情感因素在二语习得中的作用及启示x

TheEffectsofAffectiveFactorsinSLA
andPedagogicalImplications
Abstract:Affectivefactorsincludeemotion,feeling,mood,manner,attitudeandsoon.TheyarethemostimportantfactorsinSLAandEnglishteaching.UndertheguidanceoftheAffectiveFilterHypothesispropodbyKrashen,thispapertendstomakeabriefanalysisoftheeffectsofaffectivefactorsinSLAanditspedagogicalimplications.Thatistosay,itisveryhelpfultostudyEnglishwithgoodmood,feeling,manner,andstudentscangetmoreknowledgewithgoodmood.Onthecontrary,studentswithpoorEnglishoftenfeeltired,boringandevenanxiouswhentheyattendtheclass.Theaffectivefactorswillsurelyhelptheteacherstoimprovetheirteachingqualityandstudentstocultivateanall-rounddevelopment.
AffectiveFilterHypothesis
AffectiveFilterHypothesiswaspropodbyKrashen.HeputtheAffectiveFilterHypothesisintofivecentralhypothesinSLA,namely,theAcquisition-learningdistinction;theNaturalorderhypothesis;theMonitorhypothesis;theInputhypothesisandtheAffectiveFilterHypothesis.Krashenarguedthataffectivefilterisakindofpsychologicalobstaclethatpreventslanguagelearnersfromabsorbingavailablecomprehensibleinputcompletely.Helookedaffectivefactorsfunctioningasafilterthatreducestheamountoflanguageinputthelearnerisabletounderstand.Ithasaclorelationshipwiththelanguagelearner'sinputandintake.Itcanbesaidthataffectivefactorsdeterminetheproportionoflanguagelearners'inputandintake.Theaffectivefactorsincludecertainemotions,suchasmotivation,lf-confidence,anxiety,andsoonintheprocessofacquiringacondlanguage.Thenegativeemotionspreventefficientprocessingofthelanguageinput,andonthecontrary,thepositiveemotionspromotetheefficiencyoftheprocess.Whenlanguagelearnerswithhighmotivation,lf-confidenceandalowlevelofanxiety,theyhavelowfiltersandsoreceiveandtakeinplentyofinput.Ontheotherhand,learnerswithlowmotivation,littlelf-confidenceandahighlevelofanxietyhavehighfiltersandthereforeobtainlittleinput.TheAffectiveFilterHypothesisshowsthattheemotionalfactorsstronglyaffectthelearners'inputandhowmuchinputisconvertedintointake.That'sthereasonwhyKrashenstatedthat:theAffectiveFilterHypothesiscapturestherelationshipbetweenaffectivevariablesandtheprocessofcondacquisitionbypositingthatacquirersvarywithrespecttothestrengthorleveloftheiraffectivefilters.Thowhoattitudesarenotoptimalforcondlanguageacquisitionwillnotonlytendtoeklessinput,buttheywillalsohaveahighorstrongaffectivefilter-eveniftheyunderstandthemessage,theinputwillnotreachthatpartofthebrain
responsibleforlanguageacquisition,orthelanguageacquisitiondevice.Thowithattitudesmoreconducivetocondlanguageacquisitionwillnotonlyekandobtainmoreinput,theywillalsohavealowerorweakerfilter.Theywillbemoreopentotheinput,anditwillstrike“deeper”.(StephanKrashen,1982:31)
TheAffectiveFilterHypothesishassignificantimplicationsforforeignlanguageteaching.Alowfiltershouldbecreatedandadvocatedfortheeffectivelanguageteaching.Itcanbeguesdthatlearners'affectivefilterswillbeinfluencedbyteachers'feedback.Attemptsshouldbemadetolowertheaffectivefilterandletlearnersfeellessstresdandmoreconfidentinacomfortablelearningatmosphere.
