AFFECTIVE FACTORS AND THE PROBLEM OF AGE IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Abstract

This paper reviews several bodies of literature concerned with the relationship of affective factors such as language shock, culture shock, attitude, motivation and ego permeability to second language acquisition. These issues are then related to the problem of age in second language learning. It is suggested that affective variables may play a more important role than does biological maturation in problems associated with adult second language acquisition.