THE IMPACT OF DYSFUNCTIONAL HOME ENVIRONMENTS ON L2 ACQUISITION AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG TEENAGERS"
Abstract
Dysfunctional home environments—characterized by chronic interparental conflict, socio-economic instability, emotional neglect, and domestic stress—exert a profound, multi-dimensional impact on adolescent cognitive development and educational performance. During adolescence, a critical neurodevelopmental period marked by heightened socio-emotional sensitivity, family dysfunction severely compromises a learner's executive functioning, working memory capacity, and affective domain. This paper investigates how toxic family dynamics negatively impair language learning acquisition and broader academic engagement among teenage learners. Utilizing Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis and neurobiological models of chronic stress response, this study demonstrates that high levels of cortisol induced by home stress drastically elevate language learning anxiety, suppress risk-taking in communicative practice, and impede long-term lexical retention. The findings underscore the urgent need for trauma-informed EFL pedagogy, socio-emotional scaffolding, and supportive classroom environments to mitigate domestic barriers to language learning.References
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