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Affect In Language Learning
English for Specific Purposes 21 (2002) 201–206 www.elsevier.com/locate/esp
Book reviews
Affect In Language Learning Edited by Jane Arnold. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999, 346 pp. Paperback US$27.95. ISBN 0-521-65963-9. This is an important, useful, and timely book. The literature on affect in language learning is still a work in progress, and over the past few decades we have seen an exciting expansion in the range of terms we have at our disposal when talking about the affective domain. Emotion has always been hard to discuss objectively and precisely. This is why behavioral psychology has tended to see affect as an inner reality, impossible to observe directly and thus outside the realm of what can or should be seriously studied. And it is true that from the poets to Freud and beyond, many writers on affect have had recourse to intuitive reasoning and figurative language, sometimes instead of and sometimes in addition to empirical constructs. This reviewer believes that although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with metaphorical writing or thinking, it is good to combine different ways of knowing, and it is extremely encouraging that recent science has opened new empirical windows into the role played by affect in thinking and learning. It is no accident that several of the authors in this edited volume cite Damasio’s (1994) research demonstrating the inseparability of emotion and cognition in the workings of the human brain. Affect in Language Learning offers a comprehensive overview of current theoretical perspectives on its subject. At the same time, the book will be useful to those interested in practical ways of treating students as ‘‘whole persons’’ by making sure that affective as well as cognitive factors are considered in the classroom. As an edited volume, it contains multiple perspectives and is directed toward the broadest possible audience of second and foreign language teachers and teacher trainers. An introductory chapter by Jane Arnold and H. Douglas Brown entitled ‘‘A Map of the Terrain’’ defines affect as ‘‘aspects of emotion, feeling, mood or attitude which condition behaviour’’ (p. 1) and argues that recognition and understanding of affect are important to language teachers in a very broad sense that includes not just immediate instructional goals but what Goleman (1995) calls ‘‘emotional intelligence.’’ In a useful and comprehensive literature review, Arnold and Brown summarize the ways in which the importance of affect has been addressed in educational theory generally and in the language learning literature in particular, and present an ‘‘organizational framework’’ (p. 8) which pays specific attention to a number of 0889-4906/01/$20.00 # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the American University. All rights reserved. PII: S0889-4906(01)00009-6
202
Book reviews / English for Specific Purposes 21 (2002) 201–206
affective factors in second language learning including anxiety, motivation, and the quality of classroom interactions. The introductory chapter is followed by three groups of papers, the first of which focuses on the individual learner from several perspectives. John Schumann presents ‘‘a model of learning that attempts to link the neurobiology and psychology of stimulus appraisal with variable success in second language acquisition’’ (p. 28). Earl Stevick, who has previously treated the workings of memory in some detail (Stevick, 1996), returns to the theme in a thoughtful paper that outlines a complex of relationships between affect, learning, and memory, and provides a number of useful theoretical and practical insights. Rebecca Oxford reviews various ways in which language anxiety has been described in the literature, surveys other factors that correlate with anxiety, and offers a number of suggestions for classroom teachers. Madeline Ehrman, who has written extensively on individual differences among language learners (e.g. Ehrman, 1996), explores the constructs of ego boundaries and tolerance of ambiguity, with their practical implications. Finally, Vero´nica de Andre´s writes movingly of the positive results of an original research project involving the use of self-esteem building activities with Spanish-speaking elementary age children in Argentina. A second group of essays focuses on teacher affect, and will be of particular interest to readers interested in teacher training or in serious and intensive selfexamination and introspection. Claire Stanley reports on an action research project in which teachers were trained in techniques of reflective teaching. Her paper describes the different experiences of the participants in the study, and draws conclusions concerning necessary principles that must be recognized by those engaged in the reflective teaching process. Adrian Underhill proposes a new conceptual model of facilitation, and gives dozens of practical suggestions for teachers wishing to move toward a more facilitative style. Naoko Aoki argues for considering learner autonomy within a social rather than an individualistic context. Aoki’s discussion moves from a nuanced treatment of the concept of autonomy to specific examples of how teachers can help to foster autonomy illustrated with quotations from the author’s Japanese speaking students in a program for future teachers of Japanese as a second language. This section concludes with a paper by Zolta´n Do¨rnyei and Angi Malderez, in which theoretical concepts from the field of group dynamics are applied to group formation and development in the language classroom, and practical implications for teachers are discussed. A final group of papers deals with affect in the ‘‘interactional space’’ between the people in the language classroom. Readers looking for practical suggestions will find this section of the book particularly interesting. Gertrude Moskowitz adds another chapter to the work she began in her still popular 1978 book Caring and Sharing in the Foreign Language Class (Maskowitz, 1978) with a report on a new study that replicates and extends her earlier research on the effectiveness of humanistic classroom activities. Further insights into the rationale behind humanistic activities, with additional examples, are offered in a paper by Mario Rinvolucri. Grethe Hooper Hansen brings us up to date on the ways in which the ideas of Georgi Lozanov continue to attract attention in the language teaching field. JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall
