Abstract:
In classroom situations teachers speak of learners’ motivation or lack thereof and its relationship
with achievement. The present study explored the influence of affect (attitudes, motivation and emotions) on the
assessment and performance of English second language learners who lack proficiency in the language of teaching
and learning in mainstream classrooms in Nigeria. The methods used included observation of test taking behaviours,
post-test debriefing and mediation. The findings revealed how learners’ perceptions of the language of learning and
assessment practices shaped their attitudes towards learning and in extreme cases schooling as whole. However,
some of the participants lacked motivation; appeared apathetic and there were indications of an emotional block
against academic learning. The study is informative in terms of how these English second language learners react
to the challenges posed by lack of proficiency in the language of teaching, learning and assessment and the
practices of their teachers in the classroom. There is need for intervention to prevent affect from further
compounding the challenges of learning in an additional language.
