SLA Research
As far as the research of major issues Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is concerned, a set of widely attested empirical, findings has been achieved in the past 50 years. Interest areas and priority areas have included age effects; effects of individual differences in language aptitudes and other affect and cognitive variables; the role of the broader social context and linguistic environment as sources of negative and positive evidence and of opportunities for input, output, and interaction (Long, Granena, & Yilmaz, 2016). In addition priority and interest, areas have also included implicit and explicit knowledge; incidental and intentional learning; processes and sequences in interlanguage development; and cross-linguistic influence …show more content…
Integrative motivation explains that in the quest to associate with a group that speaks a particular language, an individual will endeavor to learn the language. Irrespective of whether a language is studied as a foreign or second language, and regardless of the learners’ age, integrative motivation has been found to be effective in the promotion of SLA. Instrumental motivation, on the other hand, explains that to meet one’s goals and needs such as to communicate with one 's children’s teacher or to get a job, an individual would be willing to learn another language. The significance of errors in the learning process is a concept that Myles (2002) views as evidence of a more advanced linguistic system. Some of the errors immediately observed in SLA are as a result of rote learning of words and communication styles. These errors should not always be viewed as problematic because under the surface they are an invitation to explore the interrogative system of producing language, which is more advanced …show more content…
Tracking learner progress over time also proved to be a huge challenge especially because of the difficulties brought about by varied learning contexts such as family literacy classes, workplace classes or general ESL classes; and mobile learner and diverse populations. While the beneficial role of motivation in promoting SLA is evident, there are a few challenges associated with reliance on both instrumental and integrative motivation. The nature of motivation is that it varies from time to time, task to task and day to day and as such needs to be improved continually through challenging and changing activities and an environment that encourage
As far as the research of major issues Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is concerned, a set of widely attested empirical, findings has been achieved in the past 50 years. Interest areas and priority areas have included age effects; effects of individual differences in language aptitudes and other affect and cognitive variables; the role of the broader social context and linguistic environment as sources of negative and positive evidence and of opportunities for input, output, and interaction (Long, Granena, & Yilmaz, 2016). In addition priority and interest, areas have also included implicit and explicit knowledge; incidental and intentional learning; processes and sequences in interlanguage development; and cross-linguistic influence …show more content…
Integrative motivation explains that in the quest to associate with a group that speaks a particular language, an individual will endeavor to learn the language. Irrespective of whether a language is studied as a foreign or second language, and regardless of the learners’ age, integrative motivation has been found to be effective in the promotion of SLA. Instrumental motivation, on the other hand, explains that to meet one’s goals and needs such as to communicate with one 's children’s teacher or to get a job, an individual would be willing to learn another language. The significance of errors in the learning process is a concept that Myles (2002) views as evidence of a more advanced linguistic system. Some of the errors immediately observed in SLA are as a result of rote learning of words and communication styles. These errors should not always be viewed as problematic because under the surface they are an invitation to explore the interrogative system of producing language, which is more advanced …show more content…
Tracking learner progress over time also proved to be a huge challenge especially because of the difficulties brought about by varied learning contexts such as family literacy classes, workplace classes or general ESL classes; and mobile learner and diverse populations. While the beneficial role of motivation in promoting SLA is evident, there are a few challenges associated with reliance on both instrumental and integrative motivation. The nature of motivation is that it varies from time to time, task to task and day to day and as such needs to be improved continually through challenging and changing activities and an environment that encourage