Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition - Essay Example

Background of Topic: Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition Programme: Postgraduate Diploma in English Studies Module Synopsis: This module develops participants’ knowledge of human development in language and thinking. It explores theories of how language develops in both first and second language. It deals with the psychological processes of comprehending and producing language, including consideration of individual and contextual (eg school) factors in second language acquisition and bilingualism. Essay Task: An essay in which you analyse your own language learning experiences in terms of theories associated with the process of second language learning / or with the effects of learner factors on second language learning. Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition Introduction Learning a second language (L2) can not only be a considerably challenging and daunting task for many learners, but also a rewarding experience (Lennartsson, 2008). It takes time for a learner to study and adequately develop a language. My journey of learning English has always been demanding but within the learning, I learnt to overcome its challenges. Having been brought up in Germany and studying German for most of my childhood, I did not start learning English until when I moved to a secondary school in Singapore where I struggled to cope with the language and saw it necessary. After my secondary level, I was sent to Australia to further my education where I passionately perceived the language as pleasurable to learn. In understanding my learning outcomes as an L2 learner in English, this paper aims to examine my personal experience in the study of English in the secondary and tertiary level of my education by critically reflecting on two major factors. It discusses the ‘social context’ and ‘motivation’ for my L2 learning in relation to the changes in learning environment across the globe from Europe to Asia where I was brought up. Background (Germany) Looking back at my extraordinary language learning experiences in Europe and Asia, I am grateful for learning two languages in two different continents. Born in Bavaria, Germany, I was brought up there for most of my childhood. My parents, my father in particular, spoke to me in German and I adopted it as my first language (L1). At times, my mother, of Singaporean background, would speak to me in English and thus I gradually acquired it as my second language (L2). Although my English was limited and I was never compelled into learning it, German was regarded as my primary language of instruction and communication. Secondary Stage (Singapore) 1. Social Context When I was twelve years old, in the mid-80s my family moved to Singapore where my learning of English as a second language began. Having completed German primary school (Appendix A), I was transferred to a secondary school (Appendix B) where the main language of instruction was English. The move was problematic for me since I shifted from a German speaking environment to an English and Chinese speaking country. However, the perceived value of English over Chinese in Singapore was sought to be ideally important. Since Singapore’s independence in 1965, the government of Singapore has viewed English as a key tool for global economic success and thus the country established English as their second language (Iswaran, 2010). Singapore’s vision for the young learning English as their primary language is seen to be a prerequisite for accessing the international economy of the 21st century and also a driving force for a sustainable future for the country. Since my parents decided to reside in Singapore permanently, it was beneficial for me to study English to broaden my chances and scope of a successful future in the country. Many L2 learners who study overseas in an English speaking country regularly deal with a vast amount of difficulty in adapting to the new learning environment. They experience constant motivational fluctuations as a result of the new challenges and tasks they meet on a daily basis (Zhang, 2014). I started learning English in secondary level. In the first few months, I struggled to understand what my teachers and classmates were saying to me since my use of English was fairly limited. Having no friends to communicate at school, I was emotionally frustrated and drained down into isolation. The compulsion to study and work hard for my examinations and written projects did not couple up well with my limited grasp of the English language. My test results were unsatisfactory thus my mother became worried with my failing grades. Young (1997) argued that children who have difficulty communicating in English may face a challenge progressing through school. Fearing that I might not cope with my studies, my mother hired a native English speaking tutor to assist in making my English better. 2. Motivation In Singapore, it is not surprising that students of all ages would spend their time to study English with a personal tutor after their normal school hours (Bray, 2007). They would normally strive to be the best in school and their motivation to do so is to earn and compete for a place at a reputable secondary school or university. Learning English was mainly working on textbook-based exercises and in-depth revision for examinations. Teachers strove to encourage students to compete with one another and gain a high overall grade. This pragmatic approach of motivation is instrumental where students study hard for the purpose of achieving desirable marks for a better schooling future (Locastro, 2001). There was no prospect in valuing and appreciating the nature of the English language by exploring English literature, contemporary debatable topics or using drama in the lessons. This limited the use and real understanding of the richness of the language. Consequently, this placed a devastating amount of peer pressure on me as my mother wanted me to study in a good university given the competitiveness of the students in class and my limited use of English. Motivation is significantly necessary for L2 learners. Ching-Ni (2009, p. 2) argued that motivation is “an important individual learner variable in L2 acquisition”. Furthermore, Santrock (2010, p. 71) pointed out that “In Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the social contexts in which children live and the people who influence their development is important”. This showed that my mother’s guidance and push for hiring a tutor was a driving force in motivating my English learning. The tutor would teach me with a lot of fun and interesting English activities such as a variety of vocabulary and grammar games, which gradually laid a better foundation for the development of my English. I was taught new words by daily dictations, pronunciation through reading interesting short stories, grammar through forming sentences, and speaking through