Key factors influencing second language learning
Discuss about the English for Professional Contexts for Multilingualism.
Second learning language is very important and it can be affected by various factors. The importance of second learning language is to enhance the functioning of brain and improves creativity. If an individual knows second language they can easily communicate with foreign people. The motivation behind learning second language is to understand the sentiments and belief of others (Golonka, Bowles, Frank, Richardson & Freynik, 2014). The reason behind learning second language is to stronger the skills so that they can understand eth linguistic codes. Some of the factor that influences learning of second language is motivation, age, attitude, intelligence, lifestyle and personality of a person. In this report one factor is considered that is motivation.
Second learning language is used to simplify the difference that exists due to difference in culture. The leaning of second language turns out to be a part of all the complex programs ad exposed to more audience (Ramos & Dario, 2015). Learning of an additional language after first language helps the learner in practising all the process. Second language helps in interaction with the people who are not aware about the native language. There are various factors that affect the thought of learning a second language. There is no harm in acquiring additional learning (Saito, Trofimovich & Isaacs, 2016). This is very helpful in the area where people are not aware about the commonly spoken language. It is not a dominant language but it is used for making some situations comfortable.
Second language learning can be seen as an acquisition to learn about different cultures. Motivation is one of the factors that affect learning of second language. People generally learn this language due to the desire to so something and learn something new. Motivation is used to boost people to promote them to learn about different language that helps in achieving more. Motivation is just a way to enhance the orientation of a person (MacIntyre & Serroul, 2015). The motivation can also be of two types it can be an integrative motivation or it can be instrumental motivation. The integrative motivation can be seen like a learner willing to study second language just because of its interest. Learning second language opens the door for knowing the different culture and people (Researchgate, 2017). It makes the communication easy and also improves the social network. The other form of motivation is instrumental in which learner learns the second language with the motive to gain functional benefits. They just learn second language to get better job opportunities or chance for higher studies. The second language cans be beneficial for passing foreign tests, communicating with expertise in foreign countries. Thus it not only helps in knowing the different culture but also offer better career opportunities (Smith & Candlin, 2014). From the research it can be stated that both type of motivation influences people to go for second language learning. It is true that motivation links the situation of a person to learn more language. Learning second language does not cause any harm on their mother tongue language it is just an additional benefit to target more audience. Motivation is a factor that helps in distinguishing all the intrinsic and extrinsic impact (VanPatten & Williams, 2014). The individual, who are motivated in an intrinsic way aims to have the feeling of self-determinations. As it was their personal motivation that influence tem to learn second language. The people who are extrinsically motivated just do to gain benefits in the form of money. Learning second language is beneficial for longer run.
The importance of second language learning
The factor that affects learning of second language is motivation that shows a person when their internal desire asks them to do something. It is better than be motivated in an intrinsically way as it bound the student to do better in all the activities as they have the eagerness to learn new things (Ortega, 2014). On the other hand in extrinsically motivation they are bribed to perform or learn something. The outcome will be better when they have the willingness to learn. It helps the learner to enrich their personal growth and also allows them to achieve all the goals. It can be concluded that both type of motivation related to the success of a person. While it is a fact that leaning second language is the mixture of both the motivation (Lasagabaster, 2016). It is recommended to give intrinsic motivation as it stays for a long term and allows learner to have excellence, autonomy and self-actualization.
Motivation also helps the learners to acquire depth knowledge and can also be used to construct correct path for communication. While implicated the learning of second language by teachers several things need to be undertaken. Some teachers make use of visual learning or some using advanced techniques (Zarrinabadi, 2014). It includes memory, cognitive, comprehension, metacognitive and affective. The learning can be in any form either extraversion or introversion. Extrovert gain the learning by interacting with others one their own and building interest to learn new things. Introvert lean towards learning because of some of the external factors.
