INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

1. Personality

   • A number of personality characteristics have been proposed as likely to affect second language learning.
     • Extroversion
       • Assertiveness and adventurousness
     • Inhibition
       • Is necessary for progess in language learning
     • Anxiety
       • Permanent feature of a learner's personality.
         • Worry, nervousness and stress
     • Self-esteem, emphaty, dominance, talkativeness and responsiveness have been studied.

2. Attitudes and motivation

   • Positive attitudes are associated with a willingness to keep learning.
     • Motivation is a complex phenomenon. There are two factors: Communicative needs and their attitudes towards the SLC.
       • Instrumental motivation
         • Was found to be a better predictor.
       • Integrative motivation
         • Was considered to be the stronger predictor of successful learning.

3. Motivation in classroom

   • Teachers have more influence on these behaviours.
     • Teachers can make a positive contribution to students' motivation.
       • Pedagogy interacts with motivation in second/foreign language classrooms.
         • Cause-effect relationships.

4. Identity and ethnic group affiliation

   • Social factors can also afffect motivation, attitudes and language learning success.
     • Social dynamic or power relationship between languages.

5. Learner beliefs

   • Older learners have strong beliefs and opinions about how their intruction shuld be delivered.
     • Are usually based on previous learning experiences and assumption.
       • There is often a mismatch between students' and teachers' views.