Which approach did Krashen & Terrell argue fosters vocabulary development through meaningful interaction and context?

Which approach did Krashen & Terrell argue fosters vocabulary development through meaningful interaction and context?

• A. Natural Approach
• B. Interlanguage
• C. Content-Based Instruction
• D. Schema Theory

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is Krashen and Terrell’s Natural Approach, which says vocabulary grows best when learners are immersed in meaningful, real-life communication and can understand the message being conveyed. In this approach, you provide lots of comprehensible input—language that learners can understand with a little support—and create a relaxed, low-anxiety environment. As students listen and participate in authentic interaction, they infer meaning from context, negotiate understanding, and notice patterns in the language. Vocabulary then emerges more from understanding and using language in real situations than from memorizing lists or drilling words. Interlanguage isn’t an instructional approach but a way to describe the evolving state of a learner’s language system as it develops. Content-Based Instruction is a teaching framework that integrates subject matter with language learning, which can support vocabulary through context but isn’t the specific claim Krashen and Terrell make about vocabulary development through meaningful interaction. Schema Theory deals with how new information connects to prior knowledge, not the particular method Krashen advocates for vocabulary acquisition.

The idea being tested is Krashen and Terrell’s Natural Approach, which says vocabulary grows best when learners are immersed in meaningful, real-life communication and can understand the message being conveyed. In this approach, you provide lots of comprehensible input—language that learners can understand with a little support—and create a relaxed, low-anxiety environment. As students listen and participate in authentic interaction, they infer meaning from context, negotiate understanding, and notice patterns in the language. Vocabulary then emerges more from understanding and using language in real situations than from memorizing lists or drilling words.

Interlanguage isn’t an instructional approach but a way to describe the evolving state of a learner’s language system as it develops. Content-Based Instruction is a teaching framework that integrates subject matter with language learning, which can support vocabulary through context but isn’t the specific claim Krashen and Terrell make about vocabulary development through meaningful interaction. Schema Theory deals with how new information connects to prior knowledge, not the particular method Krashen advocates for vocabulary acquisition.