Krashen Revisited: Case Study of the Role of Input, Motivation and Identity in Second Language Learning

Language Learning ◽

Role Models ◽

English Language ◽

Local Community ◽

Language Learner ◽

Target Language

Stephen Krashen has a long and enduring legacy in the field of second language acquisition. His “Input Hypothesis” was among the very first attempts to create a coherent theoretical account of second language learning. Krashen argued that learners can acquire language through the process of comprehending it. While elements of his model have been extensively critiqued, this idea has endured and offers teachers a clear mandate to provide learners with abundant opportunities to making meaning of the target language. Utilizing a case study of an English language learner, Krashen’s model is challenged and enriched by considering the role that motivation and identity play in learning. Teachers tapping into an important source of learner motivation, role models drawn from the local community or broader society, can inspire and energize students’ studies and help them visualize a life in which a second language plays a vital role. Building upon Krashen’s idea of the importance of language teachers and programs creating robust reading programs for a sustained engagement with second language print resources, the authors propose to expand his vision and include all manner of multimedia and technologies. However, such a program can only succeed if teachers mediate their learners’ social identities and motivations for sustained second language learning.

Why do sparkles make a sound in English?

Jezikoslovlje ◽

10.29162/jez.2019.16 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 447-473

Author(s):

Mateja Hendrih ◽

Stela Letica Krevelj

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Vocabulary Acquisition ◽

Language Learner ◽

The Media ◽

High Competence ◽

L2 Vocabulary

Due to their features of multi-modal presentation and their abundance in terms of availability and diversity, the media have been assumed to have a distinct effect on second language acquisition (SLA). Although their beneficial effect on overall SLA has been found in various studies, very few of them examined the characteristics of different types of media in relation to how they may influence second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition at an early age. We present a case study of a 9-year-old Croatian girl who had achieved high competence in the English language primarily through exposure to television (TV) content in English. We examined her production for the evidence that some features of television as a medium might have influenced the development of her vocabulary and the way she experienced and used the L2. The production data was collected in a series of unstructured conversations in the informal atmosphere of the participant’s home. Additional data on the participant’s language learning background were collected in interviews with the participant and her parents. The results suggest that exposure to TV as a medium, which provides opportunities for repeated exposure to rich input, contextualized language, and a combination of visual and aural stimuli, may have an important influence on L2 vocabulary acquisition. However, it has to be emphasized that the influence was evidenced in the production of a highly motivated language learner in an environment that was truly supportive of her language development.

A CASE STUDY OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESSFUL SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Indonesian Journal of Integrated English Language Teaching ◽

10.24014/ijielt.v3i1.3966 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Terri Chen

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Language Learning ◽

Personality Characteristics ◽

Single Individual ◽

English Speaker ◽

Learning Success

Every case of second language learning is different, but they are often influenced by systematic factors. What causes a learner to succeed or fail? In this case study, the language learning experiences of a single nonnative English speaker who successfully acquired English sheds light on the interplay between several of these aspects. An interview with a single adult subject reveals that for this particular individual, a high aptitude, as well as identity and personality characteristics that aligned with an openness to experience and learning in general, were more effective than factors of motivation. While identifying how and why a single individual may be successful or unsuccessful might not be generalizable to all learners, it can serve as a tool in helping to understand differences in L2 learning success.

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION BEYOND CRITICAL AGE: A CASE STUDY OF AN OLD SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNER

Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities ◽

10.46568/jssh.v55i2.81 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 31-43

Author(s):

Jawaria Samiya Siddiqui

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Language Learning ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Language Learner ◽

Common Belief ◽

Second Language Learner ◽

Deviant Case

This paper investigates the factors that facilitate/hinder Second Language Learning. The two factors that the study focuses on are age and motivation. Role of motivation in relation to age is discussed of a deviant case using Qualitative Paradigm, and the data is analyzed using Narrative Inquiry, Case Study and Retrospective Longitudinal design to find out if motivation plays any significant role in terms of achieving successful second language competence. It is a common belief that people who start young to learn a Second Language perform better than the old learners. However, the results indicate that this is not true in many cases, as this study on a deviant case shows that motivation plays a very important role in achieving successful Second Language Acquisition. If the learners are intrinsically motivated and are motivated from the beginning of their learning journey irrespective of their age then learning becomes easier.

Second Language Acquisition and Mother Tongue Influence of English Language Learners – A Psycho Analytic Approach

International Journal of Engineering & Technology ◽

10.14419/ijet.v7i4.36.23926 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4.36) ◽

pp. 497

Author(s):

A. Delbio ◽

R. Abilasha ◽

M. Ilankumaran

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Second Language ◽

Language Learners ◽

English Language ◽

Mother Tongue ◽

First Language ◽

Language Learner ◽

Target Language ◽

Second Language Learner

Language is a tool used to convey one’s thoughts, feelings and needs. Mother tongue is the language acquired by everyone ever since his birth. A learner encounters mother tongue influence while learning or speaking a foreign language or target language. Mother tongue influence is something that affects a person’s thought process in a sense that he thinks in mother tongue and expresses in English or a second language. People use incorrect pronunciation of words while communicating in English language as they are influenced by the sound patterns of their mother tongue. A second language learner has an unconscious preference to convey his customs from his first language to the target language. The influence of mother tongue has become a significant region and is generally referred to as ‘Language Interference’. Every language learner comes across this issue. Students, sometimes, use words from their parent language while communicating in English. This paper speaks about the difficulties faced by the learners of the second language and the causes of first language influence. This paper attempts to bring out the ways to avoid the overwhelmed influence of mother tongue and gives some notions to the students to develop their second language skills.

