Final Course Reflection
As I reflect on what I have learned this semester about Second Language Acquisition, I realize that there are many aspects that are involved in how successful a learner may be in learning their second language or an additional language. One aspect that was not quite as unexpected was the characteristic of motivation. However, I was particularly surprised to learn that the role of motivation was not as simple as I presumed. Ortega (2013, p. 189) acknowledges that “being motivated nurtures more successful L2 learning, but, conversely, experiencing L2 learning success also boosts motivation to even higher levels, in a reinforcing cycle.” Therefore, when a learner is motivated to learn their L2, they become more successful in their learning, and when they are successful in their learning, they feel more motivated to learn their L2. In addition to motivation, I learned that the learner’s age, their first language, the env...