4Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition.docx

4Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition.docx

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4FactorsAffectingSecondLanguageAcquisition

Lecture4FactorsAffectingSecondLanguageAcquisition

Learningguidance:

Goals:

1.tounderstandwhatiscognitivefactorsandaffectivefactors

2.tounderstandtheconceptoflearningstyles,learningintelligence,learningaptitude,learningmotivation,learningattitude,learningage,empathy,anxietyandlearnerpersonality

3.tounderstandthecriticalperiodinsecondlanguageacquisition

4.todistinguishdifferenttypesoflearningstyles,learningintelligence,learningmotivationandlearnerpersonality

KeyPoints:

understandingthefactorsaffectingsecondlanguageacquisition

Difficulties:

identifyingthedifferencesofdifferenttypesoflearningstyles,learningintelligence,learningmotivationandlearnerpersonality

Periods:

Oneperiod

Secondlanguageacquisitionisacomplexanddynamicprocess,inwhichmanydifferentfactorsmayplayarole.Undoubtedly,functionsofdifferentfactorsonlearningmayvaryfromonetoanother.Here,weonlyfocusoncognitivefactorsandaffectivefactors.Namely,we'lltalkaboutfactorsorelementswhichcaninfluencesecondlanguageacquisitionprocessandoutcomefromcognitiveperspectivesandaffectiveperspectiveaswell.

PartⅠCognitiveFactors

Asfarascognitivefactorsareconcerned,wecannotavoidtalkingaboutlearningstyles,learningintelligence,andlearningaptitude,whichgreatlycontributetolanguagelearningcognitively,andwhichwe'lldiscussinthefollowingpartonebyoneingreatdetails.

1.LearningStylesandLanguageLearning

Definitionsoflearningstylesanditsvarioustypesarecoveredinthefollowing.Itishighlycrucialforlanguageteacherstoidentitylearners'variouslearningstylesandtodesignvariouslessonplansaccordingly.Andatthesametime,forlanguagelearners,makingfulluseoftheiruniqueleaningstylesmayfacilitatetheirlanguagelearningandhelpthemadjusttheirlearningpace,time,methodsandaimssoastofulfilltheirdesiredlearningoutcomes.

1.1DefinitionsofLearningStyles

Learningstylesarevariousapproachesorwaysoflearning.Theyinvolvemethods,particulartoanindividualthatarepresumedtoallowthatindividualtolearnbest.Mostpeoplepreferanidentifiablemethodofinteractingwith,takingin,andprocessingstimuliorinformation.Basedonthis,theideaofindividualized"learningstyles"appearedinthe1970s,andacquiredenormouspopularity.

Oxford

Learningstylereferstoanindividual'snatural,habitual,andpreferredwayofabsorbing,processing,andretainingnewinformationandskills（Reid1995）.WangLifeidefinedlearningstyleasthewayalearnerisinclinedtotakewhilelearning.AccordingtoOxfordandAnderson（1995）（citedfromWangLifei）,therearesixaspectsaboutlearningstyles：

●Thecognitiveaspect:

itincludespreferredorhabitualpatternsofmentalfunctioning.

●Theexecutiveaspect:

itistheextenttowhichlearnerslookfororder,organization,andclosureinmanagingthelearningprocesses.

●Theaffectiveaspect:

itconsistsoftheattitudes,beliefs,andvaluesthatinfluencewhatlearnersfocusonmost.

●Thesocialaspect:

itrelatestothepreferreddegreeofinvolvementwithotherpeoplewhilelearning.

●Thephysiologicalelement:

itinvolveswhatareatleastpartlybasedonsensoryandperceptualtendenciesofthelearners.

●Thebehavioralaspect:

itconcernsthelearners'tendencytoactivelyseeksituationscompatiblewiththeirownlearningpreferences.

1.2TypesofLearningStyles

A.Cohen

Differentlearnersmayhavedifferentlearningstylesinsecondlanguageacquisition.Soitisnecessaryforustoknowwhattypesoflearningstyleswehaveinordertohelpustoacquirethetargetlanguagemoreeffectively.ThefollowingsarelearningstylesdescribedbyA.Cohen（2006）

●VisualLearners:

tolearnthroughseeing

Theteachers'bodygesturesandfacialexpressionscanattractthiskindoflearners.Theselearnersliketositinfrontoftheclassroominordertoavoidvisualobstructions,sotheteachercanusesomevividteachingtoolstoattractsuchlearners'attentionduringtheteachingprocess,forexample,diagrams,illustratedtextbook,videos,andhand-outs.

●AuditoryLearners:

tolearnthroughlistening

Thiskindoflearnersaresensitivetotheverballectures,discussions,talkingthingsorotherthings.Auditorylearnerslearnorunderstandthesomeknowledgethroughlistening.Theylearnbestfromreadingtextsaloudandusingataperecorder.

●Hands-OnLearners:

tolearnthroughdoing

Suchlearnerspreferahands-onapproachandphysicalworldaroundthem.Youmayfindthattositforalongtimeintheclassroomisdifficultforthem.

