Sociocultural Factors in Language Acquisition

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary process of creating shared meaning in second culture acquisition?

Acculturation

Experiential learning (correct)

Cultural immersion

Language exchange

What is the outcome of having a positive attitude towards self, native language group, and target language group in language learning?

Difficulty in adapting to new customs

Enhanced language proficiency (correct)

Resistance to language learning

Increased cultural shock

What is the primary characteristic of Stage 2 of culture shock?

Intrusion of cultural differences into one's image of self and security (correct)

Seeking escape from the new environment

Euphoria and excitement

Relying on the support of fellow countrymen

What is the result of stereotypes and generalizations in language learning?

Resistance to language learning Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between language and culture in second language acquisition?

Language is a reflection of culture Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of an open-minded attitude in language learning?

Improved understanding of the target language Signup and view all the answers

What does culture provide for each person according to Brown (2007)?

A template for personal and social existence Signup and view all the answers

What is culture according to Matsumoto (2000)?

More than the sum of its parts Signup and view all the answers

What does culture help us know according to Larson and Smalley (1972)?

Our responsibility to the group Signup and view all the answers

What is one way to define culture?

The ideas, customs, skills, arts, and tools of a group Signup and view all the answers

What is an essential aspect of culture according to the text?

That it is dynamic and can change over time Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between culture and language acquisition?

Culture provides a context for cognitive and affective behavior, influencing language acquisition Signup and view all the answers

According to Abrams (2002), language classrooms can benefit from:

Celebrating cultural differences Signup and view all the answers

What is essential for teachers and researchers to understand about their learners?

Their sociocultural background Signup and view all the answers

Stereotyping often involves:

An unfavorable attitude towards a culture Signup and view all the answers

What is a key factor in shaping learners' attitudes towards a language and culture?

Parents' and peers' attitudes Signup and view all the answers

What is a crucial aspect of motivation in language learning, according to Gardner and Lambert (1972)?

Group-specific attitude Signup and view all the answers

What is an essential part of one's perception of self and others?

Attitudes towards others Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Attitudes and Language Success

Research by Oiler and colleagues (1977, 1978) investigates the relationship between attitudes and language success, particularly among Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican students learning English.
Positive attitudes toward self, native language group, and target language group enhance proficiency.
Attitudes toward self, native language group, and target language group, as well as reasons for learning English and traveling to the United States, impact language achievement.

Culture and Second Language Acquisition

Culture learning is an experiential process that continues over years, penetrating deeply into one's patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Second language learning involves the acquisition of a second identity, which is at the heart of culture learning or acculturation.
Culture is a dynamic system of rules, explicit and implicit, established by groups to ensure their survival.

Culture Shock

Stage 1 of culture shock is a period of excitement and euphoria over new surroundings.
Stage 2 involves individuals seeking support from fellow countrymen, complaining about local customs, and trying to escape their predicament.

Sociocultural Factors

Culture is a blueprint that guides behavior in a community and is incubated in family life, governing behavior in groups and making individuals sensitive to matters of status.
Culture defines individual responsibilities to the group and helps individuals know what others expect of them.
Culture is a dynamic system of rules, attitudes, values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors shared by a group, communicated across generations, and relatively stable but with the potential to change over time.

Culture and Language Acquisition

Culture establishes a context of cognitive and affective behavior, a template for personal and social existence.
Culture helps learners know how far they can go as individuals and what their responsibility is to the group.

Stereotypes or Generalizations

Language classrooms can celebrate cultural differences and engage in critical analysis of stereotypes' use and origin.
Teachers and researchers must understand learners' identities in terms of their sociocultural background.

Attitudes

Stereotyping implies a type of attitude toward a culture or language.
Attitudes develop early in childhood, influenced by parents', peers', and interacting affective factors in the human experience.
Part of one's perception of self, others, and the culture in which one is living.

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Description

This quiz covers the principles and theories of language and language acquisition, including the role of culture in shaping our behavior and identity. It explores how culture guides our behavior in groups and influences our understanding of status and expectations.