Given waning second language (L2) enrollments in K‐16 contexts, L2 programs must strive to understand their learners, as changes in their sociocultural environment can impact students' attitudes and, subsequently, their desire and ability to learn an L2. Thus, the authors conducted a two‐wave analysis of 68 first‐year L2 students' attitudes, dispositions, and expectations of L2 learning. Findings show that, as a group, first‐year students entered the postsecondary arena with positive dispositions. Analyzing students' traits and prior L2 experiences was a more illustrative way of predicting how their opinions evolved. Specifically, female gender, lack of pre‐high school L2 instruction, lack of travel experience in a country where the L2 is spoken, and enrollment in a 100‐level course were all found to negatively shape these attitudes over time. The authors contend that L2 programs should regularly analyze learners' dispositions along with their traits to better engage and retain first‐year postsecondary L2 students.

中文翻译：

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知道我们教谁：跟踪一年级中学后语言学习者的态度和期望

鉴于K-16语境中第二语言（L2）的注册人数减少，L2课程必须努力理解他们的学习者，因为其社会文化环境的变化会影响学生的态度，进而影响他们学习L2的意愿和能力。因此，作者对68名二年级新生的态度，倾向和对二语学习的期望进行了两波分析。结果表明，一年级学生作为一个整体，以积极的态度进入了中学后的舞台。分析学生的特质和以前的L2经历是预测他们的观点如何演变的一种更具说明性的方式。具体来说，女性，缺乏初中L2的教学，在讲L2的国家/地区缺乏旅行经验，并发现，随着时间的流逝，参加100级课程的学生都会对这些态度产生负面影响。作者认为，L2课程应定期分析学习者的性格及其特点，以更好地吸引和留住一年级高中后生。