Book reviews / English for Specific Purposes 21 (2002) 201–206
203
contributes an excellent summary of the literature on cooperative learning, with attention to its characteristics, applications of specific activities to the language classroom, benefits and potential problems, and suggestions for teachers. Herbert Puchta views the creation of an affectively positive ‘‘learning culture’’ in the classroom through a different conceptual lens, that of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Jane Arnold outlines the benefits of visualization and guided mental imagery for learners and teachers. And Viljo Kohonen discusses alternative assessment in the context of a ‘‘transformative’’ rather than a ‘‘transmission’’ model of language teaching. The book concludes with an Epilogue in which Joy Reid reflects on a variety of issues for researchers and for those committed to working for change. Reid’s paper is a fitting conclusion to a book whose unity comes from a concern voiced implicitly or explicitly by all its authors: that affect in language learning is not only crucial, but is also all too frequently neglected. Readers who share that concern will find the book invaluable.
References Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes’ error: emotion, reason and the human brain. New York: Avon. Ehrman, M. E. (1996). Understanding second language learning difficulties. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. Moskowitz, G. (1978). Caring and sharing in the foreign language class: A sourcebook on humanistic techniques. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle. Stevick, E. W. (1996). Memory, meaning and method: A view of language teaching (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.
John M. Green Salem State College Salem, Massachusetts USA E-mail address: [email protected] John M. Green teaches undergraduate ESL and graduate TESL classes at Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts. As a researcher, he is particularly interested in student attitudes, strategies, and learning styles. His work has appeared in Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, and TESOL Journal. PII: S0889-4906(01)00009-6
Psychology for Language Teachers: A Social Constructivist Approach Marion Williams and Robert L. Burden. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997, 240 pp. Paperback US$21.95. ISBN 0-521-49880-5. I found this volume very interesting but also very difficult to classify. It calls itself a book on psychology for language teachers. This statement is clearly true. The
Book reviews
Affect In Language Learning Edited by Jane Arnold. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999, 346 pp. Paperback US$27.95. ISBN 0-521-65963-9. This is an important, useful, and timely book. The literature on affect in language learning is still a work in progress, and over the past few decades we have seen an exciting expansion in the range of terms we have at our disposal when talking about the affective domain. Emotion has always been hard to discuss objectively and precisely. This is why behavioral psychology has tended to see affect as an inner reality, impossible to observe directly and thus outside the realm of what can or should be seriously studied. And it is true that from the poets to Freud and beyond, many writers on affect have had recourse to intuitive reasoning and figurative language, sometimes instead of and sometimes in addition to empirical constructs. This reviewer believes that although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with metaphorical writing or thinking, it is good to combine different ways of knowing, and it is extremely encouraging that recent science has opened new empirical windows into the role played by affect in thinking and learning. It is no accident that several of the authors in this edited volume cite Damasio’s (1994) research demonstrating the inseparability of emotion and cognition in the workings of the human brain. Affect in Language Learning offers a comprehensive overview of current theoretical perspectives on its subject. At the same time, the book will be useful to those interested in practical ways of treating students as ‘‘whole persons’’ by making sure that affective as well as cognitive factors are considered in the classroom. As an edited volume, it contains multiple perspectives and is directed toward the broadest possible audience of second and foreign language teachers and teacher trainers. An introductory chapter by Jane Arnold and H. Douglas Brown entitled ‘‘A Map of the Terrain’’ defines affect as ‘‘aspects of emotion, feeling, mood or attitude which condition behaviour’’ (p. 1) and argues that recognition and understanding of affect are important to language teachers in a very broad sense that includes not just immediate instructional goals but what Goleman (1995) calls ‘‘emotional intelligence.’’ In a useful and comprehensive literature review, Arnold and Brown summarize the ways in which the importance of affect has been addressed in educational theory generally and in the language learning literature in particular, and present an ‘‘organizational framework’’ (p. 8) which pays specific attention to a number of 0889-4906/01/$20.00 # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the American University. All rights reserved. PII: S0889-4906(01)00009-6
202
Book reviews / English for Specific Purposes 21 (2002) 201–206
