Chapter One

The background to success in language learning

1.1 Introduction

In today’s world, learning other languages is very important. The number of people who are studying abroad in various countries has been increasing, and we also see many foreigners in school or on the streets. Under these circumstances, there is more need to use other languages. With the world becoming more and more international, it is essential for many people to learn other languages. Some people learn with a lot of fun and enjoy learning. For others, learning is just frustrating because they cannot find any interest in learning English. On top of this, there are many people who do not want to learn, but they are forced to learn for their future. They learn their target language because they think it is useful for their job or future.

However, not all these people who want to be good at second languages are successful at it. Many people try and fail at learning second languages, and many of them just give up. It is therefore important for us to look carefully at the factors that contribute to successful language learning so that we can understand these factors in detail. This will help second language learners and teachers to understand how unsuccessful language learners can become successful language learners.

1.2Brief explanation of five traits

There are several features which are seen commonly among successful language learners. Many people think that the reason why some people succeed in language learning, while others fail, is that they have a high IQ, or a greater intelligence, or they study harder. However, success in language learning depends not only on these factors. There are some traits that affect language learning. Most of the differences of achievement in language learning are within learners themselves. These include the following.

  • Motivation

Motivation influences the rate of effort the learners use to learn their second language (L2). This is one of the affective traits, which is related to the learners’ feelings. No successful language learning is accomplished without motivation. Motivation is combined with other factors and affects language learning. Motivation can be changed according to the situation learners are surrounded by, and the degree of achievement.

  • Language aptitude

Language aptitude is an intellectual or cognitive trait, which is related to the learners’ mentality. Aptitude enhances the ease of learning, and has a great influence on the success of language learning. Language aptitude is different from general intelligence in the point that this is particular only to language learning.

  • Language learning strategy

Appropriate learning strategy helps learners to achieve extremely high levels of acquisition in second language learning. Not all successful language learning strategies are used effectively by all learners. Strategies also vary according to situation and degree of proficiency.

  • Age

There are great differences between learners who start their L2 before puberty and after that period in the achievement of their learning.

  • Personality

Personality is also an affective trait like motivation and this influences the learners’ degree of anxiety, which makes a great difference in how to learn. Although personality is not as important as motivation, this trait seems to affect language learning.

The above factors work with environmental factors, for example their mother tongue, the learning environment they are surrounded by, and their knowledge of their L2.

A learners’ mother tongue plays a central role in language learning. It is generally said it is relatively difficult for Japanese to achieve full native-like mastery in English, except for learners who start learning L2 before puberty.

There are many differences between Japanese and English. For example, Japanese has an SOV order, but English is the language with an SVO order. Another example is that English has many sounds Japanese cannot pronounce with ease. Japanese does not have any differences between “r” sound and “l” sound, so we have difficulty in distinguishing these two sounds. Moreover, English is based on a Latinate and Germanic vocabulary whereas Japanese is based on that from China. Because the Japanese cannot pronounce some sounds well, it is not easy for us to be understood in English, and at the same time, to understand what English speakers say. These kinds of influences of mother tongue on second language learning are called “negative transfer.”

The learning environment learners are surrounded by is also an important factor in language success. If learners are raised in the environment where their target language is often used, they have strong potential for success it. For example, in Australia, many schools teach Japanese, because Australia is doing a lot of trade with Japan, and therefore Japanese is worth being learned. Under this circumstance, many Australians have the strong possibility of achieving high levels of acquiring Japanese.

Knowledge of the target language has something to do with success at language learning. For example, there are large differences between learners who know that in English most adverbs end with –ly and those people who do not know. This knowledge helps us to understand sentences which include adverbs learners have never met. For example, if there is a sentence like, “The war ended abruptly when their top general was killed.” Even if learners do not know the meaning of “abruptly”, learners who know that “abruptly” is an adverb would not pay much attention to “abruptly” because they know that adverbs do not play such an important role. Thus, knowledge of the L2 system can affect language learning, more or less.

