Unlocking latent productive competence in adult second-language learners

This study investigates the persistent gap between receptive language knowledge and spontaneous productive language use among adult second-language learners. Although many adult learners accumulate years of language study, they often continue to experience difficulties in speaking despite possessing the necessary linguistic knowledge. The study draws on key theories of second-language acquisition, including Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, Swain’s Output Hypothesis, and cognitive models of language processing, to examine the affective, cognitive, and instructional factors associated with this phenomenon. The empirical investigation was based on a questionnaire administered to 80 adult learners, mostly aged 35–54 years, complemented by chi-square tests examining associations between key variables. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed that communication anxiety, fear of making mistakes, limited opportunities for authentic language output, and perfectionism associated with traditional instructional practices constitute the principal barriers to productive language use. Notably, inferential analysis showed that the duration of language study was not significantly associated with either fear of making mistakes or feelings of linguistic inadequacy, whereas higher self-assessed proficiency and more frequent authentic language use were significantly associated with lower levels of anxiety. Based on these findings, the study introduces the concept of latent productive competence as an analytical framework for explaining why linguistic knowledge accumulated through years of study frequently remains inaccessible during spontaneous communication. Rather than replacing existing models of second-language acquisition, the proposed framework integrates affective, cognitive, and instructional perspectives to explain productive language development in adult learners. As an exploratory pilot study based on a purposive, non-probability sample, the findings should be regarded as indicative rather than generalizable, and further research involving larger, probability-based samples is recommended. The findings also have practical implications for language teaching, highlighting the importance of authentic communication, productive language practice, and psychologically supportive learning environments that reduce affective barriers to speech production.