The Impact of Confidence and Standard Language Ideology on Non-Native Speakers of English Chloe Johnson, Class of 2023 LING 181B: Language, Discrimination, and Exoneration Dr. Benjamin Rifkin Confidence and Success • Confidence plays a significant factor in non-native English speakers’ development and mastery of the English language • L2 learners' (second language learners) acquisition of language is dependent on and influenced by many factors: age, exposure/time, etc. (Yule) • One of the main hindrances to second language learning is affect (negative emotional reactions) • Affective factors = negative feelings/experiences which create a barrier to language acquisition • When people are stressed, uncomfortable, lack selfconfidence, or are unmotivated, they are unlikely to learn much (Yule) • In contrast, people who are confident are more likely to overcome barriers
Confidence and ESL Students • While volunteering with the INTO program students, I noticed that students lacking confidence had an affective barrier that hindered their language growth.
Source: George Yule, The Study of Langauge 7th Edition
Standard Language Ideology • SLI = an idealized variety of language associated with administrative, educational and commercial centers; no specific region (Yule) • Regardless of which variety of language is used, everyone has an accent • Accent = aspects of pronunciation which identify where a speaker is from (Yule) • Dialect = features of grammar and vocabulary, aspects of pronunciation (Yule)
SLI and ESL Students • Instructors should consider what corrections are necessary and which corrections might be counterproductive.