Title 24045419_Tran Thuy Tien_Final Assignment.pdf ✅

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE FINAL ASSIGNMENT AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY ON THE INTERPLAY OF COGNITION, EMOTION, AND SOCIAL FACTORS IN SLA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR L2 TEACHING Course: Theories of Second Language Learning Lecturer: Dr. Vu Van Duy Student: Tran Thuy Tien ID : 24045419 Class: QH2024D2U5 Hanoi - 2025

Second language acquisition (SLA) is shaped by an interplay between cognitive, emotional, and social factors. It has become increasingly clear that these elements do not operate in isolation but interact with one another in complex ways throughout the learning process. Historically, research has often considered each factor separately; however, more recent studies compellingly indicate that the joint effects of these factors directly affect an individual's learning outcomes. One clear case of this interplay is among Vietnamese learners of English, with whom I have considerable experience. This essay will argue that a thorough understanding of the interplay between cognition, emotion, and social factors is essential for successful second language instruction. It will discuss the intersections between the various elements of second language acquisition and the implications this has for teaching practices in the classroom. When considering second language acquisition, the initial focus must be on cognitive processes, those mental functions undeniably essential for enabling us to comprehend, store, and use language information. Among these, our attention and memory mechanisms are of paramount importance. Working memory stands out as one of the most critical mental systems. As Shen and Park (2020) describe, it serves as a short-term mental location where individuals store and manage information while engaging in demanding linguistic tasks, such as speaking or understanding. However, one of its limitations is that information fades quickly unless actively refreshed. This limited space becomes a bottleneck during real-time language processing. When there is too much information to handle at once, often called the cognitive load, understanding can suffer, and speaking might become difficult. Researchers consistently demonstrate that larger working memory capacity correlates to higher L2 learning outcomes, particularly in areas such as grammar acquisition, vocabulary learning, and fluency. According to studies by Gilabert and Muñoz (2010), there is a positive correlation between working memory capacity and measures of oral fluency and vocabulary use, suggesting that efficient working memory supports managing the mental demands of L2 use. This limitation becomes particularly relevant for Vietnamese learners who have to deal with English features that are vastly different from those in their first language, like unfamiliar consonant clusters. Such features may overburden working memory, potentially impacting learners' pronunciation and their ability to comprehend spoken language. Recognizing these cognitive limitations underscores the need for teaching strategies that involve managing cognitive load, such as breaking down complex information and providing structured practice. While working memory processes information instantly, long-term memory serves as the gigantic and permanent storage for everything we know, including language. The declarative-procedural model distinguishes between explicit memory, which stores conscious facts and knowledge such as vocabulary and grammar rules, and implicit memory, which supports automatic skills such as fluent speaking (Ullman & Lovelett, 2016). Both are
important, with fluency depending heavily on building implicit knowledge through practice, as highlighted by Stefaniak et al. (2021) Crucially, attention must be given to language input before it may effectively reach our memory systems. As a selective filter, attention helps us process more information by concentrating our limited mental resources on pertinent information. Schmidt's (1990) noticing hypothesis proposes that consciously noticing a linguistic feature in the input is a necessary condition for learning. The more attention given to language forms, the more likely they are to be learned. Elements such as relevance greatly influence noticing; using culturally relevant content, as suggested by Duyen's (2025), can help Vietnamese learners notice challenging features like articles more easily by making the input more meaningful. Cognition, undoubtedly, forms the necessary basis for language learning. Nonetheless, their effectiveness is strongly influenced by the learner's emotional state. Learning a second language is deeply tied to our feelings. A learner's engagement, persistence, and ultimate success in second language acquisition are greatly influenced by a range of factors, including their emotions, attitudes towards the language and learning environment, motivation levels, anxiety, and self-confidence. These aspects worked as critical filters and drivers that influence the way cognitive processes function and determine the learning experience. Human emotions have a strong impact on the thinking skills essential for learning. Dewaele and MacIntyre (2014) have asserted that positive emotions such as enjoyment, interest, pride, and curiosity can be associated with better learning. Such feelings enhance attention, flexibility, memory, and willingness to take risks. Conversely, negative emotions, particularly Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA), present a major challenge. Research consistently shows FLA can impair cognitive function by consuming limited working memory resources and interfering with information processing, fluency, and participation, a phenomenon termed a "cognitive deficit" by MacIntyre and Gardner (1994). Such emotions are also closely connected to motivation, which is the main energy source for consistent effort. Positive feelings boost motivation, while negative ones erode it. Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 Motivational Self System links motivation to learners' future self-concepts (ideal, ought-to) and their immediate learning experience. According to self-determination theory, positive emotions and intrinsic motivation would help students to engage more deeply and persist in a task as needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied (Noels et al., 2000). Importantly, these emotional states and motivational drives cannot be viewed purely as internal feelings; it is through their interactions and experiences within social environments that emotional states emerge, thereby emphasizing the interdependence of the emotional and social dimensions of SLA. Moving beyond the individual's mind and feelings, second language learning is fundamentally embedded in social practices. While cognitive processes manage internal operations and affective states drive engagement, it is through social interaction within specific social and cultural settings that language is encountered, meaning is worked out, and language is used for real purposes. Recognizing how central social factors