A Critical Examination of the Beliefs about Learning a Foreign Language at Primary School

acquisition. Children on the other hand, were said to have a very low affective
filter; this facilitated language acquisition and resulted in the child's eventual

superiority in second language acquisition:

"The child's eventual superiority in second language acquisition is
hypothesized to be due to affective factors. Specifically, we hypothesize that
the affective filter increases in strength around puberty."

(Krashen & Terrell, 1988: 46)

According to Krashen & Terrell affective variables have two effects on second

language acquisition:

"...people with the "right" attitudes (high motivation, self ∞nfidence, low
anxiety) will be more prone to interaction and thus get more input, and will also
have a lower affective filter: They will let the input "in" for further language
acquisition." (Krashen & Terrell, 1988: 46)

Adolescence, the time when children become more self-centred is supposedly

the time when the affective filter increases in strength and may thus be the

turning point for ultimate success in second language acquisition:

"...the necessary input is often blocked and therefore is less available for
acquisition." (Krashen & Terrell, 1988: 47)

Based on the work by Elkind (1981) Krashen suggests that with formal

operations the adolescent gains a greater ability to conceptualize the thoughts

of others and that this capacity 'is the crux of adolescent egocentrism'.

109

<<   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   >>

More intriguing information