Reflection on Second Language Acquisition

范丽颖

ABSTRACT：The purpose of this paper is to establish a clear comprehension and discernment of fundamental concepts in the second language acquisition field and its correlation with classroom teaching and learning. It focuses on three easily-confusing aspects and give out possible statements.

KEYWORDS：Second language acquisition；Motivation；Language transfer；IQ in language learning

Introduction：

Second language acquisition is the study of how languages are learned. According to Gass and Selinker （2001）， it further provides insight into why second language learners cannot achieve as high level of proficiency as their first language. Moreover，second language acquisition covers a wider range of knowledge related not only to linguistics but also to sociology， psychology and biology.

一、“The most important predictor of success in second language acquisition is motivation”

It is commonly accepted that motivation plays the central role in second language acquisition. Zull （cited in Wlodkowski，2008， p.6） asserts that “psychologically and biologically， motivation and learning are inseparable”. In biological perspective，motivation determines “how much energy and attention the brain and body assign to a given stimulus” （Ratey， 2001， p.2）. Psychologically， when learners are motivated，they are willing to expend greater efforts to overcome difficulties； therefore， anxiety decreases and creativity increases apparently.

Gardner （cited in Ortega， 2009） and associates measure the quantity of motivation people have in learning second language through Attitude/Motivation Test Battery（AMTB） to predict a reasonable proportion of second language achievement. However， his conclusion receives a number of criticisms as it disregards the role of contexts in learning a second language （Ortega， 2009）.

Noels et al （cited in Ortega， 2009） propose the Language Learning Orientation Scale（LLOS） to examine motivation in second language learning based on self-determination theory. The finding shows that intrinsic motivation inspires learners with better achievement than the extrinsic motivated ones. However， no conclusion is drawn to predict the proportion of success through the degree of motivation expend in second language learning.

Do rnyei （2005） develops process-oriented model comprising three phases of motivation. This model shows that motivation unpredictably changes over a period of time during the process of learning. This creates more challenge to manipulate second language achievement through motivation.

In general， although a number of studies were conducted in attempt to predict the percentage of success， no persuasive evidence was found to prove that motivation is the predictor of learners success. Nevertheless， it can be admitted that motivation plays a positive role in second language learning.

二、“Most of the mistakes that second language learners make are due to interference from their first language”

According to Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis （CAH） learners are more likely favourable by the similarities than the differences between their first language and target language. Moreover， Lightbown and Spada （2006） argue that errors are not always the results of first language transfer， but they indicate learnersprocess of acquiring structure of second language.

Selinker （cited in Lightbown and Spada， 2006） first introduces the concept of‘interlanguage to emphasize that learners are possibly influenced by the characteristics of their native language， second language and other characteristics that likely happen during the process of second language learning. James （1998） further classifies errors into four categories namely interlingual， intralingual，communication strategy-based and induced errors. Interlingual errors are those caused by learners first language interference whereas intralingual errors result from the target language by overgeneralization （use of rules in the contexts that are not applied to） or simplification（reduction）. Communication strategy-based errors refer to learners assumption that they can use any approximation to replace the intended words （use ‘sensities instead of ‘senses）. Induced errors， on the other hand， derive from imprecise teachers explanations or prompts（misuse of ‘like and ‘as if）.

This proves that there are a number of other elements affect learners errors apart from first language transfer. These factors happen throughout second language learning process.

三、“Highly intelligent people are good language learners”

It is quite common that a number of people find learning a second language is enjoyable and effortless while others struggle painfully with mounting pressure but make modest progress. This phenomenon is ascribed to the contribution of learners intelligence in language learning. Lightbown and Spada （2006） comment that although plenty of studies report that the high IQ language learners are more likely successful than the lower ones， a number of controversial argument arises over the credibility of the tests because some focus on communicative ability while others measure meta linguistic knowledge. Therefore， inadequate evidence was proved about the correlation between intelligence and language learning.

Furthermore， a wide range of findings report other factors contributing to successful language learning. Norton and Toohey（2001） state that even people with favourable characteristics， which are believed to facilitate language learning， may not be successful without social interactions （cited in Lightbown and Spada， 2006）. In this sense， they stress the important role of social setting. Actually，in a study conducted on students in French immersion program in Canada， Genesee（cited in Lightbown and Spada， 2006） confirms that despite the studentslimited academic performance， they can be successful in second language learning if they are offered favourable conditions. Therefore， it is not always true that highly intelligent people are adept in learning language.

四、Conclusion

Second language acquisition is affected by various factors. A number of which are discussed in this reflection namely individual differences in terms of intelligence and motivation， theory of second language learning and learners errors. Apparently， considering elements of individual differences， teachers will have better strategies to provide learners favorable environment to maximize individual strength so that they can reach their goals. Accordingly， teachers become more mindful of giving feedback as teachersinappropriate reaction may increase learnersembarrassment， anxiety and demotivation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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