What is comprehensible input you may ask? This is a theory by Stephen Krashen about how people learn languages. That people don’t learn languages – that people acquire them. It is important to know that language acquisition is a process of instinctively knowing how to use a language effectively.
This blog post will go over this theory, as well as my own experience with the theory, learning 3 languages. It will also give ideas on how to use this in practice if you are a foreign language student.
The theory of comprehensible input:
This theory of comprehensible input is one of five hypotheses by the scientist Stephen Krashen about how people – adults and children – learn languages.
These five hypotheses are stated below:
1. Acquisition – Learning Hypothesis
2. Monitor Hypothesis
3. Natural Order Hypothesis
4. Input Hypothesis
5. Affective Filter Hypothesis
For this blog post, we will go over #4 which is his input hypothesis.
The Input Hypothesis:
This is the theory that language is acquired or learnt by reading or listening to comprehensible material, as in understandable yet you don’t understand everything. This is the i+1 Krashen talks about when we understand i, we move to i+1 by being exposed to that.
This means we learn language when we understand messages. When we listen and read messages at a comprehensible level we can learn more and more over time. The key here is that it takes time, it is a gradual process of language acquisition.
The theory proposes that there is only one way of language acquisition – it is when we understand messages i.e. get comprehensible input.
This explains why if you don’t understand anything at all say materials of your target language: you won’t learn much. However, if most of it is comprehensible, you will subconsciously learn quite a lot from it.
Another factor in play is that you must enjoy the materials that you listen and read to, so-called compelling input. This means that you will keep on doing this activity, as you enjoy the content that you are consuming.
Some people ask what sort of level of comprehensible material needs to be at to comprehensible. Research points to around 90-98% comprehension as ideal.
My own experience:
I’m a language learner currently learning 3 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin & Hakka. I’ve realised that I acquire language the best when I get comprehensible input.
For example, I have just done classes in Cantonese for about a year or two. But when I noticed that I was understanding more and able to communicate more when I started watching TV shows in Cantonese and reading Chinese books, the Comprehensible Input method came to light, being a game-changer as a heritage language learner, as it develops your language skills by intuition and feeling so that you can write & speak different languages more organically and without translating to your native language in your head.
CI also bridges the gap between real language and classroom language use, providing a way to learn how the language is spoken outside the textbooks and classrooms.
This led me to acquire a foreign language by receiving input that I enjoy (compelling input) with something that I find I can understand at the time, being an intermediate or higher student (comprehensible input).
I find there are many ways to make input more comprehensible, from subtitles to bilingual books. This way, you will understand messages and acquire a language over time.
How to use comprehensible input at different levels:
I think at different levels it remains the same – you must find materials that you can listen or read to that are comprehensible or understandable to you.
Beginners:
- A lot of textbooks for beginner language learners cover material that progressively gets harder and as such is a valuable way to get comprehensible input.
- Reading & listening to basic materials here such as graded readers.
- Most grammar will come over time; not with grammar drills however but mainly with comprehensible input.
- Output such as speaking and writing at this stage can be good, but much more emphasis should be placed on listening and reading.
Intermediate:
- Do a lot of listening & reading, but use materials that are more easier to understand such as bilingual books etc.
- Do speaking activities with a conversation partner.
- Writing is important too for you to practice another form of output.
Advanced:
- Listen & read widely to different texts and native level materials. This way you will get input from the way the language is truly spoken day-to-day.
- Try to speak the language regularly.
Conclusion:
To conclude, it is important to remember that language learning can be fun. When you consume listening & reading materials that you understand, and that also are compelling and interesting to you, you will find that your language levels will improve.
Compelling input is also very important such as for me, reading the bible or praying in Chinese, you need to find what works best for you.
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