Quantität des Inputs – eine ausschlaggebende Voraussetzung im Spracherwerb?

Abstract

Access to language is a crucial factor in language acquisition, as the learner requires the necessary input to learn a new language. However, there is a question about whether the quantity of exposure to the target language is the key factor for a successful language acquisition. This study examines 80 students, with 10 students from each year from 5th to 12th grade, at a German high school in Romania. The students start learning the German language in kindergarten, meaning that they have their first contact with the language at the age of three, which could correspond to a gradual first language acquisition. They continue their language learning intensively in school, being exposed to at least five hours of German language every day. However, even after twelve years, their level of language proficiency does not reach the expected level of a near-native speaker. They conspicuously search for words and use an unusual sentence structure when they need to engage in free conversation. This study aims to answer the question of why, even after so many years of daily exposure to the German language, the students are not able to approach a near-native level, when according to the Goethe Institute, only 600 class hours of 60 minutes each would be necessary to reach the C1 level.