Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition

I enjoyed reading and listening to Krashen’s video.  One key point that he made was that people only acquire language one way, and that is if the message being relayed is understandable.  Krashen calls this process comprehensible input.  Krashen proceeded to speak in German, while speaking I could pick up on bits and pieces but had no real idea what he was saying.  Once Krashen began using gestures like pointing to his hands and eyes I was able to comprehend the language better.  The video and literature only reinforced how important it is for me to make sure when teaching L2’s that I incorporate as much visuals and strategies that build on background.  In other words if lessons are comprehensible learners build confidence and are much more likely to be able to apply what they have learned.