Motivation affects language learner as it allow them to achieve desired consequences. It affects the learners as they get quality instructions and input to gain the opportunities. It can be treated as a source that figure out ways to connect them to external factors (Li, Legault & Litcofsky, 2014). It is important for learners in cases when teacher is don’t understand the mother tongue language thus it can be beneficial for them at that time. It affects the learners y creating a friendly atmosphere and encouraging them to personalize their environment. Second language should be made as a compulsory language as it is required at every stage of life. In personal and professional life just knowing one language doesn’t work. Motivation is helpful for learners as they encourage them to set their own goals and enhance them to achieve the desired objective (Lai, 2015). Motivation can also be a power to boost up the confidence in people. It also enriches the knowledge of student outside the class and encourages them to expertise different cultures and skills. The personality of a learner is also affected by motivation. Thus motivation is one of the important factors that allow learners to increase their learning capability. It is the one of the reason behind their success and also creates a good environment. It also adds up enthusiasm in the learner so that they are mentally prepared to deal with the perception of foreigners and teachers. It affects the learner as it creates habit of learning among them (Guerrero, 2016). The person who has the knowledge regarding second language is given more priority in every field. They stand out different from the crowd and add a plus point to their portfolio. Thus it is helpful for them as they provide them skills to adapt new things easily. Learner will always be affected by it in a positive way.
Types of motivation in second language learning
Motivation is an effective variable for an individual to influence learning. There are some factors like initialization, motivation, attitude towards learning and use. Motivation contributes in one fourth of the performance to learn second language. Learning of second language helps an individual to enhance their networking as there are chances to communicate with others.
Second learning language not only affects the learners but implications for language teacher are also beneficial. The implication of teachers is to aim that learners adapt to the language easily. Students themselves bring a certain amount of unpredictability to the learning style and teachers either consciously or unconsciously. Teachers use their own preferred ways of approaching second language learning tasks (Guerrero, 2016). They act as a support system to help an individual to develop their language learning skills in the best and practical way so that they get high knowledge and creative. They help in overcoming their learning difficulties.
The history of motivation towards second learning language has three phases that is social psychological period, cognitive-situated period and process-oriented period. A strong relation is drawn due to motivation to reach towards the goal (Tallal, 2014). The language learning is dependent on the process and personal trait through which knowledge is captured. It also focus on the situation and implication provided by teachers.
Implications of teachers serve out to be more effective as they design and develop performance of learning. They make use of appropriate assessment tools to incorporate effective learning. They mainly relate the learning with the course outcome by making best use of available resources (Tallal, 2014). Implications of teachers are with the motive that encourages students to learn and adapt things quickly.
Thus it can be concluded that second language learning can be affected by a range of factors. The main factor that is discussed in this essay is motivation. The effect of motivation on the language learner is analysed along with the implications for language teachers is understood.
References
Golonka, E. M., Bowles, A. R., Frank, V. M., Richardson, D. L., & Freynik, S. (2014). Technologies for foreign language learning: a review of technology types and their effectiveness. Computer assisted language learning, 27(1), 70-105.
Guerrero. M. (2016). Motivation in Second Language Learning:. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1127944.pdf.
Lai, C. (2015). Modeling teachers’ influence on learners’ self-directed use of technology for language learning outside the classroom. Computers & Education, 82, 74-83.
Lasagabaster, D. (2016). The relationship between motivation, gender, L1 and possible selves in English-medium instruction. International Journal of Multilingualism, 13(3), 315-332.
Li, P., Legault, J., & Litcofsky, K. A. (2014). Neuroplasticity as a function of second language learning: anatomical changes in the human brain. Cortex, 58, 301-324.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Serroul, A. (2015). Motivation on a per-second timescale: Examining approach-avoidance motivation during L2 task performance. Motivational dynamics in language learning, 109-138.
Ortega, L. (2014). Second language learning explained? SLA across 10 contemporary theories. Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction, 245-272.
Ramos, R., & Dario, F. (2015). Incidental vocabulary learning in second language acquisition: A literature review. Profile Issues in TeachersProfessional Development, 17(1), 157-166.
Researchgate. (2017). FACTORS INFLUENCING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322708295_FACTORS_INFLUENCING_SECOND_LANGUAGE_ACQUISITION.
Saito, K., Trofimovich, P., & Isaacs, T. (2016). Second language speech production: Investigating linguistic correlates of comprehensibility and accentedness for learners at different ability levels. Applied Psycholinguistics, 37(2), 217-240.
Smith, M. S., & Candlin, C. N. (2014). Second language learning: Theoretical foundations. Routledge.
Tallal, P. (2014). Experimental studies of language learning impairments: From research to remediation. In Speech and language impairments in children (pp. 145-170). Psychology Press.
VanPatten, B., & Williams, J. (Eds.). (2014). Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction. Routledge.
Zarrinabadi, N. (2014). Communicating in a second language: Investigating the effect of teacher on learners’ willingness to communicate. System, 42, 288-295.