Although those studies are now widely regarded as simplistic, they did serve to identify a number of factors affecting language acquisition.
For this reason, individual variation in second-language acquisition is not generally considered a single area of research.
[1] Tests of language aptitude have proven extremely effective in predicting which learners will be successful in learning.
[2] However, considerable controversy remains about whether language aptitude is properly regarded as a unitary concept, an organic property of the brain, or as a complex of factors including motivation and short-term memory.
[3] SLA theories explain learning processes and suggest causal factors for a possible CP for SLA, mainly attempting to explain apparent differences in language aptitudes of children and adults by distinct learning routes, and clarifying them through psychological mechanisms.
Research explores these ideas and hypotheses, but results are varied: some demonstrate pre-pubescent children acquire language easily, and some that older learners have the advantage, and yet others focus on existence of a CP for SLA.
In this case, learning becomes more difficult because the brain is undergoing significant changes during our late teenage years and early-20s.
[citation needed] A strategy that was found effective with English speaking Chinese learners was the use of a virtual environment.
[8] This learning strategy was found to be significantly more effective than traditional methods of displaying solely an image and sound.
[9] The results of the two studies suggest an advantage when using a virtual environment juxtaposed to traditional methods among Chinese learners.
[citation needed] Affective factors relate to the learner's emotional state and attitude toward the target language.
A research study conducted by Ni (2012), was interested in the role that affective factors played in second-language acquisition (SLA).
For example, many instructors want to create lessons for students that facilitate the process of learning a new foreign language.
The study Ni (2012) conducted sought to find what important skills students could implement in their SLA pursuits.
[10] A 10-item questionnaire was administered to 50 students enrolled in the Foreign Language Department at Heze University in China.
The questions collected data on participants’ English fluency, affective factors influence in their SLA, and the preferred method of feedback from their instructor.
The main findings displayed how affective factors (e.g. motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety) may advance the acquisition of English as a second language.
[10] By using this knowledge, teachers can strengthen their students’ emotional states and create a more welcoming class environment.
If a student possesses a high filter they are less likely to engage in language learning because of shyness, concern for grammar or other factors.
Two scientists, Kinginger and Farrell, conducted interviews with U.S. students after their study abroad program in France in 2003.
[full citation needed] They found that many of the students would avoid interaction with the native speakers at all costs, while others jumped at the opportunity to speak the language.
[citation needed] The process of language learning can be very stressful, and the impact of positive or negative attitudes from the surrounding society can be critical.
Most studies have shown it to be substantially more effective in long-term language learning than extrinsic motivation, for an external reward such as high grades or praise.
Studies have not consistently shown either form of motivation to be more effective than the other, and the role of each is probably conditioned by various personality and cultural factors.
[15] The European Union Lifelong learning programme has funded a project to research and build a set of best practices to motivate adult language learners, called Don't Give Up.