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Adult Language Learners' Affective Reactions to Community Language Learning: A Descriptive Study
Author(s) -
Samimy Keiko K.,
Rardin Jennybelle P.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.1994.tb01215.x
Subject(s) - psychology , anxiety , empirical research , qualitative research , language acquisition , affect (linguistics) , mathematics education , social science , philosophy , communication , epistemology , psychiatry , sociology
ABSTRACT The importance of affective variables in the language learning experience has become prominent in recent literature and research. A review of the literature has revealed that since 1970, more than 100 empirical studies have been conducted. Most of these studies are quantitative in nature. The present study, however, is qualitative. It uses as its data, graduate students' self‐report papers about their Community Language Learning (CLL) experience. These reflection papers revealed three affective variables–anxiety, motivation, and attitude. The findings in this study confirm existing research which indicates that affective barriers can be responded to positively by approaches, methods, and techniques which focus on 1) a supportive environment; 2) a nonjudgmental teacher attitude; 3) peer support; 4) activities that relate personally to learners; and 5) activities that facilitate individual and community achievement.