This article introduces the concept of natural pedagogy (NP) as a tool for envisioning and enacting second language learning and teaching. Currently popular in the social and cognitive sciences, NP theory holds that much adaptive human behavior is too complex and nontransparent to learn via observation, imitation, and trial‐and‐error alone: Something extra is needed. NP employs humans’ remarkable “hyperprosocial” capacities/tools for interaction (e.g., gesture, gaze, facial expression, body movement, language) to effect teaching‐based learning. NP’s appearance in the hominin lineage likely predated humans; it is probably therefore the original form of teaching‐based learning. A much more recent invention—the classroom—is often portrayed as separated from the rest of the world in order to enable teaching‐based learning. Yet the interactional tools of NP occur pervasively in classrooms as well, making classrooms in this sense substantially continuous with the rest of the world. In both cases, according to the argument developed here, our evolved communicative toolkit underlies teaching‐based learning. This article is primarily conceptual in nature, representing a new departure in the TESOL field.

中文翻译：

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第二语言学与教中的自然教学法

本文介绍了自然教学法（NP）的概念，它是用于设想和实施第二语言学习和教学的工具。当前在社会和认知科学中很流行，NP理论认为，许多适应性人类行为过于复杂且不透明，无法仅通过观察，模仿和反复试验来学习：还需要一些额外的东西。NP利用人类非凡的“超亲社会”能力/工具进行交互（例如，手势，凝视，面部表情，身体运动，语言）以实现基于教学的学习。NP在人血统中的出现可能早于人类。因此，它可能是基于教学的学习的原始形式。为了实现基于教学的学习，经常将一种较新的发明（教室）描绘为与世界其他地方分离。然而，NP的交互工具也普遍存在于教室中，这使得这种意义上的教室与世界其他地方基本上是连续的。在这两种情况下，根据此处提出的论点，我们不断发展的交流工具包都是基于教学的学习的基础。本文本质上是概念性的，代表了TESOL领域的新变化。