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Acquisition Barriers in Second Language Learning: Underachievement

This document discusses barriers to second language acquisition. It focuses specifically on anxiety as a major barrier. Anxiety can inhibit language processing and acquisition. It can interfere with learning, retaining, and producing the new language. Anxiety may also negatively impact self-esteem, confidence, and willingness to take risks, ultimately hampering second language proficiency. To overcome barriers like anxiety, motivation must be increased through techniques like task-based learning where students interact in small groups to learn from each other's mistakes.

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محمد ناصر عليوي
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1K views2 pages

Acquisition Barriers in Second Language Learning: Underachievement

This document discusses barriers to second language acquisition. It focuses specifically on anxiety as a major barrier. Anxiety can inhibit language processing and acquisition. It can interfere with learning, retaining, and producing the new language. Anxiety may also negatively impact self-esteem, confidence, and willingness to take risks, ultimately hampering second language proficiency. To overcome barriers like anxiety, motivation must be increased through techniques like task-based learning where students interact in small groups to learn from each other's mistakes.

Uploaded by

محمد ناصر عليوي
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Al-Iraqia University Name: Mohammed Naser Oleiwi

College of Arts Subject: Linguistics


Department of English Stage: Forth
Final Report / 2019 - 2020

Acquisition barriers in Second Language learning

Since effective language learning involves a variety of skills, practices and abilities,
problems could be based in any of a number of areas, or there may be a combination of
reasons for the lack of necessary and expected progress. This paper will explore briefly the
acquisition barriers in second language learning. Special Emphasis will be placed on
Anxiety, as its one of the main Acquisition Hinderers and barriers in Second Language
learning process.

A proper understanding of acquisition Barriers in Second Language learning requires


a proper understanding of the use of each term and expression Individually. The term
Acquisition is used to refer to the gradual development of ability in a language by using it
naturally in communicative situations with others who know the language. Acquisition
normally takes place without a teacher. While The term Learning applies to a more
conscious process of accumulating knowledge of the features of a language, Typically with
teachers. Activities associated with learning have a tendency to result in more knowledge
“about” the language than fluency in actually using the language. The expression Second
language learning: is used to describe when someone tris to study a foreign language
(learning a language that is not generally spoken in the surrounding community) or a second
language (learning a language that is spoken in the surrounding community).

For most people, the experience with an L2 is different from their L1 experience.
They usually encounter the L2 during their teenage or adult years, in a few hours each week,
with a lot of other things going on. Facing many barriers during their Learning Process Such
as the Lack of Interaction, Lack of Motivation, The Negative Role of the First Language,
Adult Disadvantage, Anxiety and many more. any of these Barriers can cause a lack of
progress, it becomes apparent that many of these problems can overlap and that a
combination of them might spell certain failure which leads out to the quitting of the learner
due to many factors such as fear of failure, embarrassment and Underachievement.
Al-Iraqia University Name: Mohammed Naser Oleiwi
College of Arts Subject: Linguistics
Department of English Stage: Forth
Final Report / 2019 - 2020

Anxiety on the part of the learner can create a notable barrier to L2 acquisition. one of
the most recognized experts on SLA, held that “anxiety inhibits the learner’s ability to
process incoming language and short-circuits the process of acquisition” According to
MacIntyre and Gardner, Language Anxiety can interfere with the acquisition, retention, and
production of the new language, while Crookall and Oxford, Suggested that language anxiety
may cause problems with self-esteem, self-confidence and risk-taking ability and “ultimately
hampers proficiency in the second language”.

In Conclusion, to overcome the difficulties and Acquisition barriers in Second


Language Learning and the learning process, Focus should be applied upon Matters such
as Motivation, for its huge role in helping to overcome anxiety and therefore, Fear of
failure, Embarrassment and Underachievement. Task based learning, is another solution in
which learners have to interact with each other, usually in small groups or pairs, to exchange
information. Learners will learn from each other’s “mistakes”. Individuals who seem to be
able to overcome the difficulties and develop an ability to use the L2 quite effectively,
though not usually sounding like a native speaker. Even highly fluent and proficient learners
are likely to be perceived as having an “accent” of some kind.

References

Comstock, R., & Kamara, C. (2003). Adult language / learning disability: Issues and
resources. Retrieved July 8, 2005, from ERIC database. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 482 311)

Von Worde, R. (1998). Student perspectives on foreign language anxiety. Retrieved


November 8, 2005, from ERIC database. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. ED 479 986)

Wang, W. (1999). Age and second language acquisition in adulthood: The learning
experiences and perceptions of women immigrants. TESL Canada Journal/La
Revue TESL du Canada, 16(2), 1-19.

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