This is the final email in the Stephen Krashen hypotheses series! I hope you have found it interesting and informative. I'm just going to touch very briefly on two of his other hypotheses.
The Compelling Input Hypothesis
- The comprehensible input that we provide in class needs to be not only interesting, but so compelling that students can't help but get involved. We want them to be so focused on the message that they don't focus on the language.
- Remember the acronym RICH: repetitive, interesting, comprehensible, and high-frequency. There are frequency charts of words that you can utilize so that you know you're focusing on the most common words.
- How can we do this? Give choices, engage the students' social lives, and adjust the curriculum to include topics that your students are interested in.
The Reading Hypothesis
- The more you read in a language, the better your vocabulary and understanding of grammar will be. Reading is more effective than explicit instruction.
- It's best to allow students to read whatever is interesting to them, regardless of whether it is above or below their current reading level (within reason). They also should be able to abandon a book and choose a new one whenever they want.
- How can we incorporate this hypothesis? Allow self-selected reading and include reading time in your daily or weekly lessons.