What does the Input Hypothesis claim about how language is acquired?

• A. Language is acquired by understanding messages or receiving comprehensible input.
• B. There are two distinct ways to develop language competence: acquisition and learning.
• C. Rules are acquired in a predictable order.
• D. Emotions block input from reaching the learner.

Answer: (A)

Understanding messages delivered in input that is comprehensible to you is how language becomes yours. The Input Hypothesis holds that you acquire language most effectively when you encounter meaningful listening or reading input that is just beyond your current level (often described as i+1) and you can grasp the overall message. As you focus on meaning in a relaxed, low-anxiety environment, your brain subconsciously internalizes patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and usage. This is different from simply memorizing rules or doing explicit grammar drills; acquisition happens through sustained exposure to understandable language in context, not through conscious rule learning. The idea isn’t about two separate paths or a fixed order of rule learning, and it isn’t about emotions uniformly blocking input—rather, it’s about input that you can comprehend driving your language development.