Second language acquisition: a situation of success and interactive cooperation as psychological tools



This paper runs the psychological factor of using the interactive cooperation and a situation of success between a teacher and a student as the predominant point of second learning acquisition. A practical example of the interactive cooperation and a situation of success in lexicon expansion and error correction is represented.

Keywords: the second language acquisition, SLA, interactive cooperation, a situation of success, learning skills, language learning strategies.

Two heads are better than one.

An age-old adage

Second language learning is the acquisition of complex cognitive skills. In this respect second learning acquisition (SLA) may be defined as a set of intertwined individual (psychological), cognitive (intellectual) and cultural aspects. Therefore, this domain concerns natural and innate endowments. Learning is a social phenomenon in its nature. L. Vygotsky considered this phenomenon as «social learning». Evidently, this process includes interactive cooperation between a teacher and a student in terms of creating positive psychological attitude via a situation of success. These aspects lead to collaborating learning. The main goal for using collaborating learning is developing both cognitive and cooperative students’ skills in SLA.

A teacher can assess student’s ability to solve complex tasks rather than merely acquire knowledge as students are not passive receivers of the communication process. The idea of collaborating learning has a lot to do with L. Vygotsky’s «zone of proximal development» [1.с. 84].

Complex skills can be reduced into smaller ones which are hierarchically organized. Lower-ordered component skills are prerequisite to learning higher-ordered skills. Scientists [5. p. 27] distinguish the following components of learning skills:

Fig. 1. Components of learning skills

Controlled processing . The first step in SLA is controlled processing . Students’ mental capacity requirements for controlled processing. It’s obvious when they are beginning to learn a second language (L2) as they need to concentrate their attention to comprehend or produce basic vocabulary and grammar structures.

Automatic processing. Learners go from controlled to automatic processing through practice. Automatic processing requires less mental space and attentional effort. Learning essentially involves development from controlled to automatic processing of component skills, freeing learner- controlled processing capacity for new information and higher-ordered skills.

Restructuring. Respectively, reorganizing mental representations as part of learning makes structures more coordinated, integrated and efficient, including a faster response time when they are activated. It goes only after having been automatized that we can attend more complex, higher-order features and content. We encounter similar capacity limitations, for instance, we easily experience «information overload» in learning a new «language» for computerized word processing: we must initially use controlled processing to select appropriate symbols and apply the right rules, and it is difficult or impossible to simultaneously pay attention to higher-ordered content or creative processing [5.p.40].

It is possible after we have automatized the lower-level skills that our processing capacity is freed for higher-ordered thought. One of the main aims of learning process is stimulating students’ activities and promoting them psychological help.

While learning L2 and developing language complex skills in listening, writing, speaking and reading, a student makes mistakes. It’s an inevitable process. Thereby, overcoming a mistake may be a psychological hardship for a student during all three steps of learning skills development: controlled processing, automatic processing and restructuring. To decrease it a teacher may use two psychological instruments.

Fig. 2. Psychological instruments during a learning process of L2

Interactive cooperation in learning involves a student or students and a teacher working together on learning tasks, facilitation and discussing complex domains. Simply put, interactive learning is a process that requires student’s attendance by means of an active dialogue, an exchange of information, queries, points of view and ideas occurring in learning milieu. Thus, SLA is an absorbing mental activity, there are some psychological factors such as aptitude, personal attitude, anxiety and problems with motivation that influence on students’ learning process. Moreover, we can point out some external factors as school environment, family expectations, social priorities. Psychological problems course linguistic ones.

Student’s attitude toward the language he learns may vary. He may feel exited, happy, confident, and adequate, or he may feel bored, frustrated, angry, and in adequate. For example, when he becomes confused in a pattern drill, he may feel frustrated; after having repeated the same sentence a number of times, he may bored; while composing a conversation with a fellow students, he may feel exited and elated. Having been handed back a test he failed, he may feel angry and inadequate. Those conditions may influence student to decide whether he participates actively in the class or not; he does his homework or not; he continues his foreign language study or drops it.

