Name :
Nita Wahyuni (2130730019)
Ayu Wandyra (2130730009)
Group
: 14
AFFECTIVE
FACTORS IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Understanding
how human being feel and respond and belive and value is an exceeding important
aspect of a theory of second language acquisition. We turn now to a
consideration of specific affective factors in human behavior and how they
relate to second language acquisition.
† Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is
probably the most pervasive aspect of any human behavior. Personality
development universally involves the growth of a person’s concept of
self,acceptance of self, and reflection of self as seen in the interaction
betwee self and others. Three general levels of self-esteem have been described
in the literature to capture its multidimentionality:
1. General
global sel-esteem is said to be relatively stable in a mature adult, and is
resistent to change excepet by active and extended theraphy.
2. Situational
or specific self-esteem refers to one’s self-appraisals in particular life
situations.
3. Task
self-esteem relates to particular task within specific situations.
† Willingness to
Communicate
A
factor related to attribution and self-efficacy. One that has seen a surge of
recent interest in the research literature is the extent to which learners
display a willingness to communicate as they tackle a second language. In an
earlier study on WTC, Maclntyre et al. (1998) found that number of factors
appear to contribute to presdiposing one learner to seek, and another learner
to avoid, second language communication. Nothing that a high level of
communicative ability does not necessarily correspond with a high WTC ,
Maclntyre et al. Proposed a number cognitive and affective factors that
underlie the latter: motivation, personality, intergroup climate, and two
levels of self-confidence.
† Inhibition
Yet another variable that is closely
related to, and in some cases subsumed under the notion of self-esteem abd
self-efficacy is the concept of inhibition. The process of building defenses
continues into adulthood. Anyone who has learned a foreign language is actely
aware that second language learning actually necessitates the making of
mistakes. If we never ventured to speak
a sentence until we were absolutely certain of its total correctness, we would
likely never communicate productively at all. But, mistakes can be viewed as
threaths to one’s ego. There are two threart to hearken back to attribution
theory described early:
1.
Internally,
is one’s critical self and one’s performing self can be in conflict: the
learner performs something “wrong” and becomes critical of his or her mistake.
2.
Externally,
is learners perceive others to be critical, even judging their very person when
they blunder in a second language.
Ø Risk Taking
These factors suggest
that risk taking is an important characteristic of succesful learning of a
second language. Learners have to be able to gamble a bit, to be willing to try
out hunches about the language and take the risk of being wrong. On a continum
ranging fromhigh to low riks taking, we may be tempted to assume with Ely
(1986) that risk taking will yield positive results in second language
learning; however, such is nt usually that case. As Rubin & Thompson (1994)
noted, succesful language learners make willing
and accurate guesses. Risk taking
variaton seems to be a factr in a number of issues in second language
acquisition and pedagogy. The implication for teaching are important. In a few
uncommon cases, overly high risk takers, as they dominate the classroom with
wild gambles, may need to be”tamed” a bit by the teacher.
Ø Anxiety
Trait
anxiety, because of its global and somewhat ambiguously defined nature, has not
proved to be useful in predicting second language achievement (MacIntyre &
Gardner, 1991c). However, recent research on language anxiety, as it has come to
be known, focuses more specifically on the situational nature of state anxiety.
Three components of foreign language anxiety have been identified (Horwitz,
Horwitz, & Cope, 1986; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989, 1991c) in order to
break down the construct into researchable issue:
1. Communication
apprehension, arising from learners inability to adequately express mature
thoughts and ideas
2. Fear
of negative social evaluation, arising from a learner’s need to make a positive
social impression on others
3. Test
anxiety, or apprehension over academic evaluation
Ø Empathy
In
common terminology, empathy is the process of “putting yourself into someone else’s
shoes,” of reaching beyond the self to understand what another person is
feeling. It is probably the major factor in the harmonious coexistence of
individuals in society. Language is one of the primary means of empathizing,
but nonverbal communication facilities the process of empathizing and must not
be overlooked.
Ø Extroversion
Extroversion and
counterpart, introversion, are also potentially important factors in the
acquisition of a second language. The terms are often misunderstood because of
a tendency to stereotype extroversion.
