Psychological Aspects of Language Acquisition

One source of confirmation for the dissociation between explicit and implicit learning comes from studies of global amnesic patients who, as a result of spoil to configurations in the middle of their brain, show normal implicit learning yet total anterograde amnesia for explicit and episodic memories (i.e. they lose the ability to consciously summon up any events that occur after their brain damage - see Schacter, 1987 for review). The perennial subjective evidence for this comes from Claparède (1911) who reported that he once shook hands with a female Korsakoff patient while concealing a pin in his hand. This caused the patient some pain, and when he returned a few minutes later and offered his hand again, she refused to shake it. Her evasion continued, even though she could give no clarification of why she was avoiding him. In this case implicit learning (behaviour which is changed as a result of a previous encounter) is preserved in the absence of any conscious, explicit recollection of the event. By language learning motivation, I mean the motivation to learn (or acquire) a second language. This type of incentive is considered in the socio-educational model of second-language acquisition (Gardner, 1985), the social context model (Clement, 1980), the Self-determination model (Noels, & Clément, 1996), the Willingness to Communicate model (MacIntyre, Clément, Dörnyei, & Noels, 1998), and the extended motivational framework (Dörnyei, 1994) to name a few. It is a general form of inspiration applicable in any second language-learning context. Second language acquisition is a complex process which develops under a diverse set of conditions. People learn a second language for various reasons. They have different backgrounds and learn different languages under different circumstances. It is not a trait, as some individuals contend, but it is a general feature of the individual that applies to any opportunity to learn the language. It is relatively stable, because of its presumed antecedents, but it is amenable to change undercertain conditions. The various models referred to above are, all agree that it is an attribute with important implications for the individual; they differ in terms of its antecedents, as well as in how it might be assessed.

There are at least four stages that can be identified, and they are comparable to those involved in the development of one’s first language. Figure 1 presents a schematic representation of these stages.

The initial stage is Elemental. In this stage the entity is learning the basics of the language, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciations, etc. We see this in the development of one’s first language when the tot learns new words, begins to put words together, mispronounces some words but corrects them later, etc. With the second language student, we see the same process when initial vocabulary is learned, corresponding with the first language are recognized, simple declarative sentences are memorized, etc. The second stage is Consolidation, where the elements of the language are brought together and some degree of knowledge with the language is achieved. We see this stage in the young child learning the first language, when they begin to be familiar with that language as a system where some elements are correct and others incorrect and they develop rules for pluralization, sentence structure, and the understanding of idioms, etc. A similar prototype occurs for students learning a second language, when they find that some of the structures and elements can be like those in their native language while others can be very different, when they learn that some terminology are meaningful, others not, etc. In the third stage, there is Conscious Expression, during which the individual can use the language but with a great deal of cognizant effort. The human being can communicate thoughts and ideas, but there is a lot of deliberation about what is being expressed. For the young first language learner, this phase can be predictable by the use of a lot of speech hesitations such as um, er, uh, where the individual is actively searching for the right words or form of appearance. For the learner of a second language, you can observe the same occurrence, and often get the feeling that the individual is in fact searching the first language for help in meaningful how to articulate the idea in the second language. The fourth stage is recognized as Automaticity and Thought to designate that at the ultimate stage language and consideration merge and language becomes habitual in most contexts. This could well correspond to Lambert’s cultural cluster. In this phase, language and self-become consistent. One no longer thinks about the language, but thinks in the language.

In this paper we found that explicit learning is a more conscious operation where the individual makes and tests hypotheses in a search for structure. Knowledge attainment can thus take place implicitly (no conscious and automatic abstraction of the structural nature of the material arrived from experience of instances), explicitly through selective learning (the learner searching for information and building then testing hypotheses), or, because we can communicate using language, explicitly via given rules (assimilation following explicit instruction).There are no absolute barriers to second-language acquisition, it is an extremely important component in a very competitive global market.

• Clément, R. (1980). “Ethnicity, Contact and Communicative Competence in a Second Language”. In H. Giles, W. P. Robinson & P. M. Smith (eds.), Language: Social PsychologicalPerspectives. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 147-154.

• Noels, K.A., & Clément, R. (1996). “Communication across cultures: Social determinants and acculturative consequences”. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 28:214-228.

• MacIntyre, P.D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K.A. (1998). “Conceptualizing willingness to communicate in a L2: A situated model of confidence and affiliation”. Modern Language Journal, 82:545-562.

• Dornyei, Z. (1994). “Motivation and motivating in the foreign language classroom”. Modern Language Journal, 78: 273-284.

 R.C. GARDNER,” Motivation and Second Language Acquisition1”, PORTA LINGUARUM 8, junio 2007, ISBN: 1697-7467

2006, Vol. 32, No.2, 84-92.