Communication Apprehension and Second Language Acquisition Among Vietnamese and Mexican Immigrants: A Test of the Affective Filter Hypothesis

Current research in the field of applied linguistics is attempting ta document and understand the raie of communication in the acquisition of a second language. The Natural Approach (Krashen, 1981, 1982; Terrell, 1977) suggests that comprehensible input in the second language is critical ta acquisition. There is strong empirical support for this idea. The theory also suggests that while input is necessary for acquisition, it is not sufficient. The Affective Filter Hypothesis (Krashen, 1981, 1982) predicts that input will be blocked or rendered useless unless the second language student has a lowered or weak affective filter. The present study offers support for this hypothesis.