affective factors in second language learning including anxiety, motivation, and the quality of classroom interactions. The introductory chapter is followed by three groups of papers, the first of which focuses on the individual learner from several perspectives. John Schumann presents ‘‘a model of learning that attempts to link the neurobiology and psychology of stimulus appraisal with variable success in second language acquisition’’ (p. 28). Earl Stevick, who has previously treated the workings of memory in some detail (Stevick, 1996), returns to the theme in a thoughtful paper that outlines a complex of relationships between affect, learning, and memory, and provides a number of useful theoretical and practical insights. Rebecca Oxford reviews various ways in which language anxiety has been described in the literature, surveys other factors that correlate with anxiety, and offers a number of suggestions for classroom teachers. Madeline Ehrman, who has written extensively on individual differences among language learners (e.g. Ehrman, 1996), explores the constructs of ego boundaries and tolerance of ambiguity, with their practical implications. Finally, Vero´nica de Andre´s writes movingly of the positive results of an original research project involving the use of self-esteem building activities with Spanish-speaking elementary age children in Argentina. A second group of essays focuses on teacher affect, and will be of particular interest to readers interested in teacher training or in serious and intensive selfexamination and introspection. Claire Stanley reports on an action research project in which teachers were trained in techniques of reflective teaching. Her paper describes the different experiences of the participants in the study, and draws conclusions concerning necessary principles that must be recognized by those engaged in the reflective teaching process. Adrian Underhill proposes a new conceptual model of facilitation, and gives dozens of practical suggestions for teachers wishing to move toward a more facilitative style. Naoko Aoki argues for considering learner autonomy within a social rather than an individualistic context. Aoki’s discussion moves from a nuanced treatment of the concept of autonomy to specific examples of how teachers can help to foster autonomy illustrated with quotations from the author’s Japanese speaking students in a program for future teachers of Japanese as a second language. This section concludes with a paper by Zolta´n Do¨rnyei and Angi Malderez, in which theoretical concepts from the field of group dynamics are applied to group formation and development in the language classroom, and practical implications for teachers are discussed. A final group of papers deals with affect in the ‘‘interactional space’’ between the people in the language classroom. Readers looking for practical suggestions will find this section of the book particularly interesting. Gertrude Moskowitz adds another chapter to the work she began in her still popular 1978 book Caring and Sharing in the Foreign Language Class (Maskowitz, 1978) with a report on a new study that replicates and extends her earlier research on the effectiveness of humanistic classroom activities. Further insights into the rationale behind humanistic activities, with additional examples, are offered in a paper by Mario Rinvolucri. Grethe Hooper Hansen brings us up to date on the ways in which the ideas of Georgi Lozanov continue to attract attention in the language teaching field. JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall
Book reviews / English for Specific Purposes 21 (2002) 201–206
203
contributes an excellent summary of the literature on cooperative learning, with attention to its characteristics, applications of specific activities to the language classroom, benefits and potential problems, and suggestions for teachers. Herbert Puchta views the creation of an affectively positive ‘‘learning culture’’ in the classroom through a different conceptual lens, that of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Jane Arnold outlines the benefits of visualization and guided mental imagery for learners and teachers. And Viljo Kohonen discusses alternative assessment in the context of a ‘‘transformative’’ rather than a ‘‘transmission’’ model of language teaching. The book concludes with an Epilogue in which Joy Reid reflects on a variety of issues for researchers and for those committed to working for change. Reid’s paper is a fitting conclusion to a book whose unity comes from a concern voiced implicitly or explicitly by all its authors: that affect in language learning is not only crucial, but is also all too frequently neglected. Readers who share that concern will find the book invaluable.
References Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes’ error: emotion, reason and the human brain. New York: Avon. Ehrman, M. E. (1996). Understanding second language learning difficulties. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. Moskowitz, G. (1978). Caring and sharing in the foreign language class: A sourcebook on humanistic techniques. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle. Stevick, E. W. (1996). Memory, meaning and method: A view of language teaching (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.
John M. Green Salem State College Salem, Massachusetts USA E-mail address: [email protected] John M. Green teaches undergraduate ESL and graduate TESL classes at Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts. As a researcher, he is particularly interested in student attitudes, strategies, and learning styles. His work has appeared in Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, and TESOL Journal. PII: S0889-4906(01)00009-6
Psychology for Language Teachers: A Social Constructivist Approach Marion Williams and Robert L. Burden. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997, 240 pp. Paperback US$21.95. ISBN 0-521-49880-5. I found this volume very interesting but also very difficult to classify. It calls itself a book on psychology for language teachers. This statement is clearly true. The