Linguistic Competence; A comparative analysis of DMC and NON DMC Cases in Second Language Acquisition at FATA University

Abstract

The present research aims to analyze the linguistic competence of L2 ESL learners in the acquisition of English as a second language in the erstwhile FATA region of KP, Pakistan. The primary focus of the study is to highlight the differences in linguistic competence between a group of students who are highly motivated (DMCs) and those who are not. Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) represent a novel psychological construct in the context of L2 motivation, specifically within applied linguistics, and have recently been introduced in the study of ESL acquisition in KP, Pakistan. The research employed a longitudinal study design, collecting data from students' answer books to evaluate their linguistic competence. Written responses from students during midterm examinations were analyzed at two distinct times. The initial step involved identifying occurrences of various linguistic items and structures relevant to the components of communicative competence. The subsequent step was to identify and categorize the mistakes made by the students. The final step entailed a comparative analysis of these mistakes to assess differences in linguistic competence. The findings reveal that highly motivated students demonstrate superior linguistic competence compared to their less motivated peers. The analysis indicates that highly motivated students exhibit greater proficiency in utilizing linguistic structures, which contributes to more effective and coherent written Linguistic. This research underscores the significant impact of motivation on the linguistic competence of L2 ESL learners, providing insights into how motivational factors influence language acquisition and proficiency