INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN L2 ACQUISITION

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN L2 ACQUISITION

1. Language aptitude

   • People differ differ in the extent to possess a natural ability for learning and L2 (General intelligence)
   • Components according to John Carroll are:
     • 1. Phonemic coding ability:
       • 2. Grammatical sensitivity
         • 3. Inductive language learning ability
           • 4. Rote learning ability
             • Ability to form and remember associations between stimuli
           • Ability to identify patterns of correspondence and relations between form and meaning
         • Ability to recognize grammatical functions of words in sentences
       • Ability to identify the sounds of a foreign language
   • Related to success in L2 learning

2. Motivation

   • Involves the attitudes and affective states
     • Influence in the degree of effort that learners make to learn L2
   • kinds of:
     • 1. Instrumental Motivation
       • 2. Integrative Motivation
         • 3. Resultative Motivation
           • 4. Intrinsic Motivation
             • Particular interests in learning activities
           • Learners who experience success in learning may become more or less motivated to learn
         • Learners are interested in the people and culture of language group
       • Learners may make efforts to learn an L2 for functional reason
         • to get a better job, pass and examination

3. Learning strategies

   • are
     • Techniques that learners employ to try learn an L2
       • Cognitive
         • Involved analysis, synthesis or transformation of learning materials
       • Metacognitive
         • Involved planning, monitoring and evaluating learning
   • Good language learners
     • Identifying learners who have been successful in learning an L2
     • Very active, own learning, own personal learning styles, flexible and appropriate in their use of learning strategies