witl
acquire by spcakins. Speaking
is receive less input containing i + l. having ac
low rhought
lo bc a iesult of
acqujsnion, noL quired
a dos! predic-
producrjon of the tarset lansuase. This
causc. Real langLrasc tion is sati!ficd (wo
happcns only in rhe cas€s reporrcd
eartier
allcr lhc acquiref has as
buih up comperence via well
in- as in rhc followins
rcpofl.
Trac! Terett,
pur. (Spcaking prolissor a
can hclp
indirecrly in rhat ir cn ot Spanish
and LinsL,isrics
pcoplc ar lhe
couraSes youl)
ro Lalk Lo Univc6it) of Calilornia
ar lrvhe, is vcrr
I have a ad-
hypothcsized rhar lanced performcr
lhe bcst inpur for
ac- in Spanish,
bur repons
rhat
quisition js hc
ne€d not bc and gram,
should nor be only an intcrrnediaLe
in
Frcnch. Prctcssor
marically sequcnccd. Tcr-
When rcll sas
comnunicarion is in Toronro
lasl and visjtcd
whcn !ea. some
succcstul, inpur
thc isundentoodand Frcnch
sup immeFion
clascs. Hc rcpofled
plied quantiry provid, thar he sal
in variely, rn
and i + I will be on about lhree
hours of
class onc mornjns
ed aulomatically recycled quanri subsequcnrly and
and in optimum expcrienccd
rhe Din.
Hisho(s
ly fo. language acquisilion, Onrario lt rh.
InslituLe for Sludics in Educarion sere
Conrprehcnsible qune
input is
neccssary bur suryriscd
n01 s!f- ro hear
ficicnr. Prof.sor Tcrrclt cha(ins
Ercn wirh comprehcnsible
nrpur, casily in
somc ac Frcnch wirh
a dcpanmenl
sccrerary
quiref lail rnakc progfurs. upon
to This is be.ause, sc his rcluh fron rhe itnmersion
school.
have bypothcsizcd, Tcrrcltsaid
rh€ inpur docs
nor rcach rho5c rhar aircr rhe
5c$ion, he was
no lonscr
portions Fr.nch-
ol rh. brain
rhar do language shy,
acquisirion, and I'ke me in
San Francisco,
hedesired
jf som€
cvcn n is
undcrstood. This ln(cftrcrio!
happcns *hen ac, in French.
Thc
casc contlrm!
quirc6 corollarv
are (2),
overanrious or unmo(ivarcd,
and sjncc Te'rcll
crperienced
rhe Din in
rcsults prcsencc an in
iD thc oi an Aibcrnc Fi[e., a termediate languaget he reports
mentalblockrhal that he never ex
keepsrhcnrpuloulotthcLAD.periences Din in (any
the Spanish more!). It also
6\L
lt :tl
ANNALS
T-ANCUACE
FOREIGN
$as
her sludv
C',b app.arcd,
il the
{as scl olfbv Lanerus.
(l rhc Dnr
codlarl sincc
),
confirns audntinsual
for lhe
c!idcnc.
supporrins
as
onry. cit.d (apc hcr
patt$n drill.6wcir recorded
'npur ol
preorc_rechnique
o(De'
scYcral
nak€s
hyDolhcsis
The Din ano
son\ e\cninl monologues'
rcquir 28monrhold
bul
cat hnlorics
silh thc
consisLcnl
rrcns, in ibct' rcscnble
did,
of rhcm
rhar somc
arter found
will occur
Thc Din
cascs:
lurtllur
rn! (maDt did belns
'or of parleins
sru aho lol oc- rehca.sal
lL
inpul.
Nilhoul
pracLicc 'ol,
oDlpul ol discoursc) This
o. cohercnr strcLchcs
drilh
afrcr rern C
cur P as and
inL€rp.cted
a c'F phcnom€non has b.cn P/d'rre
lakcs
Din
the
casc thal
lhc
lo bc
lL sccms a ce'_
ptoductron' ano
cc thal
cvide
case hsrorcs rh..efore as
Thc
up.
