Which hypothesis states that comprehensible input is necessary for learners who are acquiring additional language(s)?

Which hypothesis states that comprehensible input is necessary for learners who are acquiring additional language(s)?

• A. Input hypothesis
• B. Comprehensible input
• C. Poverty of Stimulus
• D. Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) vocabulary

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that language learning happens when learners are exposed to input they can understand that is just beyond what they already know. The Input Hypothesis, proposed by Krashen, says acquisition occurs through comprehensible input — language that is understandable but slightly challenging, often described as i+1. This idea captures why simply hearing or reading language isn’t enough; it has to be understandable and provide a little stretch to the learner’s current knowledge, so they infer new forms and vocabulary. The other concepts aren’t the same thing. Comprehensible input is the type of input the hypothesis emphasizes, not the hypothesis itself. Poverty of the Stimulus argues that input alone isn’t enough to account for all language knowledge, often pointing to innate knowledge, not the mechanism of acquisition through understandable input. BICS vocabulary refers to everyday conversational language and doesn’t address how learners acquire language through meaningful, comprehensible input. So the statement that ties comprehensible input to a formal theory of how learners acquire an additional language is the Input Hypothesis.

The main idea here is that language learning happens when learners are exposed to input they can understand that is just beyond what they already know. The Input Hypothesis, proposed by Krashen, says acquisition occurs through comprehensible input — language that is understandable but slightly challenging, often described as i+1. This idea captures why simply hearing or reading language isn’t enough; it has to be understandable and provide a little stretch to the learner’s current knowledge, so they infer new forms and vocabulary.

The other concepts aren’t the same thing. Comprehensible input is the type of input the hypothesis emphasizes, not the hypothesis itself. Poverty of the Stimulus argues that input alone isn’t enough to account for all language knowledge, often pointing to innate knowledge, not the mechanism of acquisition through understandable input. BICS vocabulary refers to everyday conversational language and doesn’t address how learners acquire language through meaningful, comprehensible input. So the statement that ties comprehensible input to a formal theory of how learners acquire an additional language is the Input Hypothesis.