Research Symposium

BIO

I am a first year Honors student studying Cell & Molecular Neuroscience on the pre-medicine track in pursuit of becoming a sports medicine physician. I was born in Rochester, NY, but completed high school in Orange County, CA. I hope to further efforts in providing equal access to healthcare for all people, especially those of disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, and help increase the extent of equal opportunity within our societies. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and watching the Lakers.

Growth Mindsets and Emotions in Second Language Acquisition: A Literature Review

Abstract

When learning a new language, a multitude of factors can interplay within the acquisition of this new language. Such factors include socioeconomic background or environment, age, personal history, previously known languages, and one’s mindset (Riasati & Rahimi, 2018, pp. 1-2). Through second language acquisition (SLA), these factors can serve as possible hindrances or advantages for language learners. In the field of SLA, the mindsets of language learners can be modified or influenced in various ways to attempt to increase their overall performance in their SLA (Lou & Noel, 2019, pp.1-2). To influence these factors, interventions can potentially transform mindsets of second language learners. For example, various researchers have concluded that mindsets can predict L2 speaking and, interestingly, reading outcomes and performance (Khajavy & Pourtahmasb, 2021, p. 2). For the current study, researchers utilized forty-nine peer-reviewed articles; topics included foreign language speaking anxiety, self-esteem self-confidence, second language (L2) speaking confidence, and language mindsets. From the systematic review of literature regarding how various factors can affect language learning, it can be predicted that interventions that positively affect individuals' growth mindsets will have beneficial effects on their speaking performance overall through increased self-confidence, an increase in positive emotions, and a decrease in negative ones such as speaking anxiety. Our research aims to evaluate the different factors that can potentially be influenced by mindsets and improve the overall language performance as a potential consequence of holding a growth mindset.

Keywords: second language acquisition, anxiety, speaking