On Exposure and Form: How do adults learn L2?

(Reflections on unit 10 of the Cambridge TKT prep course book) 

I really enjoyed this unit because it delved, ever so lightly, into the incredibly interesting subject area of "How do people learn L2?" I'm relieved that many"experts" agree that L2 is acquired through massive exposure to the target language.  Like children, you can learn a second language by being exposed to it on a regular basis, in a massive way, and NOT via the classic "study" method. It comes naturally as a result of massive exposure.

"One way we learn a foreign language is by exposure to it…{Experts}say we then pick it up automatically…This is the way children learn their first language." (Spratt, Pulverness, & Williams 41)

But if you're an adult, according to the text, massive exposure is not enough. You need to have help with form. Form is how a word is pronounced, how it's spelled, and it's related grammar.

Reflecting on my own experience learning Spanish, I tend to agree. I've been massively exposed to Spanish during my six years here in Mexico. I literally live the language every day. I've never taken a Spanish course, and I can now understand about 90% of what I hear, and I can easily hold conversations with little to no serious communicative hang ups. However, I've often found myself feeling the need for a guide at times. Someone to help me along with the grammar or how a word is pronounced, or did I spell that word correctly. 

In a way, children get "light" focus on form from adults. We, at times, correct their pronunciation and grammar. We usually, in informal settings, don't worry about sitting down to examine grammar on paper – we simply model it verbally.  For example:

Child: What does my nose smell?

Adult: What's that smell? Hmm…*sniff sniff* I think it's a hotdog!

The child will often make the same mistake a few times, but with repeated modeling they often "fix" the mistake on their own.

Back to the text:

I agree strongly with the idea of Comprehensible Input. That you should expose yourself to the target language often, and at levels that are slightly above your present skill set. Exposure should be regular. It should be filled with variety. And OBVIOUSLY, but often ignored by teachers, the exposure should be INTERESTING to the student. L2 exposure MUST NOT be a boring, painful experience! (Why subject yourself to something that's not fun?)

Exposure/L2 learning is not instant. (Most people will not become fluent in a year, two years, or even three. It takes many years of hard, continued exposure for acquisition to take place.) And like my son right now, there is always a silent period before you begin using the language yourself. This silence is when you're taking in the language, processing it, pondering the grammar etc.

L2 learning requires other people. Requires interaction. Communication is about transmitting meaning to another. How will you know you've used correct English if you don't speak with another English speaker?

L2 is learned through a combo of "acquisition, interaction and communication, and focusing on form." (41)  

References

Spratt, Pulverness & Williams. The Teaching Knowledge Test Course. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005.