Social and individual factors in second language acquisition.

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of social factors on motivational aspects of second language acquistion. Indices of attitude, anxiety, motivation, personal contact with anglophones, fear of assimilation, intelligence, and achievement were obtained from 223 grade 11 francophone students from Montreal. Results of a factor analysis of the data suggested that self-confidence with English develops through the individual's opportunity for contact with members of the second language community. Furthermore, fear of assimilation was found to be negatively related to the Integrative Motive factor. A possible dynamic relationship between the integrative motive and self-confidence is suggested, and the implications of the influence of threat to ethnic identity are discussed.Considerable research has demonstrated a relationship between motivation to learn a second language and attitudes toward the second language community (e.g., Gardner & Lambert, 1972; Gardner & Santos, Note 1; Gardner & Smythe, Note 2; Lukmani, 1972; Smythe, Stennett, & Feenstra, 1972). This attitude-motivation cluster, referred to as an "integrative motive," has been a recurrent dimension in various factor analytic studies concerned with motivation in second language acquisition. This motive has been associated with persistence in second language study (e.g., Gardner & Smythe, Note 2), with reported frequency of use of French in an interethnic contact situation (Clement, Gardner, & Smythe, 1977a; Desrochers & Gardner, Note 3), with student participation in French classroom activities (Gliksman & Gardner, Note 4), and with achievement in the second language (e.g., Gardner & Lambert, 1972).Most of the research described above involved anglophones learning French as a second langauge. Only two studies have examined the factor structure of indices of attitude, motivation, intelligence, and achievement in English by francophones. Clement, Gardner, and Smythe (1977b) collected data from grade 10 and 11 francophone students from Montreal. Factor analyses of these data supported the conclusion that achievement was a function of both aptitude and motivation. Measures of motivation, This research was supported by a grant from the Language Administration Branch of the Office of the Secretary of State of Canada under its program to encourage language research in Canada. The authors are grateful to the school principals and the coordinators of the Montreal Catholic School Commission for facilitating access to their students.

Investigating Indonesian EFL Learners’ Learning and Acquiring English Vocabulary

“…As the result, they will learn a foreign language easily. Accordingly, (Johnstone, 2002) stated that younger learners who tend to be less "language anxious" than many older learners and therefore may be able to absorb language well rather than block it out. Again it is an evidence to (Lenneberg, 1967) discovery that there are neurologically based on "critical period" which complements the mastery of the language, but it is no longer possible because it will end in the period of puberty.…”

Le bilinguisme additif chez les francophones minoritaires du Canada

“…La motivation pour s'intégrer à l'autre groupe ethnique semblait influencer davantage la communication orale et interpersonnelle et moins le rendement, tel qu'il a pu être observé d'après des tests de compétence linguistique. Clément (1980b) et Clément, Gardner et Smythe (1980) ont démontré la possibilité que l'acquisition de la langue seconde soit associée à la confiance personnelle du sujet ou à l'absence d'anxiété lors des contacts avec la langue seconde. Cette confiance serait une fonction de la fréquence et de la qualité des contacts avec l'autre groupe ethnique.…”

Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) in English Language Classroom

“…Hence, their self-image and dignity are at stake as they are exposed to scrutiny and assumption. Though some researchers [9], [10] suggested the facilitating nature of anxiety, many more [1], [11], [12] are continuously proving the debilitating effects of FLA and its negative correlation with learners' performance. According to Campbell & Ortiz (1991), FLA among learners of higher education institutions is alarming and they estimated that "anywhere from one-quarter to one-half of students" experience the harmful effect of FLA (159) [13].…”