ESL IN THE EYES OF A MIDDLE-EASTERNER: A CRITICAL REPORT ON SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstract

This report is based on an ethnographic project which attempts to find out how someone learns a second language from a participant™s point of view. The participant was a male international student who studied in Adelaide, South Australia with a continuous experience of learning English as a second language for twelve consecutive years in his country. Using a self-designed questionnaire which is based on Spolky™s model of second language learning (1989, as cited in Mitchell & Myles, 2004, p. 8), information about the participant™s language use, learning and behaviour was gathered through a 45-minute face-to-face interview. While participation is voluntary, the confidentiality of the participant and any information provided by the participant is highly respected. The results showed that the participant™s learning experience seemed to accord with the contemporary notions of second language acquisition in relation to pronunciation, learning setting, motivation, teaching approach, and other cognitive or affective factors.