Lo s(arl
ol ridc
amount
lain ol tain kind ol prcduclion (latre'n practlcc)
lNo hour!
lo
hast one 's
al
il lakes
rhal
suggcsr acquisi'
ior languaec
neccssa.v
or evcn
Our u$lal procednrc !r language hctFful
good nrpul. ress'
js or
hour
girc la!ring an
rcachine to clsrses in lh' Crib
LansLrage
of Lhc
$ho the 1$o_hout 1{! inlerprclarion
leachcf lrcllt
thosc
Pcrhaps Din e\
lhe
is dilicrerr; il is simplv
v d { phenonenon
l,\ - J, r'! rr rJ|''r l'^r" rcacl
likcl! Lo
-r'rJ morc
it much
Thc child
g.L no\ilrg. iernalizcd.
LAD
lo the
ol inDUr sounds
thc
utrering
Din, acLulll!
Lo rhe
wry
l'wdavs rhis
oll ah'ra
wcar
lo
also se.ms
Thc Djn rcporrs
Cumnrns
Jamcs
inside
hcas
or \he
\1.P.'..r.r.rJ\IoI ..\ '",, '" l" he imnrefion
in a t_r€nch
(hat a sludcnl
daughler,
\,rmmc' I lq'8 .urt^ r' | ' sFLl o' ll . hi5 Lo
'i\. appcars
whal
u(crs
oticn
Lwo prccram in Toronto.
mtL ror
Our cla$
gcneralizdlnD.
Dr$ious atl€r
pla!in8 alonc
when
x,!d d ,al \'r jr\'.(- n r' be randon Frcnch
rhin!?
sane
bc rh.
rhn
Could
dr. o11 rr.)rrI'11 l'h.ld nr"JL( J rchool.
Dr1 r., n j ano tr de r' u Fr.1rl'
-i.J, ' wcJn
V nd i Lrr'' 'r u rl '
' 't\, \a\. Lal ,c. uf. Il .l'"
I L Jr''\ ro' $ rdl'\d \" a "r D:r d) nr.
a-), Jr r - 'd .p .pp,L,J :. ,. . .o, P Ji d il sf c.n
\r'\'rne . o Dir l' uc\' ab
1 I n(
iii ,,toJ. L nL ' '. q\er i'
'(lkbh rrom Locnr rr le Din
I d . dll r' Il'\Il no o'prFm)' .r. ' '
"r " (o us
il is bff" it mal hclp Lcll
whcn
t(,fl L..p , i' I i.r h r( llrJ b "on" and Lu e Lc n
'. to Mondav'\ clas\ ' cllr.1ir( \n\
rcading, and I e.nerallv camc ,ld b l r uf rn- r'(uue..- sLJ rr p''
sh) ,
lirrle french
a 'h
iusr o, L d,... 1,, l^rr'r mci I rL J
l,'i Lr...I rl'que\'! ruFr''' Jr,Llo bc r_
nD, I rrf!. t.. fr'Jr.r' c1 nn $l.n+cdr I u\'dt" nr'):ari.i'Pcrd
-|rl q- d''
rrDur"r'J l r' + rcrr 'n
\.d.r., Jf."ct,:..tr n.ib..br I J!('.,(3d. f .n , ,ol( 'u
shollld r.al \eond lanluagc acqu'rtlon
trirten inpLrr
shv, sinc.
as to
h\Doth;sj\ j''d tr'l|
r'er l'r'Jdj.JcqJi InJJ
ll"ib.r no J | 1 .J\'r'r|hc Din
r, 'n lr'r'u/\"(urld'l NOTES
J:rl..rl l'nr.nle and Applied
E. lJarbcr, Acq!6nion
lhe LAD prclcrs 1o work on onc l. "Languag.
be bccausc pp 26_31
lrrr..i,, l2(1980),
In Linsuiiics," ,'lDFa
proorern
no
nored
a rimc? Barbef
ar
language and
Enelish.
firn lansuagc,
hc' pornts m) o*n
inro or
rwirchine oftlremaln
habriclsketch
'n 3 This
probLcm\
onlv having
Frcnch, .upoor' rn! ore 'S
advanccd o\'-
