THE COMPREHENSION
HYPOTHESIS
Stephen Krashen
BY: ADRIANA PEREZ SANTILLAN
ALEXIS CARDONA LUQUEÑO
The Comprehension Hypothesis
 It begins when we acquire language, when we understand
messages, when we understand what people tell us and
when we understand what we read.
 The Comprehension Hypothesis also applies to literacy: Our
reading ability, our ability to write in an acceptable writing
style, our spelling ability, vocabulary knowledge, and our
ability to handle complex syntax is the result of reading.
 Few years ago, He referred to this hypothesis as the Input
Hypothesis. He preferred “Comprehension Hypothesis,”
because it more accurately reflects what the hypothesis says.
 The Comprehension Hypothesis refers to subconscious acquisition,
NOT conscious learning.
 A strong affective filter prevents input from reaching those parts of the
brain that do language acquisition.
Krashen's Comprehension Hypothesis Model of
L2 learning
Krashen's Five Hypotheses
The Natural Order 'we acquire the rules of language in a
Hypothesis predictable order'
TheAcquisition/ 'adults have two distinctive ways of developing
Learning Hypothesis competences in second languages .. acquisition,
that is by using language for real
communication ... learning .. "knowing about"
language' (Krashen & Terrell 1983)
The Monitor 'conscious learning ... can only be used as a
Hypothesis Monitor or an editor' (Krashen & Terrell 1983)
The Input Hypothesis 'humans acquire language in only one way - by
understanding messages or by receiving
"comprehensible input"'
TheAffective Filter 'a mental block, caused by affective factors ...
Hypothesis that prevents input from reaching the language
acquisition device' (Krashen, 1985, p.100)
Acquisition
Learning
implicit, subconscious
explicit, conscious
informal situations
formal situations
uses grammatical 'feel'
uses grammatical rules
depends on attitude
depends on aptitude
stable order of acquisition
simple to complex order of
learning
NOTE:
"Explicit" means "something that is easily understood or told directly and clearly"
whereas "Implicit" means "something that is not expressed clearly, thus not clearly
understood".
Aptitude is your capacity ability to do something.
Attitude is your behavior toward something.
For this job position your aptitude to raise children will be tested
You better change your attitude, right now.
Evidence for the Input
Hypothesis (Krashen 1985)
I)
people speak to children acquiring their first language in
special ways
II)
people speak to L2 learners in special ways
III)
L2 learners often go through an initial Silent Period
IV)
the comparative success of younger and older learners
reflects provision of comprehensible input
V)
the more comprehensible input the greater the L2
proficiency
VI)
lack of comprehensible input delays language acquisition
VII)
teaching methods work according to the extent that they
use comprehensible input
VIII)
immersion teaching is successful because it provides
comprehensible input
IX)
bilingual programs succeed to the extent they provide
comprehensible input
People speak to children
acquiring their first
language in special ways
People speak to L2
learners in special
ways
L2 learners often go
through an initial Silent
Period
The comparative success
of younger and older
learners reflects
provision of
comprehensible input
The more
comprehensible
input the greater
the L2 proficiency
Lack of comprehensible
input delays language
acquisition
HOW DOES
“COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT”
APPEAR IN THE CLASSROOM
Teaching methods
work according to the
extent that they use
comprehensible input
Bilingual programs
succeed to the extent
they provide
comprehensible input
INFORMATION
Retrieved from:
http://www.sdkrashen.com/articles/eta_pap
er/index.html
PERSONAL COMMENT
The Comprehension Hypothesis is a very important stage
where the learners acquire a new language. It is a subconscious
acquisition because it is reflected when students are acquiring
new vocabulary without them realizing for that reason is NOT a
conscious learning.
When the learner is acquiring a new language, a
strong affective filter prevents input from reaching those parts
of the brain that do language acquisition. Finally when the
learner acquires that new knowledge they learn it and
beginning to write, to read and to speak.
In the classroom it begins after the silent period, when students
understand what the teacher say, when they understand what
they are reading in the textbooks and finally they understand
what people say. Finally the students begin to speak