Motivation, aptitude, learning strategies, age and personality work with these environmental factors, and influence the process of learning and success, and create the difference of language ability between learners. When these features appear in combination, they lead to a great success. A positive combination of these is more desirable than any single trait.

1.3 Conclusion

In this chapter we looked at how important it is to master other languages, and looked briefly at some features which seem to be necessary to become a successful language learner.

In the rest of this thesis, we will look at each of these aspects of successful language learning in more detail to determine which are the most useful for second language learners. In Chapter Two we will examine closely some of the major factors that contribute to successful language learning in more detail. In Chapter Three we will analyze these aspects that will be discussed in Chapter Two, to find the most appropriate successful language learning features for Japanese learners of English.

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Chapter Two

Aspects of Successful language learning

2.1 Introduction

In Chapter One it was mentioned that there are five factors which play a very large role in the success of language learning, and these cooperate with other environmental factors. In this chapter we will review many of the most important aspects ｏf successful language learning. These include different types of motivation, language learning aptitude, learning strategies, personality, and age. We will look at two kinds of motivation, four kinds of language aptitude abilities, two types of learning strategies, age of acquisition, and personality. We will look at each of these in turn. In the following chapter we shall look more carefully at them to try to determine some strategies that will be useful for Japanese second language learners.

2.2. Motivation

2.2.1 Introduction

It is obvious that motivation is one of the most important affective factors in second language acquisition. Motivation is also one of the most important psychological traits which appears to be related to the success of language learning. The authority on SLA (Second Language Acquisition) studies of motivation is Richard Gardner. He took the socio-cultural approach to his studies of motivation which said that attitudes play an important role. This means that it is an inner state or condition that enhances the learners’ effort, desire and affect.

According to this view, the learners who have positive attitudes toward the target language, culture and people, are regarded as highly motivated. Those who have strong motivation have higher potential for the success of L2 learning. Motivated learners desire to take part in learning. At the same time, their desires for learning activities strengthen their behavior. Although there is no doubt that motivation is essential to second language acquisition, it is difficult to measure it because motivation is in the learners’ mind. Therefore it is impossible to tell how much a learner’s motivation contributes to their success in SLA. Motivation is different from learner to learner, or from generation to generation. It means that not all learners have the same kinds of motivation.

Because the learning milieu is different for each learner, it is important to reflect on motivation in consideration of learning circumstances. Motivation does not work only by itself. Motivation intertwines with other learning factors to function well. There are mainly two kinds of motivation, - integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. Gardner and his associate, Lambert[1] (1972), established these two types motivation. These are often also called intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation respectively. Each kind of motivation has different traits.

Ellis[2](1997) developed one more motivation. He insisted that there can be a case that motivation is also the effect of learning. If learners succeed in L2 learning, motivation toward learning will be strengthened. That is he suggested that success in L2 learning affects learners motivation.

The reason of motivation taking place, and its relationship with learning are different from each other. We will now turn to look at each of these in turn.

2.2.2 Integrative motivation

Integrative motivation arises from the learners’ desires for example to communicate with the people of the target languages and to participate in that culture. This motivation is intrinsic and is based on the learner’s will. In other words, integrative motivation comes from inside. Those who have integrative motivation are interested in the native speakers of the target language, the country and life style and so on. These learners study the target language wishing to be able to become the member of that culture, to be like the foreign people and even integrate into the society where the language is used. There may be learners who think of marrying a native speaker or migrating. Those learners have strong integrative motivation.

Integrative motivation is a key component in helping the learner to develop proficiency in the target language when the learner starts to live in the community where the target language is used in daily life. To participate in social activities and identify with the culture or community, being able to handle the language is essential. Thus integrative motivation is more heightened and they learn the target language steadily. Learners who have integrative motivation have the pleasure of learning and this factor can lead to great success in language acquisition. Integrative motivation has a strong correlation with higher achievement in the target language. They are motivated internally, so those who have integrative motivation learn their target language for their own sake, for the feelings of accomplishments it evokes, and their enjoyment of it. That is, they learn the target language not to get a reward but because learning itself is their reward. Because their ultimate aim is to be integrated into the culture the target language is used, not to get some external rewards, they tend to learn better than extrinsically motivated students. Integratively motivated learners know how interesting and utilitarian it is to learn their L2 and this makes them learn more earnestly.

