Socio-affective Factors in Language Learning

Extract

[...] Also, he thinks that native accents are almost inaccessible after puberty, an idea contested today. Similarly, his theories on the end of the process of lateralization of linguistic functions to the dominant hemisphere for language at puberty are rejected by neuroscientists. Research suggests a multifactorial relationship between lateralization and age, including the learner's experience. This challenges the existence of a critical period. Despite the influence of these two researchers, we must therefore acknowledge their errors by placing them in the context of current knowledge. 2. [...]

[...] Learner investment and socio-affective aspects are to be considered (social interaction, self-esteem, anxiety, ageist conceptions, prior knowledge, and cognitive demand). All of this can influence engagement, persistence, and thus learning outcomes. The integration of L2 learning into a healthy aging approach On the contrary, Language learning can contribute to better aging, stimulating neural plasticity and promoting social interaction. Strategies influencing older adults' learning need to be developed, as it is necessary to adapt teaching approaches to this diverse groups of learners. [...]

[...] Finally, they explore language learning in the "third age", an understudied aspect of growing importance. 1. Obsolescence of primitive studies on the CPH The authors conduct a critical examination of the work of Penfield and Lenneberg (1950-1960), founders of the idea that language acquisition is fundamentally different and inevitably inferior in adults. Their assertions remain unavoidable references, widely impacting the conception of a decline in language learning abilities after early childhood or puberty (with fluctuation regarding the timing of the "critical point"). [...]

[...] Immersion does not favor learners by age If supporters of HPC acknowledge that early school-based instruction does not guarantee the benefits of early natural immersion, research also shows that early immersion does not confer more significant advantages compared to late immersion. Thus, older learners in immersion often perform as well as younger ones, even with shorter immersions. Therefore, the pedagogical approach would benefit from varying according to age rather than prioritizing an early start. Ultimately, the age-related challenges in language teaching are complex and go beyond the sole concerns of HPC. 4. [...]

[...] Early bilingual acquisition. In J. F. Kroll, & A.M.B. de Groot (Eds.), Handbook of Bilingualism. Oxford: Oxford University, 30-48. Press. [...]