Second Language Aquisition and Perceptions of Native Language by Foreign Students in UK Colleges - Essay Example

Foreign students of English in the UK may feel particularly overwhelmed as they learn what is now the global language in its birthplace. Feelings of embarrassment over their accent and unfavorable comparisons with their own language could come into play in such a setting. The purpose of my study will be to investigate these comparisons and to find out to what extent it affects the performance of foreign students in UK Colleges. Learning a second language in young adulthood, as compared to any other age, has as many advantages as disadvantages.

Young adults according to Clyne (2006) possess a distinct advantage in comparison to children in that they are better able "to achieve an analytical understanding of the new language being studied, while children can only reason about language in relatively concrete terms. Adolescents can add a child-like willingness to experiment and play with language to this capacity for metalinguistic awareness, and so they become the speediest second language learners" (P. 2). Despite these advantages it can be argued that psychological factors often outweigh mental preparedness, depending on the case.

Problems with motivation and anxiety that young adults often face can impede even the brightest of students from reaching their academic goals. Anxiety surrounding language learni. Phillips claims, "Although many variables may interact to affect language learning, foreign language anxiety should be of considerable concern to language educators and students because of its potential impact not only on performance on oral tests, but also on students' affective reactions, hence their attitudes toward language learning in general" (P. 14). If a foreign student is having troubles with or doubts about the culture they are immersed in they may not feel comfortable speaking with those who are a part of this culture.

This could result in the anxiety levels of foreign students building with few outlets for relief. 2. MotivationMotivation is key to success in education. If a student is not motivated they will most probably not be successful in their studies. Green (1993) believes that there are two levels of motivation in language learning. One level is cognitive linguistic which is brought out in formal language-learning situations. The second is cultural linguistic which is brought out in the environment outside of the classroom when the student is driven by what he calls instrumental and integrative motivation.

Instrumental motivation comes from such forces as employment, promotions and academic success while integrative motivation comes from positive perceptions of the target-language culture and its peoples (p. 3). Green believes that, "integrative motivation might best be redefined as a force potential in any environment conducive to second-language acquisition, while acknowledging that it could equally well be viewed in universal, nonlinguistic terms as the drive for acceptance and security to bring a sense of belonging to a particular community (p.