Essay from the year 2010 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, University of Leicester, language: English, abstract: This essay will describe briefly the theoretical and practical principles of the input hypothesis and to what extent it contributes to language acquisition. My main concern here is the way input (i.e., tenses) is presented to learners. Krashen¿s hypothesis seems to pay more attention on meaning at the expense of form and use. I will ultimately suggest a more productive and interesting way of introducing tenses in a natural context. That is through literature. The paper starts with a brief description of Krashen¿s Input Hypothesis followed by a critical discussion of some anticipated definitions and principles. I will also try to conclude some shortcomings and benefits of it. Next, the discussion moves towards when and how learning becomes acquisition.