Student’s attitude toward the language learning may also be various. He may feel exited, happy, confident, or he may feel bored, frustrated and angry. For instance, when a student is confused about doing grammar tasks or listening to recordings, he may feel frustration. After having repeated the same speech pattern or a sentence a number of times, he may be bored. While composing a conversation with a fellow student, he may be exited and elated. Having been handed back to a test he failed, he may be angry and inadequate. These psychological conditions may influence on student’s decision whether he participates actively in the class activities or not. He may ponder on doing his homework or not, moving on his foreign language learning or drop it. If a student has a fear of making mistakes, he becomes anxious and irritable. Some students even manifest irascibility, sensitivity and in rare cases soreness.

This complexity will inhibit his language skills in writing, listening, speaking and reading. Interactive cooperation allows creating positive atmosphere during learning process and minimize hardships in a language learning journey. Teachers may use a variety of teaching strategies to make the SLA process more comfortable for students. In this issue, it’s much more time–consuming to design proper classroom activities and create rubrics both a teacher and students will require during the learning process.

A situation of success — includes learning with positive emotional state. This doesn’t include one-size-fits-all situations, but individual approach to a student. Success is more likely if approach is customized. Students should experience success and attain short — term goals which will motivate them to continue working on long — term educational and personal goals. Success creates personal interest in SLA. Short — term goals may be set for each lesson and reflected on the success criterion. Success criteria are considered as a set of features which a teacher wants to see in a student’s work throughout a traditional lesson or other activity. It’s the right point to ensure that students know what is expected of them. That’s a key — takeaway thus the success criterion is linked to learning intentions. A success criterion may be defined as the outcome of a situation of success when a student implements his or her academic goals. Students will feel a sense of gratification and reward knowing they did what they were asked.

These two psychological tools lead to higher motivation in second learning acquisition. On the whole, motivation in SLA may be thought as the incentive need or even the desire that a student feels to learn a second language. With regard of motivation, interactive cooperation and a situation of success created by a teacher during the educative activity, is undoubtedly the bottom — line point of learning process.

Fig. 3

Let’s survey a classroom situation . Students were offered to write five nouns, five adjectives and five verbs to describe a picture «Autumn». Then their task was to make sentences with these words. They used the following vocabulary.

Student A.

Nouns : a tree, a bridge, a road, a river, a leaf.

Adjectives : golden, fresh, yellow, strewn, mirror (in the meaning of «a glade surface»).

Verbs : to have a rest, to walk, to observe, to swim, to admire.

Sentences are written with students’ mistakes.

Table 1

Student A

nouns	adjectives	verbs
I see a autumn tree.	The golden autumn is come back again.	I have rest in this park and I often walk there in the evening because I can observe to singing birds and swimming fishes. I always admire this world.
I sit on the strewn road.	The air is very fresh now.
I swim in the river.	The leaves are yellow.
I sit on the bridge.	I walk on the strewn road.
I see falling leaves.	This river is mirror.

As we have already seen, a student has some difficulties with grammar (usage of indefinite articles, verb tenses). Nevertheless, he tried to combine most of these words into a short story in the «verbs» column. He also used such a rare adjective as «strewn», but he used «mirror» as an adjective similarly with Russian language «зеркало — зеркальный». «Specular» is more relevant, as «mirror» is used either a noun or a verb, but not as an adjective. This student uses widely spread words.

Nouns (objects) are in most cases connected with senses. We can touch, smell, see, hear objects and use them in daily activities. Accordingly, the student used the pronoun «I» in all sentences — «I see, I swim, I sit» with nouns.

Student B.

Nouns : a tree, an autumn, the sky, a river, water.

Adjectives : fast, orange, yellow, brown, cool.

Verbs : to run, to fall, to fly, to stay, to die.

