routines and patterns, and at a more advanced level this predicts the non-acquisition of elements that are communicatively less important but that are socially important, such as aspects of morphology and accent.2
When the practical value of second language proficiency is high, and frequent use necessary, instrumental motivation may be a powerful predictor of second language acquisition.
Personality factors are interrelated with motivational factors. Briefly, it is hypothesized that the self-confident or secure person will be more able to encourage intake and will also have a lower filter. Traits relating to self-confidence (lack of anxiety, outgoing personality, self-esteem)3 are thus predicted to relate to second language acquisition. H. D. Brown (1977) states a similar view: "Presumably, the person with high self-esteem is able to reach out beyond himself more freely, to be less inhibited, and because of his ego strength, to make the necessary mistakes involved in language learning with less threat to his ego" (p. 352). The less self-confident person may understand the input but not acquire, just as the self-conscious person may filter (or avoid) in other domains.
Empathy, the ability to put oneself in another's shoes, is also predicted to be relevant to acquisition in that the empathic person may be the one who is able to identify more easily with speakers of a target language and thus accept their input as intake for language acquisition (lowered affective filter). Empathy appears to interact with other attitudinal factors. Schumann (1975) suggests that "... the natural factors that induce ego flexibility and lower inhibitions (assumed to relate to increased empathy) are those conditions which make the learner less anxious, make him feel accepted and make him form positive identifications with speakers of the target language" (p. 227).
Two other personality factors, not related to self-confidence, are also predicted to relate to success in second language. Attitude toward the classroom and teacher may relate to both acquisition and learning. The student who feels at ease in the classroom and likes the teacher may seek out intake by volunteering (he may be a "high input generator"; Seliger, 1977), and may be more accepting of the teacher as a source of intake (for exceptionally clear discussion of this point, see Stevick, 1976, chapters 6-8). Positive attitudes toward the classroom