2.2.3 Instrumental motivation

Instrumental motivation is, as the word indicates, an instrument to get a reward which learning L2 brings. Gardner and Lambert (1972) said that instrumental motivation is an instrument to get some advantages by learning L2. Learners who have this motivation utilize their target language as a tool for their future or lives. They learn their target language, anticipating some rewards such as credit for a course, prizes, awards or praise. There are many learners who learn so as to avoid some penalty such as failing a test. Their ultimate aims are external ones such as getting and keeping job career, passing exams, getting greater pay, or graduating from university. The reasons they learn another language are mainly these: for their future, because it is an international language, or to become a better-educated person. Some of these students are learning English for no apparent reasons, except to get their grades.

There are people who need to learn English for their job. Particularly, it is integral for translators or English teachers. Instrumental motivation is more suitable for learners who have little or no desire to integrate into the community where their target language is used. Learners make great endeavor to meet their goals when they are given a reward, but once they achieve their aims or lose stimulus, or when there is no reward, they lose their interest, and their motivation is also weakened or disappears.

That is, instrumental motivation is an external factor unlike integrative motivation which is internal, so this motivation disappears without influences from the outside. However, as long as learners keep their aims or interests, instrumental motivation can continue to be effective for their language learning. Learners with this type of motivation think of learning just as the tool to achieve their goals, so they find little pleasure in learning their target language. It may be safe to say that some of them are compelled to learn without their own will under the pressure of passing exams. This makes learners dislike or even hate learning and after they achieve their aims they stop learning their target language. Without enjoyment, language learning will not be a success. Instrumental motivation is heightened when learners achieve their tasks using their own responsibility. When they feel they are compelled to study they tend to avoid learning.

Furthermore, if a reward is given for successful completion of an easy task, internal motivation would go down. So rewards should be given when internal interest is low. Internal motivation is heightened when learners achieve their tasks with their own will.

Japan is a mono-cultural society where there is only a few opportunities to integrate into an English speaking community, so the target language is not used. That’s why most of Japanese learners are motivated instrumentally. Under these circumstances, teachers should create interesting lessons where the students pay enough attention and motivation is heightened. Moreover bringing in native speakers and things from English speaking countries can lessen the gap between a monolingual instrumentally motivated culture and the outside world.

2.2.4Conclusion

We can see that motivation and achievement in language learning have a strong correlation with each other. Integrative motivation plays a more important role in learning the target language than instrumental motivation does. This is because integratively motivated learners have fun when learning the language and they can keep on studying extremely hard for a long time. It means that integrative motivation sustains long-term success.

Integrative motivation is more important in a situation where language learning takes place in the community where their target language is used as a mother tongue. Instrumental motivation is considered to be more important in other situations such as where the learners have little or no opportunity to take part in conversation with the natives and their target language functions as a foreign language. Both integrative motivation and instrumental motivation facilitate language learning. When learners have motivation they spend a lot of time learning and make a great effort. The stronger motivation leads to much more time spent learning.

However, instrumental motivation is at fault because when learners have no motivation, or rewards, they do not strive to meet their goals (if they have any). Essentially, people behave on the basis of integrative motivation and it is instrumental motivation that sustains integrative motivation. Both integrative and instrumental motivation may lead to success, but lack of either causes problems. They do not work sufficiently only by themselves. Learners rarely choose one form of motivation, but a combination of both types of motivation. A good combination of these two is ideal.

It is obvious that motivation is a complex phenomenon. Motivation is variable and changeable and it is unique to each language learner. Motivation is different from learner to learner and from time to time. It can also be changed by learning contexts or learning tasks as well as changed by good and poor teachers and textbooks or materials. Although there are many levels of motivation all learners are motivated. Because of this, learners need the type of motivation which is adequate for each of them. In order to give a good advice to the learners, the teachers need to have minimum knowledge about motivation.