What's the greatest influence in language learning?

Reflection # 7
From your experience, what are some of the affective factors that you encounter in your classrooms? How do they interfere in learning?How do lower the affective filter?
In classrooms filled with business people from the same companies, I have encountered affective manifestations ranging to aggression in relation to peers, to fear of speaking up. It is often necessary to thank the former for their copious contributions, fulfilling their need to be, "the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral." Then to curtain them in the interests of sharing the conversation. Often it is necessary to take the shyer people to the side, and speak with them in their native tongue to better understand the origin of their reluctance to participate. These reasons run the gamut from learning an L2 or L3, to local prejudice (e.g., the Turks in Germany). I would often insure that they felt safe in giving answers or participating, and then ask them to do so in front of the class, to build confidence.
Lack of self-confidence or self-esteem comes in many forms, as discussed with Ana yesterday. My impression is that it blocks what is known or what can be remembered, leaving the person feeling empty, frozen, or unable to respond.
Many of you work with children. What are some of the issues concerning motivation with children? How do address motivation in the classroom? Can you motivate them or does motivation come from within?
Motivation is both intrinsic and extrinsic. It is possible to give a children a different picture of themselves, and often this inspires them to live up to it. Positive motivative given by teachers and parents can develop into intrinsic motivation, and is one of the factors, when wide-spread, can influence the development of national motivation--e.g., Martin Luther King's influence on the Civil Rights Movement.