Second Language Acquisition Research

Prior research in the realm of second language acquisition indicated that as motivation increases and language anxiety decreases, performance in the L2 becomes better. According to MacIntyre (2007), the amount of WTC which is taken into account by L2 learners over time exerts an influence on their achievement in language learning. Besides, he represents that both psychological and sociopolitical processes are relevant to creating the WTC.

As shown in figure 2.3, MacDonald, Clement, and MacIntyre (2003) note that the construct WTC encompasses several layers and subsumes a range of linguistic and psychological variables, including linguistic self-confidence (both state and trait), the desire to associate with a person, interpersonal motivation,

This layer includes intergroup attitude, social situation, and communicative competence. Intergroup attitudes involve the concept of integrativeness. The desire to affiliate and identify with the members of a second language community may be a powerful motive for an individual to learn the second language (Gardner, 1985, cited in MacDonald, Clement, & MacIntyre, 2003), and attitudes toward the second language itself are also included in intergroup attitudes. As stated by MacDonald, Clement, and MacIntyre (2003), communicative experience plays a role. Experience with some situations may make an individual more willing to communicate in other similar situations. In addition, the relative frequency and pleasantness of prior contact with the L2 community may dramatically alter an individual’s communication experience. This leads to varying levels of WTC in the same individual in different situations. Communicative competence, which is composed of linguistic competence, discourse competence, actional competence, socio-cultural competence, and strategic competence, also leads to changes in WTC (MacDonald, Clement, & MacIntyre,

They argue that the desire to communicate with a specific person is affected by the motives of affiliation and/or control. Affiliation may be very important to second language communication in an informal situation. They maintain that control also affects second language communication. If a communicator feels comfortable enough with his/her second language to use it to obtain a goal, control may be a motive. People feel varied amounts of competence and anxiety at different times. This, in turn, leads to varying levels of WTC in a second language depending on the situation (MacDonald, Clement, & MacIntyre,