The Importance Of Social Context In Second Language Learning

Research suggests that certain strategies, sucha s questioning an dexplaining concepts (negotiating meaning) are more effective means of promoting second-language learning in young children than are tohers (such as structured drills or formal language instruction-although correction for garmmaical errors may be effective) ( McLaughlin,1985, p.127)

Robert Politzer (1970) made the pin that the “good” langue teacher is the one who can make the right judgement as to what teaching device is the most valuable at a given moment. This suggests that there is no one answer to the question of what teacher behaviours are important for second-langauge learning but that it is the interaction of student needs and teacher sensitivity to those needs that

There are many ways in which the social context can influence language anxiety. In addition, several studies illustrate the important role that social context plays in second language learning. MacIntyre (1991) states that perhaps the most recurring finding on language anxiety and one of its most important social effects is that anxious learners do not communicate as often as more relaxed learners. In the recent L2 teaching context, one of the greatest challenges for ESL/EFL teachers is to provide students with a learner-centered, low-anxiety, and comfortable classroom environment. In their efforts to create such an environment, the issue of student anxiety and its consequent negative effects on L2 learning and performance seems to pose a challenge to all language teachers, as it can potentially hamper the optimal learning and teaching from taking place in the

This is due to many factors such as confidence, proficiency (Bruce et. al, 2005), security, and superiority. Under certain circumstances, female tend to feel easily vulnerable and therefore lead to the feeling of anxious and worried while male on the other hand does obtain more self-control and ability to detach themselves from unpleasant feelings. On a similar vein, from a study conducted by Machida (2001), she examined FL Japanese language class anxiety based on gender differences and the findings reflected that female learners are more anxious that the male counterparts. Additionally, a study conducted by Mejiaset al. (1991) on the oral communication apprehension among Mexican American students in Texas found that Mexican American females in their study consistently produced higher communication score than the Mexican American males. Studies by Chang (1997) also seem to support the