Abstract
Students enrolled in language classes often report believing that natural talent is necessary to acquire a second language in adulthood, and this belief can reduce motivation and learning. The purpose of this research was to test if a positive experience promotes the belief that language learning is an ability that can be developed through persistence and effort (i.e., an incremental implicit theory, or growth mindset). We hypothesized that participants would endorse an incremental implicit theory more after using effective study strategies to successfully learn characters in another language. In this study, participants were taught how to read twenty Japanese characters, and their implicit theories of second language acquisition were measured at three time points: days before the learning experience, and immediately and two weeks after the learning experience. Results showed that this brief episode of success in language learning increased an incremental implicit theory of second language acquisition, and this change persisted two weeks later.
Highlights
Learners’ motivation to acquire a second language (L2) is critical to eventual success in second language acquisition (SLA), but motivation is a complex mental process that extends from a multiplicity of both internal and external factors (Dörnyei, 2005)
Learners who have a positive attitude toward the target language and the learning situation will experience the greatest motivation and thereby learn the most (Gardner, 2010)
Some of the factors that determine positive attitudes can be idiosyncratic to the learner and outside of the teacher’s control, experiences that occur within the learning situation can foster positive attitudes (MacIntyre and Mercer, 2014)
Summary
Learners’ motivation to acquire a second language (L2) is critical to eventual success in second language acquisition (SLA), but motivation is a complex mental process that extends from a multiplicity of both internal (e.g., enjoyment, interest) and external (e.g., social support, potential rewards) factors (Dörnyei, 2005) From this perspective, learners who have a positive attitude toward the target language and the learning situation will experience the greatest motivation and thereby learn the most (Gardner, 2010). People with an entity theory believe certain skills—e.g., intelligence, mathematics, music—are determined by natural talent and are resistant to change, whereas those with an incremental theory believe effort and practice can improve these skills These beliefs are known as fixed vs growth mindsets, respectively (Yeager and Dweck, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
