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Individuals differences in second language learning - Coggle Diagram
Individuals differences in second language learning
difficulties in assessing the relationship between individual learner characteristics and second language learning
1-It is not possible to directly observe and measure motivation, extroversion, or even intelligence
2-characteristics such as these are not independent of each other.
3-Another difficulty is how language proficiency is defined and measured.
4-Research must also take into account the social and educational settings in which learners find themselves
The individual characteristics that have been investigated in the effort to discover explanations for differences in learning outcomes are:
1-intelligence
IQ tests help with learning rules and language in school, but they are less important in real-life situations or in classes with more speaking and interaction.
Gardner proposed that individuals have multiple intelligences in the areas of music, interpersonal relations, and verbal intelligence that is most often associated with success in school.
Language Learning Aptitude
aptitude is the ability to learn quickly.
Language Aptitude tests has several components:
1-the ability to identify and memorize new sounds.
2-understand the function of particular words in sentences.
3-figure out grammatical rules from language samples.
4-remember new words.
3-learning style
Its an individual's 'natural, habitual, and preferred way of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills.
perceptually-based learning styles:
1-visual. 2-auditory. 3-kinaesthetic.
cognitive learning styles:
4-Personality
A number of personality characteristics have been proposed as likely to affect 2nd language learning. Yet, it has not been easy to confirm in empirical studies.
Extroverted personality
An extroverted person is well suited to language learning.
Introverted personality
the quiet observant learner may have greater
success
Inhibition/Anxiety
-It has been suggested that inhibition discourages risk-taking, which is necessary for progress in language learning.
-Not all anxiety is bad
learner's willingness to communicate
it has also been related to anxiety. WTC may change with the number of people present, the topic of conversation, the formality of the circumstances, and whether we feel tired or energetic at a given moment.
5- Attitudes and Motivation
Attitudes Roben Gardner and his colleagues have carried out a programme of research on the relationship between a learner's attitudes toward the second or foreign language and its community, and success in second language learning.
Motivation in second language learning is a complex phenomenon.
It has been defined in terms of two factors:
1-learners' communicative needs.
2- their attitudes towards the Second language community
Gardner differentiated between two types of motivation:
1-instrumental motivation: (language learning for immediate or practical goals)
2-integrative motivation : (language learning for personal growth and cultural enrichment through contact with speakers of the other language)
Zoltán Dornyei (2001a) developed a process-oriented model of motivation that consists of three phases:
1- choice motivation refers to getting started and to setting goals,
2- executive motivation is about carrying out the necessary tasks to maintain motivation,
3- motivation retrospection, refers to students' appraisal of and reaction to their performance.
Motivation in the classroom
1-In a teacher's mind.
2-Teachers also have more influence on these behaviours and the motivation they represent
3-Teachers can make a positive contribution to students motivation to learn.
4-Teachers must also keep in mind that cultural and age differences will determine the most appropriate ways for them to motivate students.
Identity and ethnic group affiliation
Social factors in the wider community can also affect motivation, attitudes, and language learning success
It is impossible to predict the exact effect of such societal factors on second language learning,
Learner beliefs
-Though second language learners are not always aware of their individual cognitive or perceptual learning stylesvirtually all learners, particularly older learners, have strong beliefs and opinions about how their instruction should be delivered.
These beliefs are usually based on:
1-previous learning experiences.
2-the assumption.
Research on learner beliefs about the role of grammar and corrective feedback in second language learning confirms that there is often a mismatch between students and teachers views.
Individual differences and classroom instruction
1-It is not possible for a teacher with 50 students-or even one with 10 students-to customize instruction to suit the abilities or preferences of each one.
2-Learners instructional preferences whether due to inherent differences in their approach to learning or to their beliefs about how languages are learned.
3-Teachers can help learners expand their repertoire of learning strategies and thus develop greater flexibility in their ways of approaching language learning.
Age and second language learning
1-Age is easier to define and measure personality, aptitude, or motivation.
2-There is a critical period (CPH) for second language acquisition just as there is for first language acquisition
3-Older learners may depend on more general learning abilities
4-Most often it is claimed that the critical periods ends around puberty
5-There may be multiple critical periods
6-Research based on the CPH in addition to personal experience or informal observation of adult learners difficulties