Introduction

Social Factors and SLA

ESL vs EFL
 Introduction

Examine the relationship between Society and SLA

Psychological Social
Factors Factors
Aptitud Context
Learning Style
Personality
etc
 Context
the situation in which something happens : the
group of conditions that exist where and when
something happens
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
 Context
the different settings in which L2 Learning
takes place
Rod Ellis
 How?
Social Factors help to shape learners
attitudes which in turn influence learning
outcomes

Social Factors influence L2 indirectly since

they determine the individual opportunities
which individual learners experience
 Research
SLA Research Socially Oriented
Focuses on specific SLA Resarch
linguistic and pragmatic Cummins (1983)
features of learner Proficiency
language
Definitions of BICS CALP
Proficiency (Stern 1983)
 Proficiency
BICS CALP
(Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency)
(Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills)

Skills required for oral Linguistic knowledge

fluency and and literacy skills
sociolinguistic required for academic
appropriateness work

Defined by Availability of
How contextual
demanding support for
a task is expressing or
receiving
meaning
 Social Factors and Second Language
Acquisition
1. To what extent do specific social factors (age, sex, social class, and ethnic
identity) affect L2 proficiency?

2. To what extent do social factors influence the learners choice of a target

language variety?

3.How can we characterize the different social contexts in which L2

acquisition takes place, and what effect does the type of context have on
learning outcomes?
 Social Factors
Age
What age is best for acquisition?

The earlier the better?

 Social Factors
Sex
Are girls best at learning?

Several studies show that female learners

outperform male learners
 Social Factors
Sex
Possible Explanations
Female learners:
have more positive attitudes
care for co-operation rather than maintaining hierarchy
Benefit more from input due to their listening skills
May be more active strategy users
 Social Factors
Social Class
Sociolinguistic Features
Interlanguage Features

Hypercorrection Overgeneralization
Hypocorrection Negative Transfer
Indicator Fossilization
 Social Factors
Social Class
Is disadvantage inevitable?
 Social Factors
Ethnic Identity
Objective Subjective
researcher imposed Individual use of
external categorizations labels to define
to subjects themselves

Both of them influence the way

language is used in interethnic
communication
 Social Factors
Ethnic Identity
Influence
Normative Socio-Structural
Membership to a Identity and
group/ L2 interaction between
achievement members of different
groups
Distance between the Socio-Psychological
two cultures Identity and L2 Status / Solidarity
Proficiency convergence divergence
person cent. group cent
Additive / Subtractive strategies strategies
balanced replacement
bilingual semilingual
positive att. negative att.
 Social Factors and Second Language
Acquisition
1. To what extent do specific social factors (age, sex, social class, and ethnic
identity) affect L2 proficiency?

2. To what extent do social factors influence the learners choice of a target

language variety?

3.How can we characterize the different social contexts in which L2

acquisition takes place, and what effect does the type of context have on
learning outcomes?
 Learners choice of TargetLanguage
Deviations from standard English may not be errors

Choice of reference group depends crucially on social context

and how it shapes attitudes towards the different varieties

Dialect sensitivity and attitude formation develop in parallel

Learners seem to find some dialects more intelligible

Learners attitudes to dialects mirrors their ability to

comprehend them
 Social Context of L2 Learning
It has been seen that learners choices are constrained by the
context

Natural Edutacional
Acquisition Learning

Natural is better than Educational

ESL more fluent / EFL more confident

Crude Perspective
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Natural Context

Second Language (Native Speaking Country)

Second Language in Official Language Context

Second Language in Non-official lang. Context

 Social Context of L2 Learning
Natural Context
SL Native (English in US)
3 stages of social mobility
1. Reward maintaining L1 to compete for
posistion
2. Rapid learning of L2 (Subtractive B.)
3. Conscious attempt to keep L1 (Additive B)
SL Official Lang (Former Colonies)
Social and economic advancement depend on it
Characterized by:
Nationally rapid spread of L2
Proficiency level attained
Emergence of new varieties of target language
Less resistance since it is seen as additional.