Table 2

Student B

nouns	adjectives	verbs
1. This place super beautiful.	3. Golden and yellow leaves are falling on the ground.	5. At this picture we can see many trees. 6. The Sun smile. 7. Quiet river run away this place, because it want summer background.
2. Many trees stay alone near the lake.	4. Clean blue sky watch golden trees and purple lake.

The student B has also problems with grammar (usage of the verb «to be», an indefinite article, the wrong preposition in the phrase «at this picture», «S — ending» in the third person singular). Unlike the student A, the student B uses more complex structured sentences. We can read nouns, variety of adjectives, two or even four adjectives in one sentence, the modal verb «can», prepositions and the conjunction «because». Sentences are rather extended.

Nevertheless, there is the semantic problem in sentences four and seven. These sentences look like a set of arbitrary words which don’t mean «a sentence». Words must be combined using a context and meaning. Moreover, they must be connected with each other grammatically to make sense.

Student C.

Nouns : a tree, a walk, the sky, a river, a vibe.

Adjectives : fast, yellow, beautiful, sunny, autumn (was used as an adjective before a noun).

Verbs : to flow, to fall, to shine, to walk, to change.

Table 3

Student C

nouns	adjectives	verbs
The sunny sky is shining. 2. A river flows fast. 3. I feel sunny vibe.	4. I like an autumn walk. 5. It’s so calm, bright and harmonious!	6. Beautiful colors change in autumn. 7. In this picture I see a beautiful autumn with yellow trees, sky and calm flowing river.

Student C used common English lexicon and two special words — avibe and harmonious. There were some mistakes of using articles.

If your student is a beginner or doesn’t know grammar parts of speech (if he is a child), you can offer him just name ten words to describe a picture, make collocations and try to make a short description of the picture (see Table 4). Since this student is a beginner, he used a dictionary as he didn’t know the words «ветка с листьями, калитка, трава, забор».

Table 4

Student D

lexicon	collocations and sentences	a short description
A frond, trees, a river, a wicket gate, grass, to shine, a fence, leaves, brown, yellow, orange, autumn.	A yellow leaves, Big brown trees, A big, dirty river An autumn grass. A broken fence. A frond on a tree. A wicket gate is broken.	I see in this picture a dirty river with a broken fence and with a wicket gate. And I see a big autumn trees with a frond. I see autumn leaves.

In this survey all students know common autumn words. They used lexicon that meant large conspicuous objects in the picture. In perception of art-works this might well be the case. From psychological viewpoint it’s reasonable to assume. Our sight perception always takes large objects from the first sight. In this domain the most used words are — the sky, a tree, a river, yellow.

However, all students made grammar mistakes that is a linguistic standard. If there are no articles and verb tenses peculiarities in the student’s mother tongue, that can be a challenge for a student. It will be hard to master his learning skills, since this is not done in L1 language. A teacher can explain mistakes, correct them together with the student and revise grammar material using diversity of interactive tasks.

On the other hand, we found out during this survey that students used common lexicon, thus they have different language levels from beginner (student D) to elementary (student A and student B) and intermediate (student C). This situation causes such a linguistic concept as extension of vocabulary especially if a student has more advanced level than a «beginner». Having more extensive lexicon, a student will be able to practice his learning skills with accuracy and express his thoughts with less anxiety. This is a good call for developing self — confidence in speaking.

Let’s consider how to expand vocabulary and correct a mistake from a psychological perspective, using interactive cooperation and a situation of success.

Fig. 4

A teacher can keep on a close look at three advanced adjectives, depend on student’s level ( late and beautiful are common adjectives) not only with translation, but also with considering their semantic meaning. Three or maybe five adjectives are quite enough, as it’s hard to assimilate more lexicon in an impactful way at once. Our aim is to put new words in a long — term memory. This process will conform the subsequent steps:

Fig. 5. The process of assimilation new lexicon in creating a story

1. «What adjectives could you use to describe autumn in your mother tongue?» What is the aim of this question? A teacher and a student can discuss some adjectives together . Some students face obstacles describing pictures even in their mother tongue. At the beginning of this learning process it would be better to draw a parallel between L1 and L2. Psychologically it will be easier for students not to be extremely anxious at this stage. They can overcome a fear of mistake and stay on a positive way of SLA. Consequently, a picture description is running with a support of a mother tongue.
2. «Let’s find out these adjectives in English and listen to their pronunciation».

