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The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition

Considering the inherent developmental nature of language learners’ affective variables (e.g., their motivation, grit, foreign language enjoyment, and boredom), nuances of the development of these constructs need to be approached from a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) perspective. Among the qu...

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Autor principal: Wang, Mengzhong
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9393606/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36003100
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.983698
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author Wang, Mengzhong
author_facet Wang, Mengzhong
author_sort Wang, Mengzhong
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description Considering the inherent developmental nature of language learners’ affective variables (e.g., their motivation, grit, foreign language enjoyment, and boredom), nuances of the development of these constructs need to be approached from a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) perspective. Among the qualitative research methodologies compatible with the CDST is the social network analysis (SNA) with the interconnectedness and interdependence of systems within a social network at its core. In this article, an overall introduction to SNA is presented first and then followed by a review of the limited existing literature on second language acquisition (SLA) studies. Then, I argue why this innovative research method is suitable to investigate the dynamic nature of L2 learners’ affective variables in the social network of classroom learning. I also suggest several relevant research questions that can potentially be formulated and answered using the SNA. The article ends with conclusive remarks on the need for a more extensive use of innovative CDST-compatible research methods such as SNA in the prospective SLA line of research.
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spelling pubmed-93936062022-08-23 The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition Wang, Mengzhong Front Psychol Psychology Considering the inherent developmental nature of language learners’ affective variables (e.g., their motivation, grit, foreign language enjoyment, and boredom), nuances of the development of these constructs need to be approached from a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) perspective. Among the qualitative research methodologies compatible with the CDST is the social network analysis (SNA) with the interconnectedness and interdependence of systems within a social network at its core. In this article, an overall introduction to SNA is presented first and then followed by a review of the limited existing literature on second language acquisition (SLA) studies. Then, I argue why this innovative research method is suitable to investigate the dynamic nature of L2 learners’ affective variables in the social network of classroom learning. I also suggest several relevant research questions that can potentially be formulated and answered using the SNA. The article ends with conclusive remarks on the need for a more extensive use of innovative CDST-compatible research methods such as SNA in the prospective SLA line of research. Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-08-08 /pmc/articles/PMC9393606/ /pubmed/36003100 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.983698 Text en Copyright © 2022 Wang. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychology
Wang, Mengzhong
The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
title The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
title_full The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
title_fullStr The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
title_full_unstemmed The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
title_short The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
title_sort need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9393606/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36003100
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.983698
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