Emotion and motivation in younger learners’ second foreign language acquisition
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Susan Sayehli
Abstract
Reports and studies repeatedly indicate that foreign languages other than English are facing major challenges in European educational systems (European Commission 2012). While young learners’ motivation to learn a second foreign language (SFL) is often reported to be low (Tholin and Lindqvist 2009), studies have only recently started to take emotional factors into account in order to better understand how young learners experience foreign language learning and use. Learners’ emotions might particularly influence younger learners’ behaviour such as mitigating their willingness to communicate despite being engaged and motivated learners (MacIntyre 2002; Teimouri 2017). In this study we therefore examined 9th grade Swedish SFL (French, German and Spanish) learners’ (N=120) foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA; Horwitz et al 1986), their SFL motivation (Dörnyei 2009; Gardner and Lambert 1972), and their willingness to communicate (WTC; McCroskey and Baer 1985). As only few studies have examined motivations and emotions of students who study different SFLs, we also asked to what extent emotions and motivation are language-specific or learner-general in SFL learners within the same educational system. Results indicate that differences between learners of different SFLs are few and that FLCA together with learners’ motivation is the strongest predictor for their willingness to communicate. Results indicate further that there are persistent gender differences between girls’ and boys’ emotions and motivations in SFL learning. Taken together the findings of our study point to the importance of including emotions into studying motivation and use of SFLs also in younger learners.
Abstract
Reports and studies repeatedly indicate that foreign languages other than English are facing major challenges in European educational systems (European Commission 2012). While young learners’ motivation to learn a second foreign language (SFL) is often reported to be low (Tholin and Lindqvist 2009), studies have only recently started to take emotional factors into account in order to better understand how young learners experience foreign language learning and use. Learners’ emotions might particularly influence younger learners’ behaviour such as mitigating their willingness to communicate despite being engaged and motivated learners (MacIntyre 2002; Teimouri 2017). In this study we therefore examined 9th grade Swedish SFL (French, German and Spanish) learners’ (N=120) foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA; Horwitz et al 1986), their SFL motivation (Dörnyei 2009; Gardner and Lambert 1972), and their willingness to communicate (WTC; McCroskey and Baer 1985). As only few studies have examined motivations and emotions of students who study different SFLs, we also asked to what extent emotions and motivation are language-specific or learner-general in SFL learners within the same educational system. Results indicate that differences between learners of different SFLs are few and that FLCA together with learners’ motivation is the strongest predictor for their willingness to communicate. Results indicate further that there are persistent gender differences between girls’ and boys’ emotions and motivations in SFL learning. Taken together the findings of our study point to the importance of including emotions into studying motivation and use of SFLs also in younger learners.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
- Learning disabilities as external individual differences in second language acquisition 9
- The role of memory in the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar in the first language and in English as a foreign language 31
- Individual differences and young learners’ L2 vocabulary development: The case of language aptitude and exposure to subtitled TV series 65
- ‘In love with English’: A mixed-methods investigation of Flemish children’s spontaneous engagement with out-of-school exposure 87
- The relation between out-of-school exposure to English and English vocabulary development in Dutch primary school pupils 109
- Lexical profiles of children and adolescent EFL learners in the semantic domain of animals 133
- The contribution of motivation and emotions to language learning autonomy in the Hungarian secondary school classroom: The results of a questionnaire study 155
- Effects of authentic communication experiences on linguistic self-confidence: Individual differences in perceptions among Japanese primary school students 177
- Emotion and motivation in younger learners’ second foreign language acquisition 203
- Secondary school pupils’ language choice satisfaction in the L3 classroom: The roles of teaching, motivation, language choice and language classroom anxiety 225
- Index 261
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
- Learning disabilities as external individual differences in second language acquisition 9
- The role of memory in the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar in the first language and in English as a foreign language 31
- Individual differences and young learners’ L2 vocabulary development: The case of language aptitude and exposure to subtitled TV series 65
- ‘In love with English’: A mixed-methods investigation of Flemish children’s spontaneous engagement with out-of-school exposure 87
- The relation between out-of-school exposure to English and English vocabulary development in Dutch primary school pupils 109
- Lexical profiles of children and adolescent EFL learners in the semantic domain of animals 133
- The contribution of motivation and emotions to language learning autonomy in the Hungarian secondary school classroom: The results of a questionnaire study 155
- Effects of authentic communication experiences on linguistic self-confidence: Individual differences in perceptions among Japanese primary school students 177
- Emotion and motivation in younger learners’ second foreign language acquisition 203
- Secondary school pupils’ language choice satisfaction in the L3 classroom: The roles of teaching, motivation, language choice and language classroom anxiety 225
- Index 261
