WHAT SORT OF INPUT IS NEEDED FOR INTAKE?

Abstract

In this paper, I first analyze Gass and Selinker's (1994) account of 'input' and 'intake'. I make 4 arguments: (1) without 'accessible input', 'frequency', 'prior knowledge', 'affect', 'attention' and 'negotiation' do not appear to be sufficient for 'comprehended input'; (2) 'prior knowledge' does not necessarily constitute the basis of comprehension in L2 learning; (3) 'comprehended input' does not have to be 'learner-controlled'; and (4) 'input' and 'intake' are not necessarily two fundamentally different phenomena. I then propose two concepts which I believe are essential for 'input' to become 'intake'. First, the learner needs to be provided with 'accessible input', which refers to "input in line with the learner's developmental stages or readiness"; and secondly, the learner needs to process and understand the 'input', hence ''processed input", which calls for the activation of learner factors (e.g., attention, affect, prior knowledge), the help of external factors (e.g., input processing instruction, input enhancement), and the interaction of both factors (e.g., negotiation).