TheAffectiveFactors
Affectivefactorsincondlanguageacquisitionplayanimportantroleandsomewesternscholarsbelievethatitsroleivenmoreimportantthancognitivefactors.Theyarerelatedtothelearner'motionalstateandattitudetowardthetargetlanguage.Theaffectivefactorsmayhinderthelearnerstoabsorbinputinformationbecauofapsychologicalbarrier.Themainaffectivefactorsincludemotivation,lf-confidenceandanxiety.
Motivation
Motivationisconsideredtobeoneofthemostimportantfactors,whichaffectthelearner'slanguageinputandintake.Itiscommonlythoughtofasaninnerdrive,implu,emotion,ordesirethatmovesonetoaparticularaction.Cardnerdefinesmotivationtolearnacondlanguageas“theextenttowhichtheindividualworksorstrivestolearnthelanguagebecauofadesiretodosoandthesatisfactionexperiencedinthisactivity”.Itisconsideredasakeytosuccessfullearning.Inaword,motivationistheprocessbywhichgoal-directedbehaviorisstimulatedinlanguagelearning.Itdrivesanddirectsbehavior.
Itisobviouslythatmotivationdirectlyandprofoundlyinfluenceshowoftenstudentsuforeignlanguagelearning(FLL)strategies;howmuchinputtheyreceiveinthelanguagebeinglearned;howhightheirgeneralproficiencylevelbecomes;andhowlongtheypervereandmaintainFLLskillsafterlanguagestudyisover.Motivationissuchanimportantfactorinlanguagelearningthatnoteachercouldavoidbeingconcernedwithhisstudents'motivationintheprocessoflanguageteaching.
Self-confidence
Self-confidenceisconsideredtobeanothersignificantfactor,whichprofoundlyinfluencesthelearners'languageperformance.Itisakindofoptimisticemotionthatlanguagelearnersfirmlybelievetheycanovercometroublestogainsuccess.Self-confidenceistobeakindofactiveaffectivefactor.Asforforeighlanguagelearners,lf-confidenceoftenplaysadecisiveroleinforeighlanguagelearning,andifyouwanttosucceed,youshouldposssthemajorquality---lf-confidence.Thestudentswholackofconfidenceareusuallyfoundtobeextremelyfearfulandtimid,reluctanttoexpresstheiropinionsandevenunabletoutteracompletemeaningfulntenceinclass.
Theconceptoflf-confidencecanbedefinedasaprocessofproducingthestrongestforcefromthebottomofone'sheartindoingsomething.Itisastateofsurpassingonelfconsistently.Ofallthepossiblecharacteristicsthatcanaffectlanguagelearning,lf-confidenceisveryimportantforthefollowingreasons.Firstofall,whenapersonhaslf-confidencehebelievesinhimlf.Hebelievesthathecanandwillsucceed,andgiveshimthecouragetotrynewlearning.Onewouldbewillingtotakesomerisksinordertobesuccessful.Moveover,aconfidentpersonrarelygivesup.Eventheymeetdifficultiesintheprocessofstudying,theynevergiveup.Whentheirachievementsarenoticedmorebyothersatschool,theyaremorelikelytosucceed.Tosumup,lf-confidenceisregardedasoneofthemostimportantfactorsinlanguagelearningprocess.Itenablespeopletotakerisks,tryagainwhentheyfail,andenjoytheiraccomplishmentswhentheywin.Withtheabilities,aconfidentstudentcansucceedinlanguagelearning.Allinall,lf-confidencemeansalotinlanguagelearning.
Anxiety
Anxietyisanotherinfluentialfactorinaffectivedomain.Itisthoughttobethemostimportantnegativeaffectivefactoraffectingforeignlanguageacquision.Itisassociatedwithnegativefeeling,suchasuneasiness,frustration,lf-doubt,appreciationandtension.Anxietymaybeakindoftemporarypsychologicalstate,andalsoakindofpsychologicalcharacterthatcanlastforalongtime.Itisoneofthemostprominentandpervasiveemotions.May(1996)comprehendedthat“anxietyistheapprehensioncuedoffbyathreattosomevaluethattheindividualholdsntialtohixistenceasapersonality”.Itisafeelingofuneasysuspen,thetenanticipationofathreateningbutvagueevent.AccordingtoArnold(2000:59),languageanxiety“rankshighamongfactorsinfluencinglanguagelearning,regardlessofwhetherthettingisinformalornot(learninglanguage„onthestreets
5)orformal(intheclassroom)”.Studentswithanxietyattendingtheclasswillfeelnervousandafraidtocooperatewithteachersandthentheycannotconcentrateonthelearningpointsandwastetheirenergyortheyjustwanttofleethelearningtask.