the interactive use of hand puppets, drama and role plays. An interesting aspect of role plays I got involved in was the engagement of task-based learning. To illustrate a learning situation, I was given a real-life problem, such as being lost in an unfamiliar location and I needed to find a solution for it by asking around for directions. Task-based learning leads learners through direct real life experience and exposure of the language as well as using it for themselves. Skehan (2003) pointed out that task-based learning is perceived as a progressive learning process whereby one learns through doing a task, which then engages the learner’s crucial focus of the activity to increase their motivation and use of the target language. This approach can be seen to be in the form of behaviourism where it has an effect on the achievement in language learning (Lightbown & Spada, 1999). As a result, my English improved extensively and through this method of behaviourism, the interest of my tutor’s classes motivated me to keep on learning and developing my English. My motivation in the study of English at this stage can be evidently seen as extrinsic, which refers to behaviour that is propagated by external rewards (Brown, 2007). This means that I had to study my English and practice it with my tutor to gain external reinforcement in receiving decent marks for my exams to avoid failure and disappointing my parents. Self-efficacy was made by the improvement and achievement of my results. Bandura (1994) stated that self-efficacy is a person’s belief about being able to perform in a particular situation. My initial hardship and motivation in learning English was progressively established through the years of learning the language in my secondary school and this achievement prepared me to face my tertiary level studies. Tertiary Stage (Australia) 1. Social Context The tertiary level was the turning point in my life since I had the opportunity to study abroad in Australia. Majoring in Mass Communication at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, the course gave me a wider perspective and insightful scope on the international current affairs worldwide. Compared to the straineous life I had at secondary school, university life gave me more freedom to explore the language. Weekly tutorial discussions were always interesting for me as I could participate actively with my classmates on interesting current affairs from Europe, Australia and America. Outside class, there were many activities; clubs that students could join and I made the effort to participate in the university’s debate club. Within a few months, the exposure to the activities gave me the confidence to be more outspoken and ascetic in front of my peers. I was introduced to new debatable materials that I had not tackled at secondary level. Based on this social context, a sense of appreciation and association in English by its society was developed culturally in my learning environment. Zhang (2014) stated that social factors arbitrate their force on language learning through motivation and learning. In a sense, this form of progression steadily changed me from a passive to an active learner. English was not merely seen as a sole educational subject being taught and examined, but a study and systematic valuable flow of information and knowledge (AACTE, 2010). In this perspective, acquiring opportunities for immersing in the language was seen to be significant rather than just educational. The exposure of the language came from three distinct environments that aided me in my tertiary years. Tutorial lessons, coffee clubs and the university’s library were the places that offered me unwalled access to interaction with peers and gain valuable academic material to work on group and individual projects. English was a requirement at this stage whereby I felt that if I did not have a strong foundation of the language, I would not have harvested from the rich opportunities that surrounded me and would deem myself a failure. 2. Motivation My motivation for studying English gradually became intrinsic, which refers to behaviour that is instigated by internal rewards (Brown, 2007). This was due to the increasing social context and acquiring opportunities I was extensively exposed at this level for learning English. Having spent five years in Australia, I enjoyed indulging and communicating with my Australian native English speaking classmates during lessons, where I had the privilege to explore and extend on my English learning capabilities. An enthralling elective module which I undertook in my undergraduate studies was Australian and Intercultural Studies, by which I was motivated to explore its wide-range of literature and culture of Australia. The module gave a whole new enlightened perspective of the Australian language as I was able to eagerly delve into a collection of poems, songs, and old literary works. This form of motivation is integrative, I was passionate to understand the language of native speakers and learn something innovative (Horwitz, 1990). My sight was demystified to a whole new world of interests where I realised that English had became a daily part of my life and that my motivation had changed from extrinsic to intrinsic. Coon & Mitterer (2010) stated that intrinsic motivation is based on how we benefit from an activity or view it as an opportunity to study, discover and realise our potentials. This arguably had benefited my language skill and has motivated me continuously to strive on in my English learning. Conclusion Retrospectively, my outcome as an L2 learner, the two factors; social context and motivation, which I have discussed during my secondary and tertiary levels of my education, have significantly influenced and contributed to my English learning. The theoretical models of second language acquisition emphasised on my English learning, and through this assisted me through the process of becoming a successful L2 learner. Each stage of my learning journey portrayed a different theory, during which, the effectiveness of it transformed my learning approach and motivation from extrinsic to intrinsic. My move from Europe to Asia unearthed an unparalleled language challenge and sociocultural adjustment in a new environment. It was not until my tertiary level in Australia, did my maturity in English grew and my interest towards the language and quest for knowledge motivated me to passionately learn in a social environment with native English speakers. This consequently gave me the confidence and competence of continuously learning and using the language. Words: 2000 References American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) (2010). 21st Century knowledge and skills in educator preparation. [Online] URL: http://www.p21.0rg/storage/documents/aacte_p21_whitepaper2010.pdf [Accessed 16 March 2015 Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. 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