Exploring Stephen Krashen's ‘i + 1’ acquisition model in the classroom

Stephen Krashen's theories can appear ‘seductive’ to teachers of languages, in that they identify a seemingly clear way forward for language acquisition in the classroom. However, reification of Krashen's theories, in particular the notion of attaining ‘i + 1’ through comprehensible input, is demonstrated to be problematic. Based on empirical data drawn from an exploratory small-scale study in the north of England, this paper shows how an attempt at ‘acquisition’ that is planned and adapted from principles of ‘i + 1’ evolves into structured ‘learning’ in a format probably anathema to Stephen Krashen. It is concluded that Krashen's theories seem plausible but prove to be flawed and incoherent when applied in the ‘real’ languages classroom.

► I research Krashen's theories of SLA by means of an exploratory case study. ► Reification sees the ‘net’ of comprehensible input evolve into a structured approach. ► Findings expose the flaws in Krashen's theories when reified in the ‘real’ classroom.