Stephen D. Krashen and Humanistic Language Teaching

Abstract

This dissertation presents Stephen D. Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory and an overview of Humanistic Language Teaching starting from the Sixties. The first chapter outlines Humanistic Language Teaching and its development over the years. The second chapter describes the Methodologies applying the Humanistic Approach to Language Learning, in particular we will deal with: 1. J.J.Asher’s Total Physical Response; 2. C.A.Curran’s Community Language Learning; 3. C. Gattegno’s Silent Way; 4. Lozanov’s Suggestopedia. The third chapter describes Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory and analyses the five hypotheses it is based on, namely: 1. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis; 2. The Monitor Hypothesis; 3. The Natural Order Hypothesis; 4. The Input Hypothesis (which is furtherly expanded on in The Reading Hypothesis and The Pleasure Hypothesis); 5. The Affective Filter Hypothesis. The fourth chapter presents a reasoned evaluation of Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition Theory in the light of the most prominent scientific literature spanning the latest forty years since the first formulation of the theory.