क्रेशन की परिकल्पनाएँ
Krashen's Hypotheses
Stephen Krashen proposed five hypotheses about how a second language is gained. Together they argue that language comes mainly from understanding messages slightly above one's level, in a low-anxiety setting, rather than from studying rules.
The five hypotheses
| Hypothesis | What it says |
|---|---|
| Acquisition-Learning | Acquisition is subconscious and produces fluency; learning is conscious and produces knowledge about rules |
| Monitor | Learnt rules act only as an editor that checks output; they do not generate speech |
| Natural Order | Grammatical structures are acquired in a predictable order, whatever the teaching order |
| Input | Language is acquired from comprehensible input one step beyond the current level, written i + 1 |
| Affective Filter | Anxiety, low motivation and low self-confidence raise a filter that blocks input |
The Input Hypothesis
i + 1 = the learner's current level, plus one step beyond it
This is Krashen's central claim and the one CTET asks most. Input must be comprehensible and slightly ahead — not so easy that nothing is new, not so hard that meaning is lost. Notice how closely it matches Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development; the two are often paired in questions.
The Affective Filter
A child who is anxious, mocked or bored raises an invisible filter, and input stops reaching the language faculty. This explains why a child who freezes when made to read aloud before the class learns nothing from the exercise, and it is the theoretical basis for the CTET position that fear has no place in a language classroom.
- Lower the filter: accept errors, allow a silent period, praise attempts, use pair work before whole-class speaking.
- Raise it: correct every mistake aloud, compare children publicly, insist on speaking before the child is ready.
The Monitor Hypothesis in practice
The monitor needs time, knowledge of the rule and a focus on form. In a fast conversation none of the three is available, which is why a child who scores well in a grammar test may still speak haltingly. The classroom answer is more use, not more rules.
✗ Correct every grammatical mistake a child makes while speaking. | ✓ Constant correction raises the affective filter and stops the child speaking.
संकेत: i + 1 = बच्चे के वर्तमान स्तर से थोड़ा ऊपर की समझ में आने वाली भाषा; डर और तनाव भाषा अर्जन को रोक देते हैं।
Krashen appears in 1-2 questions almost every cycle. The two most asked hypotheses are Input, quoted as i + 1, and Affective Filter. Learn all five names in order, because a question sometimes gives a description and asks which hypothesis it is. The trap attributes i + 1 to Vygotsky; the ZPD is Vygotsky's and i + 1 is Krashen's, even though the ideas are close. Another trap treats grammar practice as the way to build fluency, which Krashen's Monitor Hypothesis directly denies.
Frequently asked questions
What is Krashen's Input Hypothesis?
That a language is acquired by understanding messages slightly beyond the learner's present level, written as i plus one. The input must be comprehensible; grammar explanation alone does not produce acquisition.
What is the Affective Filter Hypothesis?
That anxiety, low motivation and low self-confidence create a mental barrier which prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. A relaxed, accepting classroom lowers this filter.
How is i + 1 different from Vygotsky's ZPD?
They are close but separate. The i plus one is Krashen's description of language input just beyond the learner's current level, while the ZPD is Vygotsky's broader idea of tasks a child can do with help from a more knowledgeable other.
60-second recap
- Five hypotheses: Acquisition-Learning, Monitor, Natural Order, Input, Affective Filter.
- Input hypothesis: comprehensible input at i + 1.
- Affective filter: anxiety and fear block acquisition.
- The monitor only edits output; it does not produce speech.
- i + 1 belongs to Krashen; the ZPD belongs to Vygotsky.