What personality type seems to be more attracted to the study of foreign languages?
- Intuitive Thinkers
- Introverts
Which personality trait seems to be most important to be a successful L2 learner? What qualities of this personality lend to language learning?
Openness to Experience, because…
- Low Ethnocentrism
- Self-Confidence
- Creativity
How might extroversion and SLA be related?
- Extroverts seem to maintain a higher L2 fluency
- Extroverts seem more willing to seek speaking situations than Introverts
- Though Extroverts might be more fluent in conversation, Introverts have a higher lexical and grammatical complexity.
What are the most common symptoms of foreign language anxiety?
- Lower grades
- Lower proficiency Performances
- Freezing up when asked to say something
- Difficulty with processing and learning new L2 material -Reticence (being reserved)
- L2 risk-avoiding behaviors.
Where does foreign language anxiety originate?
- Low self-concept regarding general academic abilities
- Perfectionist attitudes
- Unrealistic beliefs about language learning
What is Willingness to Communicate (WTC)?
Likelihood for an L2 learner to want to initiate communication in the L2 when given the choice to engage in or to avoid such action.
What factors influence a learner’s Willingness to Communicate?
- L2 communicative confidence
- L2 attitudes
- Frequency and quality of past L2 contact
What two factors measure a person’s Communicative Confidence?
- Anxiety
- Self-Perceived Competence
In what contexts is Anxiety more predictive of L2 Communicative Confidence? Self-Perceived Competence?
- Anxiety is more predictive of Communicative Confidence in High-L2 Settings (immersion, Second lanuguage Classroom).
- Self-Perceived Competence is more predictive in Low-L2 Settings (foreign language classroom).
What are some ways that learning a second language can affect one’s identity?
- Student Identity = This is the learner identity, where one feels like they are always in a classroom setting. Being corrected, and “tested” in public.
- Reduced Identity = Because a learner can’t convey themselves as easily as they can in their L1, many develop a sense of being reduced. They feel that they can’t be themselves or are a reduced version of themselves.
- Enhancement of National Identity = This can often happen in immersion settings, despite intercultural awareness.
What are some examples of L2 Learning strategies?
- Affective
- Social
- Metacognitive
- Cognitive
- Memory-Related
- Compensatory
What is problematic or disappointing about findings from research into L2 learning strategies?
It has been difficult to establish any link between certain strategies and language learning success.
What are Affective learning strategies?
- Encouraging oneself when afraid to speak.
- Encouraging oneself to try new things
What are Social learning strategies?
-Practicing the L2 with other people
What are Metacognitive learning strategies?
- Having clear goals
- Noticing one’s mistakes
What are Cognitive learning strategies?
- Guessing from context
- Writing Notes
What are Memory-Related learning strategies?
- Memorization strategies
- Connecting words with images
What are Compensatory learning strategies?
-Using circumlocution (using the words you have to explain something, when fewer words could do).
