Which hypothesis asserts that language is acquired in a natural order, independent of instruction?

Which hypothesis asserts that language is acquired in a natural order, independent of instruction?

• A. Natural Order Hypothesis
• B. Monitor Model
• C. Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
• D. Interlanguage

Answer: (A)

The Natural Order Hypothesis says that language is acquired in a natural sequence, with grammatical forms appearing in a predictable order that is largely unaffected by explicit instruction. This means learners tend to pick up certain structures earlier and others later, regardless of how the teacher structures lessons or what specific forms are taught. This idea helps explain why some features tend to emerge automatically as learners progress. The other Krashen ideas—acquisition versus learning as separate systems, the Monitor for conscious editing, and the evolving Interlanguage—address different aspects of how language develops but don’t specify a fixed, instruction-independent sequence of acquisition.

The Natural Order Hypothesis says that language is acquired in a natural sequence, with grammatical forms appearing in a predictable order that is largely unaffected by explicit instruction. This means learners tend to pick up certain structures earlier and others later, regardless of how the teacher structures lessons or what specific forms are taught. This idea helps explain why some features tend to emerge automatically as learners progress. The other Krashen ideas—acquisition versus learning as separate systems, the Monitor for conscious editing, and the evolving Interlanguage—address different aspects of how language develops but don’t specify a fixed, instruction-independent sequence of acquisition.