Do learners’ beliefs matter? Self-efficacy and second language achievement among Iranian second language learners

10.32920/ryerson.14663769 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mehrzad Eftekhar

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Language Learners ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

English Language ◽

Second Language Learners ◽

Research Question ◽

Language Learner ◽

Learning Performance

Through interviews with eight Iranian participants, this Major Research Paper explores second language adult learners’ beliefs about their abilities in performing English language tasks. Primary research questions include: (i) Do learners’ self-efficacy or beliefs about their competency in acquiring a second language affect their language learning performance? (ii) Does gender impact the level of self-efficacy a second language learner might hold? With respect to the first research question the findings demonstrate that unlike the female participants, the male participants’ self-efficacy positively correlates with their second language acquisition. In terms of the second research question, the results of the study show that gender isn’t deemed influential in the formation of self-efficacy among second language learners.

AFRREV LALIGENS An International Journal of Language Literature and Gender Studies ◽

The influence of cultural constraints on comprehension among second language (L2) learners: Implications for language teaching and learning

10.4314/laligens.v9i1.12 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 135-141

Author(s):

Ugochi Happiness Ikonne

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Language Learner ◽

Target Language ◽

Affective Factors ◽

Second Language Learner ◽

Language L ◽

Cultural Constraints

Very many factors have been found to influence second language learning. For instance, affective factors such as attitude, motivation and personality have usually been acknowledged to play important role in second language learning. Other factors include environmental factors which could be geographical and/or cultural. This discourse reviewed the various ways in which cultural constraints and cultural differences impede comprehension among second language (L2) learners. Emphasis was on listening, reading, pragmatics and viewing comprehension. It was recommended that language teacher apply strategies and techniques like infantilization, dramatization, excursion, audio and visual resources to concretize their lessons. Also, to bridge the cultural gap between the second language learner and the culture of the target language, acculturation or immersion programme is recommended. This is to ensure deeper contact between the learner and the culture, native speakers and the target language.Key Words: culture, comprehension and second language learning

The Effects of Motivation and Other Factors on Second Language Acquisition: A Case Study on Achieving Advanced Oral Proficiency in English

10.31235/osf.io/32zbj ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Arab World English Journal ◽

Rose Fowler Al-Hawamdeh ◽

Rajai Al-Khanji

Keyword(s):

Language Proficiency ◽

English Language ◽

Oral Proficiency ◽

Language Learner ◽

Target Language ◽

Studying Abroad ◽

Multiple Data ◽

Integrative Motivation

This paper is based on a case study of Raya, a Palestinian Arab undergraduate student, at the University of Jordan, who has achieved level B1 according to The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in listening and reading comprehension (‘accomplished’) and CEFR level B2 (‘superior’) in language form and meaning in English according to the TOEFL Junior Exam. Based on multiple data sources (i.e. interviews, observation, questionnaires and document analysis), the study aims to highlight how Raya's multiple identities as a language learner, avid film watcher, YouTube user and online gamer, and a (non) member of a target language community have contributed to her oral proficiency in English. The study also aims to emphasize some personal attributes that Raya has as a language learner in order to uncover the factors which have assisted or hampered her acquisition of English. The main finding of the case study is that Raya's English language proficiency has been enriched because of two overriding factors: firstly, integrative motivation (i.e. her love of English) highlighted through her immersion in the target language by her online identity, films and social interaction; and, secondly, instrumental motivation (i.e. using the language as a means to academic and professional advancement) in the sense she realized English was a way of helping her to achieve her goal of leaving her hometown and studying abroad. It is hoped that this study will inspire and inform both language learners and educators alike, as to some of the steps to success in acquiring proficiency in English or any other language.

Interlanguage as an Outcome of Bilingual Systems in Contact

Studies in Linguistics and Literature ◽

10.22158/sll.v4n3p33 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. p33

Author(s):

Longxing Wei

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

First Language ◽

Mental Lexicon ◽

Target Language ◽

Language Transfer ◽

Lexical Structure ◽

Abstract Level

Most previous studies of interlanguage regarded commonly observed learner errors as a universal or developmental phenomenon and related language transfer in second language learning to the developing interlanguage system itself. Though language transfer is often defined as one of the processes responsible for interlanguage, the relationship and interaction between the learner’s first language and the target language is largely ignored. This study assumes that any interlanguage system is “composite” in nature because in second language learning several linguistic systems come into contact, and each contributes different amounts to the developing interlanguage system. It further assumes that the bilingual mental lexicon contains abstract elements called “lemmas” about individual lexemes, and lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific and are in contact in interlanguage production. Based on some research findings, this study concludes that language transfer or learner errors in interlanguage production should be understood as lemma transfer of the learner’s first language abstract lexical structure; the developing interlanguage system is driven by an incompletely acquired abstract lexical structure of a target language item. This study treats interlanguage as an outcome of bilingual systems in contact at a rather abstract level to provide an explanatory account of second language acquisition.

Do learners’ beliefs matter? Self-efficacy and second language achievement among Iranian second language learners

10.32920/ryerson.14663769.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mehrzad Eftekhar

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Language Learners ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

English Language ◽

Second Language Learners ◽

Research Question ◽

Language Learner ◽

Learning Performance

Through interviews with eight Iranian participants, this Major Research Paper explores second language adult learners’ beliefs about their abilities in performing English language tasks. Primary research questions include: (i) Do learners’ self-efficacy or beliefs about their competency in acquiring a second language affect their language learning performance? (ii) Does gender impact the level of self-efficacy a second language learner might hold? With respect to the first research question the findings demonstrate that unlike the female participants, the male participants’ self-efficacy positively correlates with their second language acquisition. In terms of the second research question, the results of the study show that gender isn’t deemed influential in the formation of self-efficacy among second language learners.