The Bad Language Learner

There seem to be three sorts of bad language learners. The very worst has neither acquisition nor learning going for him. This might be the result of both attitudinal factors (lack of interest in the target language and its speakers and/or self-consciousness, high anxiety, etc.) as well as low aptitude or interest in grammar. The second language student who seems to get nothing from the class or the natural environment may be of this sort (the "remedial ESL student").

Two other varieties of bad language learners have been discussed elsewhere (Krashen, 1978a; Chapter 1, this volume). The underuser of the Monitor will progress as far as his attitudes will take him. The Monitor overuser will be limited by his conscious knowledge and will suffer from a lack of spontaneity.

The model predicts that all varieties of performers will be helped by a classroom where intake for acquisition is available in a low anxiety situation. This is easy to say but difficult to provide. Conscious learning need not be avoided, just put in its place. This recommendation is quite close to Carroll's: "Persons with limited sensitivity to grammar may be better off in courses that de-emphasize grammar and concentrate on exposing the learner to large amounts of the second language in actual use. Nevertheless, many of them will find it profitable to note carefully, and to try to correct, the errors they make in second language utterances. Others, as they use the language more and more, may find it satisfactory simply to wait until a natural correction process takes over, somewhat the way children learn to speak their native language in increasing conformity with adult norms" (Carroll, 1977, p. 3). We differ only in that the Monitor Theory predicts that the acquisition-rich environment is for everyone.

If in fact, acquisition is central and obligatory for real proficiency in a second language, and if, at best, learning is a useful supplement available only in certain situations, and if attitude relates more directly to acquisition that to learning, then Savignon (1976) is correct when she says "Attitude is the single most important factor in second language learning". We might even suggest that one characteristic of the ideal second language class is one in which aptitude will not

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