The Socio-Educational Model of Second Language Acquisition: an Investigation Using Lisrel Causal Modeling

Linear Structural Relations analysis (LISREL) was used to examine the adequacy of a causal model of second language acquisition. A total of 18 variables were investigated using 140 students enrolled in one of two first year university French courses in a unilingual anglophone city. The model under investigation linked cultural beliefs, attitudes, motivation, situational anxiety, and prior achievement to proficiency in a second language. The results supported a socio-educational model of second language acquisition where proficiency in a second language was seen to be caused directly by prior achievement and motivation. Motivation was found to be caused by attitudinal variables which, in turn, were influenced by cultural beliefs. Individual differences in situational anxiety were determined by both prior achievement and motivation.