INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTOR OF SLA

A. Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

Second language acquesition is a learning process for a person to know, study
and get the other language except the mother language in the second time for their
addition. It’s a process which people learn after they have skill in their first
language. Depand on the wikipedia difinition, a Second language acquisition is the
scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. The area of second-language
acquisition is a subdiscipline of applied linguistics, it also receives research
attention from a variety of other disciplines, such as psychology and education1.
Human need some process to learn, know and get their second language. The
achievement of process depends on some factors that have important part to
influent the learners in getting information and knowledge process. In the fact every
learners have different skills study new language, there are Some students learn a
new language more quickly and easily than others. There are some learners who
must hard work and more patience to do learning process and master their second
language. In other way some student easy to masters it. However there are some
factors that make it happen. In general, there are two factor that influence the
process, they are; external factor and internal factor. Both of them have different
function to influent learning process. Although they have different function, the
learners need their function each other as facility for the learners to achieve and
master their second language.

B. External Factor
External factor relate to the environment in which learning take place 2. Depend
on behavior theory;
“The learning process has been described by S-R-R theorists as a process
forming stimulus-response-reward chains. These chains come about because
of the nature of the environment and the nature of the learner.”3

1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-language_acquisition, acces on thusday,september 17th 2015.
2
https://books.google.co.id/books?
id=internal+factor+of+SLA&source=bl&ots=wDXpin9DxW&sig=L0geXPTYmOpp_wMejixqCX7oOyo&hl=id
&sa=X&ved=0CGMQ6AEwCGoVChMI6ZW3zZv6yAIVozSmCh1v5Qjf#v=onepage&q=internal%20factor
%20of%20SLA&f=false
3
 The environment is important factor for someone achievement to master their
second language. There are three principal components in this framework, they are;
social factor/setting, language processing mechanisms and individual learner factor.
We can say Language processing mechanism and individual learner factor as input
and interaction which happen in second language acquisition.
Social factor/setting, language processing mechanism, and individual learner
are factors which form environment. They will influence each other, because there
are interrelated in a number of ways4.
a. Social Factor
Depend on Cambridge dictionary, we can identify social as relating to
activities in which you meet and spend time with other people and which
happen during the time when you are not working.5 Social factor probably have
direct effect for learner. Social factor can shape learner attitude and of course it
determine to learner outcome. Different group, or level of learners also influent
the learner skills and performing.
In the social factor, there are four variable which have received the most
attention in SLA, they are; Age, sex, and social context.
1) Age
Age is crucial factor in language learning. Human ages can describe
their psycho linguistic aspect. Ages has received considerable attention from
sociolinguistics6. There is a biologically determined period of life when
language can be acquired more easily.
Children, who already have solid literacy skills in their own language,
seem to be in the best position to acquire a new language efficiently.
Motivated, older learners can be very successful too, but usually struggle to
achieve native-speaker-equivalent pronunciation and intonation.
2) Sex
When we talk about sex, we will also thing about gender. We can say
sex as gender. They have same meaning but different function. Gender is
variable which prefer use in social linguistic. it is often referred to the roles
4
Ellis, Rod, The Study of Language Acquisition. (Oxford University Press). P.193
5
Cambridge dictionary
6
Ellis, Rod, The Study of Language Acquisition. (Oxford University Press). P.201
 assumed and performed by “male” and “female” students, the attitudes and
behaviours that they show in the second language class. Based on
sociolinguistic research we may accept the hypotheses that considers female
students better at L2 learning than male students and more open to new
linguistic forms7. Several studies have given evidence of this fact. In
Burstall's longitudinal research female students did better than male students
(she based herconclusions on 6000 children beginning L2 French at 8 in
English primary schools). She reports that girls scored significantly higher
than boys on all tests. There are also studies that have not found substantial
differences. So it would be interesting that each teacher explores what
happens in his/her second language class. Burstall also noticed that females
had a more positive attitude to learning an second language than males. She
found out that many more low-achieving boys tended to drop the second
language class. Nevertheless, the girls with low outcomes did not. Gardner
and Lambert also found that female students were more motivated for the
learning of second language and had more favourable attitudes than male
students.
3) Social Context
Our students' social context is determined by a set of social factors
associated with their social class, cultural level, home language,
environmental language, ethnic and religious context,etc. Some studies have
proved the relationship between social class and first language development
or social class and second language learning. If we accept he impact of the
student's social class on first language development and the linguistic
interdependence hypothesis that establishes a close relationship between
first language development and second language learning, we have to accept
the relationship between social class, first language and second language.
The conclusions on social class and second language learning seem to
suggest that.8 Middle class children develop a higher level of second
language proficiency and motivation than working class children in a formal
classroom setting. However, when the learning process takes place in a
7
Ibid. p. 202
8
Ibid. p. 206
 natural setting or in a informal setting with little emphasis on academic
tasks and more emphasis on communicative skills, the student's social class
does not seem to be so relevant. As Ellis points out, it is not the student's
social class per se what is determinant but its effect on the student's previous
experiences, stimuli, attitudes and motivation. There are some studies that
show a strong influence of ethnic, religious and cultural factors on second
language learning: For example, those that examine the relationship between
cultural distance and second language achievement ,between social distance
and psychological distance. These conclusions suggest that students from an
ethnic group similar culturally to the second language community are often
more successful than those who feel mor distant. The wish to be a valued
member of the second language community and integrate with its members
also enhances motivation for second language learning and good results.
The students' learning differences (proficiency and attitudes) may also be
affected by the kind of language they hear and are exposed to at home and
in the immediate environment. The second language teaching to students
coming from the following backgrounds and the results we may obtain with
them may differ a lot: Students living in bilingual families Students
influenced by a supportive environment. Natural settings where second
language is used for communication either as an official language or as
acommunity language. Educational settings where second language is used
as a means of instruction in the classroom.
b. Input and Interaction
Depend on Cambridge dictionary; Input is something such as energy, money
or information that is put into a system, organization or machine so that it can
operate. In this case, second language to be an input in second language
acquisition process. This input can form written or spoken form. The spoken
from, it may occur in the context of interaction. The interaction can happen
between learners with native speaker, teachers, and other.
Researchers who emphasize the important of input and interaction suggest
the learner acquire a language in learning process, how to communicate it.
C. Internal Factor
Internal factor can’t influent to the second language learners directly. They are
covert in the learners itself. We can know the learners internal factor by some
extent, and learner’s report of how they learner. Here some internal factor;
1. Personality: Introverted or anxious learners usually make slower progress,
particularly in the development of oral skills. They are less likely to take
advantage of opportunities to speak, or to seek out such opportunities. More
outgoing students will not worry about the inevitability of making mistakes.
They will take risks, and thus will give themselves much more practice.
2. Motivation (intrinsic): Intrinsic motivation has been found to correlate strongly
with educational achievement. Clearly, students who enjoy language learning
and take pride in their progress will do better than those who don't.
Extrinsic motivation is also a significant factor. ESL students, for example, who
need to learn English in order to take a place at an American university or to
communicate with a new English boy/girlfriend are likely to make greater
efforts and thus greater progress.
3. Experiences: Learners who have acquired general knowledge and experience are
in a stronger position to develop a new language than those who haven't. The
student, for example, who has already lived in 3 different countries and been
exposed to various languages and cultures has a stronger base for learning a
further language than the student who hasn't had such experiences.
4. Cognition: In general, it seems that students with greater cognitive abilities
(intelligence) will make the faster progress. Some linguists believe that there is a
specific, innate language learning ability that is stronger in some students than in
others.
5. Native language: Students who are learning a second language which is from the
same language family as their first language have, in general, a much easier task
than those who aren't. So, for example, a Dutch child will learn English more
quickly than a Japanese child.

