How Languages are Learned

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How Languages are Learned
Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada In
collaboration with Leila Ranta and Jude
Rand Oxford University Press
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To what extent can we predict differences in the
success of second language acquisition in two
individuals if we have information about their
personalities, their general and specific
intellectual abilities, their motivation, or
their age?
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Brief Discussion on Motivation
Are motivated students better learners?
How can one establish a cause and effect
relationship between a learning methodology and
the motivated student?
If you are a motivated student and have success
in a foreign language course, is your success due
to the motivation you brought to the class or the
motivation you felt when you experienced success
in the course?
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Intelligence
Over the years, many studies have used a variety
of IQ tests and different methods of assessing
language learning. These have found that the
intelligence level is a good means of predicting
how successful a learner my be.

• One of the most serious problems is that it is
  not clear what the abilities are that constitute
  aptitude.

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Personality
Extroversion vs. Inhibition
Risk taking, assertiveness, and adventurousness
VS. Non risk-taking, Non-assertive, and
Non-adventurous
(Guiora et al. 1972) Subjects who received small
doses of alcohol did better on pronunciation
tests than those who did not drink any alcohol.
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Personality
Extroversion vs. Inhibition
Other Characteristics Studied self-esteem,
empathy, dominance, talkativeness, and
responsiveness.
Studies look at the acquisition of communicative
competence and grammatical accuracy. Personality
variables seem to be consistently related to the
former, but not the later.
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Motivation and Attitudes
The overall findings show that positive attitudes
and motivation are related to success in second
language learning (Gardner 1985.)
It is difficult to establish precisely how
motivation affects learning?
Two (2) factors 1.The learners communicative
needs, and 2. their attitudes towards the second
language community.
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Learning Styles

• Visual Learners and Aural Learners

• Learners are compelled to Memorize and
  Practice.

• Learners have a need to add a physical action to
  the learning process.

• It is not enough to see, hear, or practice for
  these learners. They need to live the new
  knowledge in ways that involve them more
  completely.

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What of the Critical Period in language
acquisition?
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Mastery of the spoken language More than just an
accent?
Will there be a difference between learners who
began to learn English before puberty and those
who began learning English later?
67 highly educated immigrants tested 5 minutes
transcripts from interviews were analyzed by
native-speaker judges.
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32/33 4 or 5
(Before the age of 15)
21/34 between 3 and 4
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(No Transcript)
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How Languages are Learned
Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada In
collaboration with Leila Ranta and Jude
Rand Oxford University Press