| dc.description.abstract | Who among us has never been lost in translation at one point or another when learning a language?
Given its complex nature, the study of second language (L2) acquisition has become a largely
interdisciplinary enterprise and has received considerable critical attention from many different
research disciplines including psychology, linguistics, education, and sociology. Research trends
across the disciplines have been predominantly centred on the cognitive, linguistic and social
dimensions of the language acquisition process. There is, however, an additional affective
dimension within the language learning process which, until very recently, has attracted
considerably less critical scholarly attention.
While engaging with these interrelated dimensions, this study seeks to call attention to and
interrogate more closely the impact of emotion on the language learner and, more specifically, on
the ever-evolving and complex process of language acquisition. Within this broader focus on the
affective dimension of language learning, the investigation specifically concentrates upon foreign
language anxiety (FLA), a psychological construct which represents a significant emotional barrier
to successful language acquisition. Both theoretical and experimental, this investigation employs a
single pre-post intervention case study as a primary methodological tool in order to address two
central research aims. Firstly, this study seeks to uncover to what extent final year students of
French, in the Irish third-level context, experience FLA, and to explore the principal factors that
trigger this reaction in the language learning process. Secondly, it aspires to investigate the
potentiality of performative pedagogy, enacted through a theatre praxis, in reducing or alleviating
students levels of FLA.
At present, Ireland is undergoing a dynamic evolution in its linguistic and educational landscape,
which provides the basis for a rich and contemporary case study on language learning. Despite
Ireland s evolving relationship with language and language learning, presently, there is a dearth of
research and lack of awareness on L2 acquisition that is specific to the Irish context, and perceptions
of language learners in the Irish context remain anecdotal. To facilitate and evolve the knowledge
required to develop this refined understanding, FLA was chosen as the point de départ for this
investigation, as it has never been explored in the Irish context and provides valuable and holistic
insight into the various dimensions of the L2 acquisition process.
Pre-intervention findings highlighted the influence of empathy, familiarity, understanding, forming
dialogic relationships, and self-confidence on FLA levels. The performance intervention,
conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted a number of significant ways in which
FLA may be alleviated in and through performance, including the development of communicative
proficiency, the establishment of empathetic support, the integration of a creative medium to
teach language, the removal of uncertainty surrounding the examination process, and the
development of a collective sense of accomplishment. Findings also provided additional evidence
with respect to transitioning performance from stage to screen and, moreover, the important role it
played in alleviating students FLA. While the embodiment of a character provided students with
one veil to overcome their communication apprehension, the screen served as another mask that
helped them to reach their highest potential. | en_US |