FAKTOR AFFECTING SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

 Some students learn a new language more quickly and easily than the others.
This simple fact is known by all who have themselves learned a second language or
taught those who are using their second language in school. Clearly, some language
learners are successful by virtue of their sheer determination, hard work and persistence.
However, there are other crucial factors influencing success that are largely beyond the
control of the learner. These factors can be affecting in second language learning. It is
their complex interplay that determines the speed and facility with which the new
language is learned. There are affecting factors of second language learning:
1. Aptitude
Aptitude refers to the special ability involved in second language learning ( Douglous
at al 1995). The relation between aptitude and second language learning success is a
very important one and various studies, such as Gardner and Skehan have reported
that aptitude is a major factor determining the level of success of second language
learning.
2. Motivation
Motivation is the social psychological factor of motivation has been proven to
account for differential success in second language learning. A motivated student can
be defined as someone who : “expends effort, is persistent and attentive to the task at
hand, has goals, desire and aspirations, enjoys the activity, makes attribution
concerning success or failure, is aroused and makes use of strategies to aid in
achieving goals”. Motivation is perceived to be composed of three elements. These
include effort, desire, and affect. Effort refers to the time spent studying the language
and the drive of the learner. Desire indicates how much the learners want to become
proficient in the language, and affect illustrates the learners emotional reactions with
regard to language study.
3. Learning Strategies
Learning strategies as in all school topics, learning strategies are a factor of second
language learning. Learning strategies is steps or action taken by learners to improve
the development of their language skills.

4. Personality
 Learners emotional states have a powerful influence of their behavior and
performance in the classroom and other learning situation. Personality traits such as
extroversion, introversion, risk-taking, independence and emphaty have been the
basis of discussions and disputes relating to this topics.
5. Learning Difficulties
Many people believe that student with learning difficulties can’t successfully learn a
second language. Research has proven that second language learning is not linked to
intelligence and therefore most student with learning difficulties can succeed in
second language learning.

BIBLIOGRAPHI
Rod, Ellis , The Study of Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-language_acquisition, acces on thusday,september 17th

2015.

http://termcoord.eu/2014/02/age-factor-second-language-acquisition/

http://web.ncyu.edu.tw/~jennykuo/Course/SLA/factors.pdf