Aptitude In Second Language Acquisition English Language Essay

Aptitude In Second Language Acquisition English Language Essay In second language learning, motivation, attitude and aptitude relate closely to each other. It influences the learner and therefore dominates the particular individual motivation towards learning the target language. In casual observations in our daily life reveal to us that some people learn a foreign language easier, faster or better than others do (Grigorenko, Sternberg ‘integrative’ and ‘instrumental’ attitude to language learning. An integrative attitude is a desire to know and become friendly with speakers of a language, whereas an instrumental one is a desire to better oneself materially by means of the language. He adds, â€Å"an integrative attitude is more likely to lead to success than an instrumental one†. Brown (1994: 168), in his great work ‘Principles of Language Learning and Teaching’ adds: â€Å"Attitudes, like all aspects of the development of cognition and affect in human beings, develop early in childhood and are t he result of parent’s and peer’s attitudes, contact with people who are different in any number of ways, and interacting affective factors in the human experience†. Here it seems clear that there are many stimulants lead to positive or negative attitude of an individual. Nevertheless attitude can be simply defined as a set of beliefs developed in a due course of time in a given socio-cultural setting. Although it does not necessarily determine behavior but can have some impact on it. Chamber (1999) asserts that learning occurs more easily, when the learner has a positive attitude towards the language and learning. Gardner and Lambert (1972) in their extensive studies give evidence that positive attitudes toward language enhance proficiency as well. Language attitude studies explore how people react to language interactions and how they evaluate others based on the language behavior they observe. Language learning is affected by the attitude and motivation. Motiva ted, de-motivated and a motivated students have different perceptions. Their perceptions are responsible to for their attitudes.