Anxietyrevealsthatrearchershaveindeedudifferentconstructsfortheiranxietyrearchandpossibleefficiencystrategiesshouldbetakentoretardstudents'anxiousstateandletthemstudyataneaatmosphere.Thusmakestudentslearnmorelanguageknowledgeintheclass.
PedagogicalImplications
Accordingtotheaboveanalysis,thesignificanceofthestudyofaffectivefactorscanbesummarizedintothreemajorpointsbelow:
Tostartwith,motivationdirectlyandprofoundlyinfluenceshowmuchknowledgetheygainedfromlearninglanguage.Withhighmotivation,studentshavehighenthusiasmandspiritinEnglishlearning;theycanconcentratethemlvesonclass.Ontheotherhand,studentswhocannotconcentratethemlvesonclassoftenhavelowmotivationandtheydonotknowthepurposoflearninglanguage.SotheteachersshouldtrytheirbesttoassuretheirstudentsmaintainhighmotivationintheprocessofSLA.
Inaddition,lf-confidenceisanotherimportantfactor,whichinfluencesthelearners'languageperformances.StudentswithmuchconfidenceinlanguagelearningbelievethattheyhavetheabilitytolearnthelanguagewellandconquentlytheywillperformveryactivelyinclassandtheirgradesinEnglisharehigh.However,studentswithlittlelf-confidencedonotbelievethemlvesinlearningthelanguagewell.Theyarenotactiveinclass,anddonotcareabouttheirmarksthoughtheyarereallybad.Therefore,thestudiesoflf-confidencehavemeaningfulimplicationsforlanguageteachers.Whatshouldbesolvedishowtohelpstudentstoestablishandstrengthentheirlf-confidencewhentheylearnthecondlanguage.Successfullanguagelearningonlytakesplaceinanenvironmentwherelearners'valuesandpositive
attitudesarepromoted,wherelearnersapproachlearningwithconfidenceandjoy,wherelearnerscanuthetargetlanguageatea.Therefore,teachersshouldsparenoeffortstocreateconditionsthatcanbe
conducivetostudents-
so
dfdence.
Finally,anxietyfactorcanguidethestudentstocontributemoreinlanguagelearningactivities.Studentswithalowlevelofanxietytendtohaveacomfortableatmosphereinclass,thustheyconcentratethemlvesmoreeasilyonlisteningtothelessons.However,studentsattendclasswithahighlevelofanxietyoftenworryabouttheirperformancesinclass.Theyworrythattheywouldbelaughedatiftheiranswerswerewrong.Sotheirteachersshouldtrytheirbesttocreateafriendlyandcomfortablelearningenvironmenttomakesuretheirstudentswithalowlevelofanxiety.Thustheycanlearnlanguagemoreeasier.
Conclusion
Theaffectivefactorsplayacrucialroleinthecondlanguageacquisition.Thispapermainlyconcentrateonthreemajoraffectivefactors,i.e.motivation,lf-confidenceandanxiety.Onthewhole,thestudentsholdapositiveattitudetowardaffectivefactorsintermsofitssignificancepartinlanguagelearning.YetsomestudentsstillhavenegativeattitudetowardEnglishlearning.Ifnotproperlyadopted,itwillarouunfavorableaffectivereactionsofthestudents,whichmayadverlyaffecttheirinvolvementinthelearningactivitiesandthustheirlanguagelearning.Thisalertsourteachersonhowandwhentogiveproperguidancetostudents.Teachersshouldlookintotheroleofaffectivefactors.