Cultural Exposure Affects Second Language Learning

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Cultural Exposure Affects Second Language Learning

Socio-cultural factors have an important effect on second language learning. In particular, cultural exposure plays a significant role in the language learning process. Cultural ignorance and prejudice may cause difficulties for language learners and the degree of exposure also determines how fast a second language learner can acquire a new language. In this mini research essay, I will first examine how people from China and Middle Eastern will be stereotyped. Next, I will discuss why people have similar cultural background with the native speakers learn a new language better. Moreover, I will show different learning strategies people used and finally, how these factors affect second language learning will be discussed.

Chinese and Middle Eastern are always stereotyped by native English speakers. Because of the influence of media and performance at school, “Contemporary public perceptions of Chinese and other Asian students are based on reports of these students' high test scores and academic success”, and native speakers assume that all people from China are “high achievers” who can adapt to a new environment fast and speak English well (Derderian-Aghajanian&wang, 2012, p.172). However, according to the researchers, many Chinese immigrants have no prior background in English and have various education levels (Derderian-Aghajanian&wang, 2012). For those people, the stereotyping is unfair, because they will not have enough support from the public,
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which may have a negative impact on their language learning. Middle Eastern students, on the other hand, are stereotyped to terrorists(Derderian-Aghajanian&wang, 201...

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...anguage, Society and Culture Journal, 1(31), 81-89. Retrieved March 4, 2014, from http://www.aaref.com.au/en/publications/journal/journal-articles/issue-31-2010/

Derderian-Aghajanian, A., & Wang, C. C. (2012). How culture affects English language learners' (ELL's) outcomes, with Chinese and Middle Eastern immigrant students. International Journal of Business & Social Science, 3(5), 172-180. Retrieved March 4, 2014, from http://ijbssnet.com/journal/index/1091

Schumann, J. H. (1976). Social distance as a factor in second language acquisition. Language Learning, 26(1), 135-143. Retrieved March 4, 2014, from the Wiley Online Library database.

Schumann, J. H. (1986). Research on the acculturation model for second language acquisition. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 7(5), 379-392. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from the Taylor&Francis Online database.

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