Serene — peaceful and calm.

Amazing — extremely surprising.

Incredible — extremely good; impossible or very difficult to believe.

«What can be serene, amazing, incredible? What’s your view — point?» — a day, a film, a view, a photo, a book, a landscape etc . «Could you, please, make some collocations with these adjectives? » — an amazing day, a serene view, an incredible film. At this point a teacher can focus attention on using an indefinite article «A» and remind of a student its role ( a day, a film , a view, a photo, a book, a landscape). Considering and analysing one grammar mistake will be sufficiently, because a teacher adds new lexicon and combine these items together.

A student may give his own examples. This stimulates his critical thinking abilities and personal experience. Personal experience in SLA takes a great role. It stimulates parts of the brain, also makes language learning more conscious and mindful. At this stage a student should formulate ideas about lexical material assigned to him, test his assumptions, clarify them, come to conclusion and in the next place assimilate this material within his self and use in speech.

«Look at these pictures. Try to match these pictures and new adjectives. You can use any adjective twice».

Fig. 6

At this stage of vocabulary expansion there is no use to strictly follow instructions what picture with what word to match. Perception of art and a language is the individual point. A student can match new words like in the example, but another student can spread these words in another way. What is «amazing» for one person is not exactly the same for another one.

From psychological viewpoint a teacher gives students more freedom in self-expression and world perception. It causes not to be laser focused on true — false learning actions and just to reflect their own attitude to «word — art» connection. A student feels himself liberated as a teacher encourages and induces his or her to free their imagination. There are no false answer doing these tasks. Moreover, a student has a choice how to make collocations and how to «play» with lexicon inside grammar rules.

3. «Let’s make short, simple sentences with these new adjectives». «What should we not forget?» (an indefinite article).

My friend liked a serene landscape. We saw an amazing autumn tree. It was an incredible autumn.

4. «Now, let’s look at your sentences one more time.» (a student reads his sentences about autumn). « I see a autumn tree. I have * rest in this park and I often walk there in the evening».

«Do we need any corrections here? If yes, which ones?» (I see AN autumn tree. I have A rest in this park and I often walk there in the evening).

«How can we reformulate these sentences using new adjectives?» I see an incredible autumn in this picture.

A mistake is an intrinsic need in learning process and students mustn’t be baffled or penetrated making them in developing learning skills. Mistakes lead to the progress. Using this psychological approach, a teacher pushes students to interactive cooperation and creates a situation of success. Students mind they can be successful in SLA. Thus, their motivation will be increased.

You will find a measurable increase in students’ confidence levels, sense of self — worth and see your students turn slowly into self — actualizing individuals with improved inter — personal skills.

References:

1. Vygotsky L. C. Problems of teaching and development at secondary school.//Vygotsky L. S. Pedagogical psychology. — M.: Pedagogica, 1992.

2. Felicia M. Lekatompessy, Imelda Tahalele. The Analysis of Students' Psychological Problems and Its Solutions in Speaking English at One of the Junior High Schools in Aru Islands. MATAI International journal of language education, Volume (3) No. 2 (2023) Pp. 67–79.

3. Ha Le, Jeroen Janssen, Theo Wubbels. Collaborative learning practices: teacher and student perceived obstacles to effective student collaboration. Pp. 103–122. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0305764X.2016.1259389#abstract

4. Langeng Budianto. Students’ psychological factors in SLA: a dilemma for teachers of English. LINGUA, Volume 5, Nomor 1, Juni 2010 — ISSN 1693–4725.

5. Muriel Saville — Troike. Introducing second language acquisition. Cambridge university press, 2012.