Input+&+Output

=**Input, Output, Interaction, and Comprehension**=



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__**Input**__ is anything that the second language learner reads or hears in a target language. According to well-known linguist Stephen Krashen, input is most effective when it is just beyond the learner's level of comprehension. If the learner continues to receive input slightly belong his or her level of comprehension, his or her second language abilities will continually grow.======

__Teacher Tips__
 * Make input meaningful to your students.
 * Relate input to past experiences.
 * Provide your students with input that is just slightly beyond their level of comprehension.

Read more about input at []

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__**Output**__ is anything that the second language learner says or writes in the target language. When the L2 student provides comprehensible output, he or she can receive feedback from the audience or check the output with the monitor (a conscious editing of anything said to check for grammatical accuracy). Output helps the language learner move beyond interlanguage and towards fluency.======

__Teacher Tips__
 * Do not over-correct output. It could cause the student's affective filter to rise.
 * Give your students plenty of opportunities to write. This will help them work out some of the issues that they have with the language by giving them more time to think about what to write and not being "put on the spot".
 * Simulating real-life situations is an excellent opportunity for students to practice oral output.

Read more about output at []

__**Interaction**__ gives language learners a chance to practice input and output in conversation. In order for meaningful interaction to take place, meaning must be negotiated. The negotiation of meaning is what assures understanding. It is the most effective way of making sure that input and output is understood.

__Teacher Tips__
 * Put students in small groups. This sets the stage for meaningful interactions between students and provides opportunities to negotiate meaning and provide immediate feedback.
 * Lower the affective filter in the classroom to encourage interaction between yourself and the students.

Read more about the effects of interaction on language learning at []

__**Comprehension**__ is the act of fully understanding something. Reading comprehension is the ability to understand what is read, and listening comprehension is the ability to understand what is heard. Both are vitally important to output and interaction.

__Teacher Tips__
 * Ask questions frequently to check for understanding and comprehension.
 * Use student grades, output, and interaction skills as measures of how well he or she is comprehending material.
 * Accompany input with visual aids in order to aid comprehension.
 * Check body language - sometimes facial expressions show when a person does not understand something.

Read more about comprehension-driven language learning at []

Steven Robinson sbrobinson85@gmail.com

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