Background

Comprehensible input is a theory of language learning that states the best way to learn a language is from material you are interested in that is just one ‘level’ up in complexity from your current language level.

It's a favorite technique of many successful ployglots.

Stephen Kashen

The theory was developed by Stephen Kashen, a scholar who initially started his academic career as a linguist before moving to the School of Education at the University of Southern California, to continue his exploration of effective language acquisition techniques. He also became an advocate for bilingual education in his home state of California.

As an academic linguist, he initially approached language from a theoretical perspective. Language was about theoretical underpinnings of grammar. Naturally, he thought language acquisition was mainly involved in the explicit learning of rules.

‘It never occurred to me that there was any other way of developing language ability in adults other than learning rules and correcting errors until 1975 when I encountered research results that could not be explained that way. The results pointed to the hypothesis that language acquisition and learning were different, and that acquisition was far more important.’

Kashen had plenty of experience with language himself. He knew English natively, and learned a number of other languages to various degrees of competence including German, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Yiddish and Amharic.

Near the end of his career, he became an advocate for ‘free voluntary reading’ - basically reading for pleasure text not too difficult about something you are interested in.

‘I think it is the most powerful tool we have in language education, first and second.’

He not only researched it but used it himself.

I have been pleasure reading in at least one foreign language every day since then, focusing on very light pleasure reading, which is lots of fun and relaxing. (Usually I alternate novels in French and German, and read even easier things in my limited Spanish, such as novellas.)

Description

In short, the input hypothesis or monitor model, states that language competence is developed through exposure to a new language through reading and listening. Such exposure allows learners to acquire a language subconsciously. This subconscious acquisition is what allows people to produce speech spontaneously. Interestingly, the theory states that out - speaking - has little to do with the development of linguistic competence. Exposure to the language is the cause of acquisition - internalizing the language in the subconscious. Producing speech spontaneously is the effect of acquisition.

The theory was first proposed in 1977 in a paper presented at an ESL research conference - Some issues relating to the monitor model.

Five hypotheses

The theory is comprised of 5 hypotheses

1. Input hypothesis - Language learners advance is competence when exposed to material that is one level higher than than their current level. Basically, students should expose themselves to text that is just a little bit hard to understand. Students need to focus on the meaning conveyed in the text rather than the form - grammar structures. The form of the language is acquired subconsciously in the background.
2. Acquisition and learning hypothesis - Acquisition and learning are separate processes. Acquisition is a subconscious process that takes place from exposure to the language. Learning is a conscious process that involves memorization and the learning of rules.
3. Monitor hypothesis - Conscious learning - knowing the rules - only allows learners to correct mistakes, but does not produce spontaneous comprehension or speech. People are in ‘monitor mode’ when proof reading and correcting a portion of text.
4. Natural order hypothesis - Language learning takes place in a certain order that doesn’t changed based on the learner, the language or the learner’s age.
5. Affective filter hypothesis - Learners have difficulty acquiring language through the natural subconscious process if they are under stress or experiencing negative emotions.

How it works

Compelling input is key

There are two key aspects of this theory. Your reading or listening material needs to be comprehensible. Naturally — it’s in the title of the theory. Whatever you are reading, you should be able to get the gist of it and figure out a good deal of the rest from the context. But the text should also be just above your ability to fully understand it.

The other key is that the material has to be compelling. Not merely interesting, but compelling. You want to understand the text so badly, language learning becomes entirely secondary. You are only learning the language vocabulary and structures to get at the meaning of the subject matter. Your entire focus is the subject of the material. If you are into anime, your focus is finding out what is going to happen next in the story. You are figuring out how to understand Japanese to reach that goal. You aren’t studying Japanese. You want to know what happens in the story.

So you should always try to find reading material that you are dying to know about because you enjoy it. Try learning something you’ve always wanted to know about in the new language you are learning.

Read or listen while in a relaxed mood

Should read the compelling material while you are relaxed, not stressed. Don’t try to employ this method if you are going through emotional turmoil or under pressure. Listening and reading while you are at ease allows your brain to better acquire the new language through natural subconscious processes. Remaining relaxed during language acquisition is also one the key factors to the Michael Thomas Method (internal link).

Speaking

Speaking is never forced. Learners don’t memorize set sentences that you then repeat. With enough input, speech should begin to emerge naturally, in a set order. Speaking should gradually be coaxed in the learner. In a classroom setting, the teacher will begin to ask questions. The response follows a natural progression in complexity. Yes or no, single words, short phrases and then complete sentences.

• Are you cold? Yes/no
• What did you enter the room through? A door
• How do you say how are you?
• Complete more complex sentences. I am going to the beach tomorrow.

Self Taught learners may use similar techniques. Asking yourself questions about your surroundings. Simpler interactions with strangers. Explaining what you are doing. Keeping a diary.

Students should find speaking becomes increasingly spontaneous due to the subconscious process of acquisition that took place during the input phase. Students should find the tendency to compose responses in their head and then translate them to diminish.

Comprehensible Input in the classroom

Krashen’s theory has been used in the development of two teaching approaches.

Natural Method

The natural method focuses on lots of interesting input and mostly avoids studying grammar rules or employing drills.

Language production is not demanded. With the method, language production will emerge naturally after exposure to enough reading and listening material.

A lot of emphasis is put on producing an anxiety free learning environment.

The material used in the program usually involves students learning a subject they are interested in and providing a personal connection to the students’ life.

Focal skills

The Focal Skills method involves students mastering skills before moving on to the next state. Students start with listening, then move to reading and then to writing.

This method employs the Focal Skills Movie Technique. The teacher shows the students a ‘high interest’ movie with dialogue beyond the student’s ability. The teacher then describes what is happening and paraphrases the dialogue, using language just above the students’ current level of competency.

This allows the students to learn multidimensionally. They can connect vocabulary and language structures to what they are hearing and seeing, relate grammatical structures like verb tenses to the situations they see on screen. Students learn from situations they see and hear.

The paraphrases also allow students to figure out the meaning of the actual dialogue in the movie by ‘moving up the ladder’ of comprehension.

Should read the compelling material while you are relaxed, not stressed. Don’t try to employ this method if you are going through emotional turmoil or under pressure. Listening and reading while you are at ease allows your brain to better acquire the new language through natural subconscious processes. Remaining relaxed during language acquisition is also one the key factors to the Michael Thomas Method.

Conclusion

Comprehensible Input can be an important key to improving your ability to acquire a new language. It’s a simple method that keeps you engaged and motivated. It doesn’t even seem you are ‘studying a language.’ You are just reading or listening to things you are interested in and you are picking up the language ‘in the background.’

Don't take my word for it. Listen to the many polyglots who have become experts in learning a variety of different languages.

Olly Richards (8 Languages) . He even interviewed Kashen.

Steve Kaufmann (20 languages)

Jeff Brown (7 Languages)