The Impact of Culture on Second Language Acquisition

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Introduction

The issue of English language learning has been always a controversial one for almost all non-English language countries around the world these days. However, it seems language learning difficulties are not restricted to those who attempt to learn English. This is the same issue when an English speaker attempts to learn another language especially the Middle Eastern or Asian Languages. There are several hypotheses and theories concerning the language learning difficulties from different perspectives. One of the theories to explain second language acquisition issues from the sociocultural/sociolinguistic point of view is Brown’s (1980) Optimal distance Model, which is in parallel with Schumann’s (1986) Acculturation Model. Brown (1980) and Schumann (1986) state that both second language learning difficulties and the level of mastery in that language can be determined within the period of culture adaptation known as acculturation (Brown, 1980; Schumann, 1986).

Statement of the Problem

As Hidasi (2004) indicates, there is a hypothesis suggesting the existence of an intensive correlation of communication tactics as well as teaching-learning tactics, which are all acquired during childhood as a part of the subconscious culture (Hidasi, 2004:1). In other words, the notion of learning as well as teaching can differ depending on the culture. Apparently this is not easy to interpret culture. According to Brown (2007), culture refers to customs, beliefs and ideas which represent a particular group of people in a particular period of time (Brown, 2007:380). To learn a new language, in fact, is to learn a new culture. Better to say, language learners go through a process of developing identical relations between cult...

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...14, 157-164.

Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 5th Edition. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Citron, J. L. (1993). The Role of Ethno-Lingual Relativity in Second Language Acquisition. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, 9, 29-41.

Hidasi, J. (2004). The Impact of Culture on Second Language Acquisition. Child Research Net: A Research Site for the Future of Kids. Archive 2006. Retrieved from http://www.childresearch.net/RESOURCE/RESEARCH/2006/exfile/HIDASI.pdf.

Schumann, J. H. (1986). Research on the acculturation model for second language acquisition [Electronic version]. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 7, 378-392.

Spackman, C. L. (2010). Culture and Second Language Acquisition. Ohio Dominican University. Retrieved from http://www.osugisakae.com/tesol/matesol-papers/spackman-culture-and-sla.pdf.

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