Factors Influencing Second Language Learning Among Urban European Language Learners: A Qualitative Study

Second-language acquisition, second-language learning, or L2 acquisition, is the process by which people learn a second language. The field of second-language acquisition is a sub discipline of applied linguistics, but also receives research attention from a variety of other disciplines, such as psychology and education. We aimed to understand the various factors influencing the second language learning among urban foreign language learners. Between February 2015 and September 2015, we conducted 10 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of students learning European languages and five key informant interviews with European language teachers in Chennai. Audio recorded interviews were analysed thematically using NVivo 10. The mean age of the participants is 24.7 years. Most of the participants reported professional reasons to learn the language, uninteresting classrooms as a major reason for attrition and previous language learning experience affects their current learning. The need to integrate life and language skills in classes and activities to promote creativity was emphasized by most of them. About half of them said that there is a need to customize courses and use technology like smart boards for making classes more interactive. This paper discusses the findings of the study and its implications in second-language acquisition.