FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What impact do emotions have on acquisition as per the Affective Filter Hypothesis?

1. They have no significant effect

2. They can create mental blocks

3. They only affect advanced learners

4. They always enhance learning

The correct answer is: They can create mental blocks

The Affective Filter Hypothesis, proposed by Stephen Krashen, emphasizes the role of emotions in language acquisition. According to this hypothesis, emotions such as anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence can influence a learner's ability to acquire a new language. When a learner experiences negative emotions, such as anxiety or fear of failure, it can create mental blocks that impede their ability to process and absorb new linguistic information. This "affective filter" acts as a barrier, preventing the learner from fully engaging with the content and from making connections necessary for language acquisition. In contrast, positive emotions, such as high motivation and confidence, lower the affective filter, facilitating a more effective learning environment. This aspect of the hypothesis underscores the importance of creating supportive and engaging contexts in educational settings to foster emotional well-being among learners. Other options do not fully capture this complexity or relevance of emotions in the process of language learning.