User:Polo norman/sandbox

Age

In terms of specific ages, Steven Pinker and colleagues conducted a large-scale internet study aimed at measuring individual’s age, English proficiency, and amount of time spent practicing English. The findings suggest that the ability to learn a new language with fluency declines after age 18 and must begin by age 10. There are three main factors why our ability to acquire a new language declines after the age of 18. First, significant social changes usually occur at the age of 18. For example, during this period of time individuals may be heading off to college or entering the workforce. As a result, less time is dedicated towards learning a new language. Secondly, an individual’s primary language may impede the development of a newer language. The grammatical rules of our first language become more readily available in our minds as we are exposed to our first language in larger quantities. Lastly, our brains are still developing. In this case, learning becomes more difficult because the brain is undergoing significant changes during our late teenage years and early-20’s.

Strategy use

Different learning strategies have been evaluated and tested to determine the efficacy of their methods. A strategy that was found effective with English speaking Chinese learners was the use of a virtual environment. A virtual environment consists of a digital world in which a person may experience whatever is programmed. A virtual environment was created using the online virtual world known as Second Life, where the users could interact with objects, learning the words and sounds simultaneously. This learning strategy was found to be significantly more effective than traditional methods of displaying solely an image and sound. A similar study was done immersing Chinese learners in a virtual environment and found visualization of the objects increased the learning proficiency and scores on the proficiency test. The results of the two studies suggest an advantage when using a virtual environment juxtaposed to traditional methods among Chinese learners. Children use their own strategies of cross reference to learn second languages. A longitudinal study investigated preschool children in an environment where they were exposed to English as a second language. What was noted was that the children applied the knowledge from their first language, using patterns to develop their phonology. It was seen that mere immersion and rehearsal was an effective way for the children to increase their proficiency of their second language.

Affective factors

Ni (2012) was interested in the role that affective factors played in second-language acquisition (SLA). Additionally, she wanted to know how to apply this knowledge to the context of an educational setting. For example, many instructors want to create lessons for students that facilitate the process of learning a new foreign language. The study Ni (2012) conducted sought to find what important skills students could implement in their SLA pursuits. A 10-item questionnaire was administered to 50 students enrolled in the Foreign Language Department at Heze University in China. The questions collected data on participants’ English fluency, affective factors influence in their SLA, and the preferred method of feedback from their instructor. The main findings displayed how affective factors (e.g. motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety) may advance the acquisition of English as a second language. By using this knowledge, teachers can strengthen their students’ emotional states and create a more welcoming class environment. In doing so, students may be able to acquire a second language more effectively.

Language aptitude`

There are two definitions that help explain individual difference variables. The first is predictive, language aptitude is related to a set of cognitive abilities. These cognitive abilities, allow one to predict how well an individual can learn a foreign language. These abilities change under limited time and circumstances. The second definition is interactional. It views language aptitude as comprehension abilities during second language learning. Aptitude is or can be subject to change according to an environment. It highlights that no specific instruction works for all second language learners. Therefore, in order for an individual to grasp a second language, there must be an adaption. Where the learner’s abilities can flourish under different learning conditions. A meta-analysis brought to light that the importance of aptitude is an overestimate when it comes to grammatical capability. In specific conditions, language aptitude is a conscious construct which affects learning results. Language aptitude can be useful in predicting the beginning stages of second language learning, when it comes to grammatical competence, but it is not a reliable way to learning stages.