●Analyticvs.GlobalLearners:

tobeattentivetodetails

Analyticlearnersprefertothinkandanalyzejustforthisreasonthattheyfocusongrammarrulesandgeneralization,notthesocialfactors.However,globallearnersaresensitivetosocio-emotionalcontentthoughtheymaynotknowallaspectsrelated.

●ExtrovertLearners

Fromthewordof"extrovert",wecouldknowthattheextrovertlearnersareactiveandoutgoing,andtheyhavebroadinterests.Extrovertsareverysocial,enjoybeingpartofagroupandoftenworkwellwithothers.Extrovertsenjoyparticipatinginlively,thoughtprovokingdiscussions.Theymayoftenspeakjusttobreaksilence,andtheyareinterestedintryingnewthings,andfocusontheouterworldaswell.

●IntrovertLearners

However,theintrovertlearnersareenergizedbytheinnerworld.Thoughtsandconceptsaretheirattention.Theymayhavefewerbutdeeperintereststhanotherlearnersandtheyareinclinedtobereflectivelearners.Introvertlearnersworkbetteralone.Theyareveryself-motivatedandprefersolitaryactivities.Theyoftenmarchtothebeatofadifferentdrum.Introvertedlearnersprefertoprocessideasbythinkingtothemselves.Theywillspeakoutonlywhentheyhaveprocessedanidea,rehearsedit,andpreparedthemselveswellenoughtoshareinformationswithothers.Whentheyareforcedtocommentbeforecompletelyprocessing,theyoftenfeelpushedandfeeltheyhavesaidsomethingunproductive.Introvertlearnersoftenhavetheabilitytounderstandtheirownfeelings,motivationsandmoods.Theyfocusontheinnerworldofideasandareoftenquietlythinkingthroughproblemswhenyouthinkyouarebeingignored.

●IntuitiveLearners

Intuitivelearnerslookforpossibilities;andtheywouldratherfollowhunchesandmakedecisionsbyinnerfeelingratherthanbyguidelines.Intuitivelearnersliketodiscoverrelationshipsandpossibilities.Theydislikehearingthesamethingoverandoveragainfortheyenjoyfresh,newandinterestingideas.Theyarebetteratlearningabstractconceptsthantheyareatmasteringconcretefacts.Thisstyleoflearnerappreciatesbeingnoticedfortheirinnovation.Theyliketobepraisedforbeingimaginativeandcreative.

Thislearningstylecanbebeneficialifyoumovethemawayfromtraditionallearningandintoamorestudent-drivenapproach;thentheycanworkattheirownpace,whichisusuallyfasterthanotherstudents.Intuitivelearnersdobestwhentheyunderstandtheunderlyingthemetoanygivenlessonorstory.Thetemptationcanbetopresentthelessonfirst,andthentellthechildrenwhatitmeans.

●SequentialLearners

Ontheoppositeofintuitivelearners,sequentiallearnersabsorbinformationandacquireunderstandingofmaterialsinsmallconnectedchunks.Theyliketoworkinastep-by-stepmannerandfollowdirectionscarefully.Theytendtobelinearandsensor-oriented.Sequentiallearnersfollowlinearreasoningprocesseswhensolvingproblems.Sequentiallearnerscanworkwithmaterialswhentheyunderstanditpartiallyorsuperficially,andtheymaybestronginconvergentthinkingandanalysisbecausefrequentlytheylearnbestwhenmaterialsarepresentedinasteadyprogressionofcomplexityanddifficulty

●Closure-OrientedLearners

Closure-Orientedlearners,ononehand,aregoodatplanningandmanaging,andtheyusuallyobtaintheanswersindirectandimmediateways.Ontheotherhand,theyalsohavethelowtoleranceforambiguity.Theytendtobehardworkinganddecisiveandtheyprefertoknowplanningandmanagingahead.Thesestudentsareserious,hardworkinglearnerswholiketobegivenwritteninformationandenjoyspecifictaskswithdeadlines.Sometimestheirdesireforclosurehampersthedevelopmentoffluency（Ehrman&Oxford,1989）.Theyarethetask-drivenlearners.

●Open-OrientedLearners

However,open-orientedlearnersthinklearningisinteresting;andtheychangeworkintoplay.Theymaymakelists,butdon'tcheckoffeachitem.Theyhaveahightoleranceforambiguityandregarddeadlinesasartificialandarbitrary.Openlearnerswanttostayavailableforcontinuouslynewperceptionsandarethereforesometimescalled"perceiving."

TheytakeL2learninglessseriouslyandtreatingitlikeagametobeenjoyedratherthanasetoftaskstobecompleted.OpenlearnersdislikedeadlinesandtheywanttohaveaflexibleworkingtimeandseemtosoakupL2informationbyosmosisratherthanhardeffort.Openlearnerssometimesdobetterthanclosure-orientedlearnersindevelopingfluency（Ehrman&Oxford,1989）,buttheyhaveadisadvantageinatraditionalclassroomsetting.

●ImpulsiveLearners

Thosewhotestfasterthanthemedianbutscorebelowthemedianofaccuracyare"impulsive."Theseindividualsarefrequentlydescribedasstudentswhorushthroughassignmentsandfrequentlymissedcorrectanswers.Impulsivestudentsdonotconsiderasmanyalternativeanswerswhenfacingopen-endedquestionsascomparedtoreflectivestuden