Discusses some of the major developments, issues, and problems in studying the relationship between attitudes and motivation and second-language acquisition and proficiency. (29 references) (GLR)

This study examined the language anxiety level felt during 3 stages in the second-language acquisition process (input, processing, and output) among 97 college students learning French as a Second Language. It found that language anxiety and language proficiency were strongly related in each of the stages. (37 references) (MDM)

Presented is a bibliography on anxiety and second language learning consisting of three sections. The first contains 34 annotated citations of articles and research reports on anxiety and second language learning and proficiency. The second lists and outlines 29 scales or other measures of anxiety, some of which specifically relate to language. In…

Investigation of the linguistic features lost in oral French over a vacation period by English-speaking ninth graders (N=89) revealed significant reductions in total time, speaking time, number of pauses, quantity of production, and grammatical accuracy on tasks requiring production of discourse, suggesting a general deterioration in language…

Describes a study of the effects on second language attrition of attitudes, motivations, and reported language use by learners during a six-month period after the completion of an intensive French course. (SED)

This study investigated the role of several sociocultural variables involved in the acculturation process and their relationship to second-language learning and well-being. A causal modeling analysis indicated that an assimilation mode of acculturation was positively related to self-rated English proficiency and preference for responding to the…

The bibliography contains 64 annotated references to journal articles and other sources of information about individual difference correlates of second language achievement. The journal articles appeared between 1984 and 1987. Where available, abstracts contained in the original articles are used; these are marked with asterisks. Entries are coded…

The association between an attitudinal/motivational factor and the acquisition of French oral proficiency is discussed. Eighty-nine Canadian students were satisfied with the intensive French language program while the 65 Americans were not. The sociocultural background of the student plays a major role in the development of attitudes. (PMJ)

A study was conducted to examine the changes in students' attitudes, motivation and French achievement during a five-week, residential, summer program. Sixty-two students were administered a battery of attitude and motivation tests as well as a test of oral French proficiency prior to, and upon completion of, the course. (CFM)

This study investigated the multidimensional nature of language preference, language confidence, self-identity, and various attitudes and stereotypes among a sample of Polish immigrants to Canada. A total of 320 questionnaires were used in the study, 100 written in English and 220 in Polish; of this total, 248 were returned for a response rate of…

Assesses the linguistic nature of home community, recollections of early experiences in second language learning, and attitudes and beliefs about language learning and bilingualism in English-speaking Canadian college students who study French. Surveys provide support for a causal model which indicates that sociocultural experiences influence…

After a brief review of the research concerned with the relationship between students' attitudes and second-language learning the present paper attempts to answer the question, "Do attitudes, in and of themselves, relate directly to second-language acquisition, or do they play an indirect role in providing a basis for the motivation to acquire a…

The purpose of this study was to examine some correlates and consequences of a four-day trip to a French-speaking community by 153 grade eight English Canadian students. The major findings are that: (1) Parents of the participants in the excursion differ from those of the 183 non-participants not in terms of socioeconomic status or educational…