group 14

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.