Individual Variation in the Use of the Monitor

Individual Variation in the Use of the Monitor

Abstract

Second language acquirers often use monitors theory in second language acquisition. The usefulness of acquirers’ performance is measured through the use of the target language, for example (a) acquirers use the target language error fix (no interference with the language that has been mastered), (b) when they made some mistakes typically can be identified accurately as a natural process of acquisition, (c) acquirers will automatically recognize and correct errors to use the proper form so that more careful in speaking and writing skills.

One important area in second language acquisition is the area of individual variation. It is supposed that individual second language performers would vary with respect to the extent to which they utilize the Monitor in second language production.

General Characteristics of Monitor Users

There are three general characteristics of Monitor users, namely:

1.    Successful Monitor users edit their second language output when it does not interfere with communication.

2.    This editing results in variable performance, that is, we see different types and amounts of errors under different conditions. Monitoring generally improves accuracy levels, and as we have noted above, under edited conditions, where attention is on form, we no longer see the child's "natural" difficulty order.

3.    Monitor users show an overt concern with "correct" language, and regard their unmonitored speech and writing as "careless".

However, it is difficult to use the Monitor: in order to use it successfully, three conditions must be met. First, the acquirer must know the rule, which is a very difficult condition to meet. The second condition for the successful use of the Monitor is that the acquirer must be thinking about correctness, must be focused on form. This is not easy to do: it is hard to think about both form and meaning at the same time. Third, the acquirer must have enough time to apply the Monitor.

Case Studies of Monitor Users

Several case studies have been presented by Krashen and Pon (1975) one of which is P is the English language learners who passed with an A on a course place. In fact, he is a native speaker of Chinese aged 40 years. He began studying English about 20 years old when in America. In the situation of everyday conversation (casual), P produces utterances in English every day with native English speakers (children P). Speech production that occurred in the neighborhood and conversations between friends. Based recording for three weeks, P made a mistake in English as much as eighty.

Considered P's self-correction behaviour, the investigators concluded that their subject was able to correct nearly every error in the corpus (about 95%) when the errors were presented to her after their commission. In addition, in nearly every case she was able to describe the grammatical principle involved and violated. Another interesting finding was that for the most part the rules involved were simple, "first level" rules.

P's errors were self-correctable suggested that "she had a conscious knowledge of the rules" but did not choose to apply this knowledge. the subject is able to write a virtually error in writing, and in careful speech, she utilizes her conscious linguistic knowledge of English while in casual speech she may be too rushed or preoccupied with the message to adjust her output [p. 126]."

P thus illustrates the general characteristics of the successful Monitor user noted above. She is able to communicate well in both Monitor free and edited situations, applying the Monitor when it is appropriate to focus on form. the use of monitoring in edited language can certainly be an aid. An overconcern with correctness, however, can be a problem. The overuser may be so concerned with form that he or she is unable to speak with any fluency at all.

The Overuser

These are people who attempt to Monitor all the time, performers who are constantly checking their output with their conscious knowledge of the second language. As a result, such performers may speak hesitantly, often self-correct in the middle of utterances, and are so concerned with correctness that they cannot speak with any real fluency.

A Monitor overuser, S, a Finnish speaker who, like P, knows many of the rules of English, but who is often unable to communicate in speech. she speaks very little, because she tries to remember and use grammar rules before speaking". S's self-correction behavior reveals her lack of faith in her acquired knowledge of English.

The Monitor overuser refers to his conscious grammar all the time when using his second language. This may be due to an overconcern with correctness.

Overuse of the Monitor can also stem from a simple lack of acquisition. Those trained only in foreign language classrooms, where the emphasis was on conscious grammar, may develop extensive formal knowledge of the target language, with very little acquisition, and consequently have no choice but to be overusers. Overusers, regardless of type, will typically self-correct "by rule", that is, when correcting errors, they will often be consciously aware of the rule that was broken and be able to verbalize it. Overusers also typically have a hesitant, overcareful style of speaking, thanks to their overconcern with correctness and constant rule-searching.

The Underuser

These are performers who have not learned, or if they have learned, prefer not to use their conscious knowledge, even when conditions allow it. Underusers are typically uninfluenced by error correction, can self-correct only by using a "feel" for correctness (e.g. "it sounds right"), and rely completely on the acquired system.

Some performers, like first language acquirers, appear to be uninfluenced by most error correction and do not usually utilize conscious linguistic knowledge in second language performance. The Monitor underuser does not seem to use the conscious grammar at all. The underuser typically judges grammaticality "by feel", that is, he uses his subconsciously acquired system, rather than a conscious grammar. Underusers may control impressive amounts of the target language without the benefit of conscious rules.

Stafford and Covitt describe several cases of Monitor underusers, and make the interesting point that underusers may pay lip service to the importance of linguistic rules but in reality may hardly use them at all in speech or writing.

“When you are a foreigner in a country and you need the language just to speak it daily, you need an audio-visual course, and not, not grammar.”

The optimal user

The optimal user is the performer who uses learning as a real supplement to acquisition, monitoring when it is appropriate and when it does not get in the way of communication (e.g. prepared speech and writing). Very good optimal users may, in fact, achieve the illusion of native speaker competence in written performance. They "keep grammar in its place", using it to fill gaps in acquired competence when such monitoring does not get in the way of communication. Optimal users will typically make whatever corrections they can to raise the accuracy of their output.

However, an evaluation of the person's psychological profile can help to determine to what group they belong. Usually extroverts are under-users, while introverts and perfectionists are over-users. Lack of self-confidence is frequently related to the over-use of the 'monitor'.

Individual variation in Monitor use

Monitor user	Spoken style	Uses conscious rules?	Personality type
Optimal	-Hesitant	Yes
Overuser	+Hesitant	Yes	Self-conscious
Underuser	-Hesitant	No*	Outgoing

*May pay lip service to value of rules

List of References

Krashen, S. 1981. Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Krashen, S. 1982. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Larsen-Freeman, D. & M. H. Long. 1991. An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research. Harlow: Longman.

Řepová, Kateřina. 2004. Testing Krashen’s Input Hypothesis: A Case Study in a Male Czech Adult Acquiring English. Brno: Masaryk University

Schütz, Ricardo. 2007. Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition.