Individual differences in L2 acquisition (chapter 8)

Individual differences in L2 acquisition (chapter 8) Language aptitude Motivation Learning strategies

Language aptitude It is the special ability that people have, in varying degrees, for learning an L2

The four components of language aptitude (John Carroll) • Phonemic coding ability: the ability to identify the sounds of a foreign language, so that they can be remembered later • 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 relations between form and meaning 4. Rote learning ability: the ability to form and remember associations between stimuli. It is important in vocabulary learning

To what extent language aptitude is related to success in L2 learning? Learners who score highly on language aptitude tests typically learn rapidly and achieve higher levels of L2 proficiency than learners who obtain low scores.

Motivation There are various kinds of motivation: • Instrumental motivation The degree of effort a learner puts into learning an L2 as a result of the desire to achieve some functional goals, such as passing the exam or having a job

2. Integrative motivation: The degree of effort a learner puts into learning an L2 through an interest in a desire to identify with the target-language culture

3. Resultative motivation: the motivation that learners develop as a result of their success in learning an L2 4. Intrinsic motivation: The degree of effort a learner makes to learn an L2 as a result of the interest generated by a particular learning activity

Motivation is dynamic/effective in nature; it is not something that a learner has or does not have but rather something that varies from one moment to the next depending on the learning context or task.

Learning strategies There are different kinds of learning strategies: • Cognitive strategies: are those that are involved in the analysis, synthesis, or transformation of learning materials. e.g. recombination, which involves constructing a meaningful sentence by recombining known elements of the L2 in a new way

2. Metacognitive strategies: are those involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning. e.g. selective attention, where the learner makes a conscious decision to attend to particular aspects of the input

3. Social/ affective strategies: concern the ways in which learners choose to interact with other speakers e.g. questioning for clarification, when the learner asks for repetition

Individual differences in L2 acquisition (chapter 8)