JAM: Justification, Attitude, Motivation Part 2

In the last post we discussed the importance of a language learner’s ability to justify learning material. In this section, we consider the role of Attitude.

One motivational slogan claims that “your attitude determines your altitude”, and the play on words is apt. For a learner, attitude is a gatekeeper that determines what is taken in (“intake”), processed and put to use (“uptake”). The controversial Language Acquisition guru Steven Krashen referred to an “affective filter”, an emotional barrier, which is raised or lowered to allow learners to take in information. In short, when the learner is positive, the affective filter is lowered and learning can take place. If Krashen has a point (and my student memories suggest that he does), we want to do all we can to lower that affective filter.

Attitude involves the learner’s attitude to the language to be learnt, the learning situation and the self as learner. Living in Taiwan and Oman respectively, I found that I easily learnt the local language when positive about the local culture, but stagnated when conflicts with the local culture arose. The linguistic term for this stagnation, if it persists, is “fossilization”. An unforgettably apt term to describe my Arabic abilities, frozen in prehistory!

As to the learning situation, every teacher has seen students learn more effectively when they enjoy a lesson. Even as a supposedly mature student, I find my learning slumps when there are problems with a class or an instructor. Finally, a learner needs a positive attitude towards him- or herself as an individual and a learning entity. In this respect, success breeds success, and the best way to develop confidence is with small victories. Disillusioned learners need to learn that the problem often doesn’t lie with them, but with their learning strategies. An excellent publication in this regard is Rebecca Oxford’s “Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know”. Though published in 1990, this rich resource (brimming with activity ideas) has not been eclipsed.

While these things are important for language learners to know, they are absolutely vital for teachers. As a language teacher, some of the most valuable professional development I have done has been as a student, and particularly a language student. This is why learning a language oneself is such an enriching experience for a teacher.

Many an English teacher abroad is already surrounded by the language, and has every reason to learn it. Motivation may wax and wane with local friendships, interest in the culture and, of course, the inevitable cultural clashes – which add the spice to the living abroad experience! Teachers’ attitudes to their own learning ability may also vary. Native speakers of English seldom experience the same pressure to learn a new language that their students do, and many language teachers have never put their language learning wings to the test. Learning the local language is an outstanding opportunity to enrich the experience of living abroad, while deepening your abilities as a language teacher. For those preparing for a new country, it promises a much softer landing in a brave new world. The Teachers as Online Language Learners tells more about how to learn a new language online as a personal and professional development process, and is a great place to start an adventure into learning, language and the possibilities of Web 2.0 for education.

Whether for teachers or learners, attitude plays a central part in language learning success. Attitude to the language, the learning process and oneself as learner are fundamental to the process.