SL Non-official Lang (International Context)

Speaker may or not be Native speaker
Venue may or not be Native speaking country
NNS-NNS / NNS-NS communication

Intenational Variety Interlanguage

-Small set of formulas -Functors omission
-Short lexicon -Overgeneralization
No Movement More complex lang.
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context

Segregation
Mother Tongue Maintenance
Submersion
Immersion
Foreign Language Classroom
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context
Segregation
It occurs when L2 learners are educated separately
from the majority or a minority, who speaks the
target language as their mother tongue.

Overall aim is to develop limited L2 enough to

meet the needs of the majority or powerful
minority and to ensure their control

Some benefits:
Refugee population in US
Maintenace of L1 requires little
segragation
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context
Mother Tongue Maintenance
It searches additive bilingualism
Weaker form: Classes in L1 directed at developing
formal language skills (Full Literacy)
Stronger form: Educated through L1
Positive educational and affective factor
Success at developing full control of L1 and
high level of L2
Ensuring L2 is additional rather than
replacement brings about positive self-
identity
Interdependency Principle
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context
Submersion
Subtractive learning situation. Linguistic minority
children are forced to accept instruction through
Foreign majority language with high status.
Some childrens L1 is the language of
instruction
Teacher doesnt understand minority
childrens L1
Parental involvement usually limited

Although this context doesnt result in lack of

success, it does not facilitate it
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Cummins Charcteristics for L2
Acquisition
Bilingual teacher who understand students
when they speak L1

Input that has been modified to make it

comprehensible

Effective promotion of L1 literacy skills

 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context
Immersion
It refers to different context
L2 monolingual programmes
L1 bilingual programmes
(from L1 medium to L2 medium)
L2 bilingual programmes
(Instruction in L2 promotes L1 skills)

Canadian French Immersion Programmes

 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context
Immersion
Canadian French Immersion Programmes

Ss acquire normal English proficiency and

the same or better academic development
It ensures a plentiful supply of level-
tailored input
Neither L1 nor Ethnic Identity is threat
Since it is optional programmes, they are
highly supported by parents
 Social Context of L2 Learning
Educational Context
Language Classroom
L2 is taught as a subject only and is not commonly
used as means of communication outside the
classroom

Learning Situation Parents Support

Role relationshps between Parents play an active role in
teacher and students are monitoring curricular
likely to be crucial activities

They influence the level and Modelling attitudes leading

type of proficiency to successful language
learning
 ESL vs EFL
Daniel Krieger

ESL setting the class is EFL setting the

usually multilingual class is usually
and living in the monolingual and
culture of the target living in their own
language country
 Use of resources affects four areas of
teaching

Motivation

Activity Selection

Use of Ss L1 in the classroom

Culture in the classroom

 Use of resources affects four areas of
teaching
Motivation
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic
ESL higher Intrinsic M. than EFL
EFL higher Extrinsic M than ESL
Their motivation is affected differently due to
difference on the applicability of L2 in their daily life

Intrinsic driven people tend to be more successful

- Brown 2001
 Use of resources affects four areas of
teaching
Activity Selection
ESL EFL
Use the multilingual nature Music and movies generate
of the class: interest but dont provide
Question Answer negotiation
Discussion about Maximize fluency but not too
ss countries cognitively demanding:
Task-Based Problem-solving Guess the word
Scavenger hunt Info Gap Puzzle
Language Exchange Role Play
Interviewing people Conversation Line
Using Dice
 Use of resources affects four areas of
teaching
Using Ss L1
ESL EFL
It diminishes the English A little use by the teacher
atmosphere may be benefitial
Teacher as role model Increases receptivity
Rules regading use of L1 by Ss Assitive rather than
should be set from the detrimental
beginning
Mix them up
 Use of resources affects four areas of
teaching
Culture in the classroom
ESL
TL Culture is important due
to its presence in their daily
life
Increased awareness help
them be prepared to manage
engagement with NS
Assuming integrative M. this
might meet their needs
Provides pragmatic knowlede
EFL
Which Culture to focus on?
L1 culture should be
incorporated for it promotes
self-awareness
Which culture represent
English?
In EIL cultural features are
not necessary

Culture and Learning Styles

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