Individual Differences

SAME EXPERIENCE, DIFFERENT RESULT

Two

or more English learners are attending the same English class, having the same instructors and materials, doing the same activities and exercises, proceeding for the same duration of course program, and living in the same environment. the end of the program, these learners undergo a kind of English competency assessment. But they achieve different level of competence.

In

THE QUESTIONS
How

could one learner be more successful than another?

Teachers must build awareness of Ids and the implications these might hold for the management of learning. So

What

factor, other than instructors, materials, activities, environment, and sorts, may affect the result of learning? And that teachers need to consider

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
SLA

acknowledges that there are individual differences in L2 acquisition.

But research is very inconclusive (Ellis: 671)

These

differences are psychological. We can categorizes these differences into: Aptitude

Learning style, learning strategies Affective factors motivation

Language Learning

LANGUAGE APTITUDE
Aptitude:

a natural ability for learning an L2. It is believed to in part related to general intelligence, but also to be in part distinct. is thought to predict success in learning.

It

Research findings on Aptitude

1)

Early research revealed a substantial relationship between performance on language aptitude tests and performance in foreign language learning that was based on grammar translation or audiolingual methods. Two tests: MLAT & LAB

2)

Language Aptitude
Carrol (1965) identified four components of aptitude: 1 Auditory ability (the ability to code foreign sounds in a way that they can be remembered later). This ability is seen as related to the ability to spell and to handle sound-symbol relationships. 2 Grammatical sensitivity (the ability to recognize the grammatical functions of words in sentences). 3 Inductive language-learning ability (the ability to identify patterns of correspondence and relationships involving form and meaning). 4 Memory (the ability to form and remember associations between stimuli). This ability is hypothesized to be involved in vocabulary learning.
Rote: habitual repetition of something to be learned

Language Aptitude
LIMIATIONS of these tests:
Ellis (85) states that these kinds of test focus on formal classroom rather that communicative (informal) classroom. However, performance on language aptitude tests seems irrelevant to L2 learning with the adoption of a more communicative approach to teaching. Skehan (89) also said that teachers should consider that students gain the same overall score might have different strengths and weaknesses among the components of the test. Successful language learners may not be strong in all of the components of aptitude. Learners strengths and weaknesses in the different components may account for their ability to succeed in different types of instructional programs.
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Learning Styles

Another variable that has a positive correlation with language learning is learning style. Learning styles: The characteristic ways in which individuals orientate to problem solving is a preferred way of approaching learning and processing information.

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Learning Styles

There are two extremes: the GLOBAL learning style and the ANALYTICAL learning style. GLS & ALS
GLOBAL learner sees the big picture or overall view, while the ANALYTICAL learner focuses on the parts that make up the big picture. GLOBAL learners hear new information by listening to the "gist" of what is being communicated, quickly getting the main idea or topic. ANALYTICAL learner hears new information and tends to listen for specific details.

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Learning Styles

What factors are thought to be behind these differences in cognitive style? NEED more RESEARCH CULTURE (HOW?)

Educational methodology might affect learning style. How they learn from family community and schools. See examples on p.19. Reid (87) found that Korean learners are more visual than US and Japanese learners.

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Learning Styles

This suggests that teachers need to create a variety of learning tasks and activities that cater for the range of styles. There is no preferred methodology, instead the teacher needs to explore the weaknesses of their students and provide the input that thought to be the best.

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Learning Strategies

The techniques used by language learners to deal with the input Teachers try to find ways to improve the strategies learners already have and to help them to develops others. WE are going to discuss this in CH3

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Affective Factors

Such studies measure the affective factors use introspective methods in testing. This might make self-report irrelevant to observed behaviour. (by questionnaires) So, there might be a need for new testing tools.

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Personality
Introvert learner Extrovert learner Introversion & Extraversion Extraversion tends to be manifested in outgoing, talkative, energetic behaviour, whereas introversion is manifested in more reserved and solitary behaviour Do these make a difference?
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Personality

Extrovert might be: (oral skills)

Risk taking More willing to participate ans speak And social contacts to practice the language Dominate conversations But they also can be silent in formal class NO generalisation BUT teacher has to balance these personality differences by giving learners equal opportunities and attention
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Ethnocentricity

evaluating other peoples and cultures according to the standards of one's own culture. This could create negative attitudes toward the target language Teachers need to encourage positive attitudes and avoid stereotyping by encouraging interacting with content of the course.

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Anxiety

Bailry (95) states that L2 learning anxiety is related to competitiveness and there are many causes for this anxiety See p.21

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Anxiety

MacIntyre and Gardner (1991) found that anxiety seems to relate to negative experiences in speaking tasks. They end up with:

L2 anxiety is a response learned through early experiences It increases until it affect the learning process. The teachers have the power and responsibility to counter this development and build self-confidence 20 in the learner in early stages.

They suggest:

Motivation

The reasons why learners are learning the L2 Motivation involves the attitude and affective states that influence the degree of effort that learners make to acquire an L2 but it is very complex and involves many variables.
CAN you give EXAMPLES? See P.22

These Various kinds of motivation suggest two types of motivation: Instrumental, integrative.
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Motivation
Robert Gardner (e.g. Gardner and Lambert, 1972)

integrative Motivation
Positive disposition towards the L2 group and a desire to interact with them

Instrumental Motivation
Functional rewards such as job, promotion, travel, study abroad, exams, prestige

Either or both could be beneficial. Rather static and simplistic early view

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Motivation
Gardner and Smythe's (1981) develop new criteria to test the affective factors that affect motivation for Language learning: Attitude/motivation Test Battery. It has four categories: Motivations: desire and attitudes to learn the language integrativeness: attitudes toward the target language culture. Attitudes toward the langauge teacher and course Measures of anxiety in classroom and language use.

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Conclusion

There is unclear view concerning factors behind individual differences More research is needed There is uncertainty in:

Methodology to investigates such factors The distinction/classification between them Implications for the teachers

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Teaching implications

The teachers consider:

Variety of activities Raising awareness in learners of their own learning styles and strategies Helping them to apply these in ann individual context Trying to motivate learners to learn

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