The effect of attitude toward the target language and culture, and of input on English second language proficiency in a study-abroad immersion setting

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As the number of Asian students studying English abroad continues to increase, there is agrowing need for language learning programs that help students to increase their Englishproficiency in the most effective way possible. Studies have shown that exposure alone is notsufficient for improving proficiency. The question is: 'Can a second language (L2) learnertruly learn the target language if they do not like the people who speak it? Schumman's(1978) acculturation theory proposes that the degree to which a learner integrates into thetarget culture through decreasing their social and psychological distance from it willdetermine the degree to which they learn the target language. Central to this process is thelearner's attitude toward the target language and the target culture. By fostering positiveattitudes toward the target language and culture, can we aid L2 students in transforming theL2 input that they receive while studying abroad into meaningful intake through which theycan, in turn, achieve greater proficiency in the L2?This thesis explores the above questions through a research study investigating therelationship between attitude toward the target language and target culture, and L2proficiency; amount of L2 input and L2 proficiency; and amount of L2 input and attitudetoward the target language and target culture. A small-scale study was conducted withKorean L2 English students studying abroad in the USA. Ten participants completed alanguage background questionnaire, an attitude questionnaire, and an English proficiencytest. The data collected via these instruments were analysed to determine if any correlationsexist between the above-mentioned three sets of variables. Results showed no correlationsbetween attitude and L2 proficiency. However, descriptive analysis showed a clear positivecorrelation to exist between several L2 input variables and L2 proficiency, and between L2input and attitudes toward the target language.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University