Individual Differences in L2 Acquisition

 

    1.       Language aptitude

It has been suggested that people differ in the extent to which they possess a natural ability for learning an L2. This ability, known as language aptitude, is believed to be in part related to general intelligence but also to be in part distinct.

Eaely work by John Carroll led to the identification of a number of components of language aptitude. These are :

a.   Phonemic coding ability, i.e. the ability to identify the sounds of a foreign language so that they can be remembered later.

b.  Grammatical sensitivity, i.e. the ability to recognize the grammatical functions of words in sentences (for example, the subject and object of a sentence).

c.     Inductive language learning ability, i.e. the ability to identify patterns of correspondence and relations between form and meaning (for example, to recognize that in English ‘to’ can denote direction and ‘at’ location).

d.     Rote learning ability, i.e. the ability to form and remember associations between stimuli. This is believed to be important in vocabulary learning.

    2.       Motivation

Whereas language aptitude concerns the cognitive abilities that underlie successful L2 acquisition, motivation involves the attitudes and affective states that influence the degree of effort that learners make to learn an L2. Various kinds of motivation have been identified: instrumental, integrative, resultative, and intrinsic.

a.       Instrumental motivation

Learners may make efforts to learn an L2 for some functional reason-to pass an examination, to get a better job, or to get a place at university. In some learning contexts, an instrumental motivation seems to be the major force determining success in L2 learning.

b.      Integrative motivation

Some learersmaychoose toleara particular L2 because they are interested in the people and culture represented by the target language group. For example, it is this integrative orientation that underlies the motivation that many English speaking Canadians have for learning French.

c.       Resultative motivation

An assumption of the research reffered to above is that motivation is the cause of L2 achievement. However, it is also possible thatmotivation is the result of learning. That is, learners who experiences success in learning may become more, or in some contexts, less motivated to learn.

d.      Intrinsic motivation

In some learning situations, it may not be learners’ general reasons for learning an L2 that are crucial in determining their motivation. Indeed, it is possible that many learners do not hold distinctattitude, positive or negative, towards the target-language group. Such is probably the case with many foreign language learners.

    3.       Learning strategies

Learning strategies are the particular approaches or techniques that learners employ to try to learn an L2. They can be behaviour (for example, repeating new words aloud to help you remember them) or they can be mental (for example, using the linguistic or situational context to infer the meaning of a new word).they are typically problem-oriented. That is, learners employ learning strategies when they are faced with some problem, such as how to remember a new word. Learners are generally aware of the strategies they use and, when, asked, can explain what they did to try to learn something.

Different kinds of learning strategies have been identified. Cognitive strategies are those that are involved in the analysis, synthesis, or transformation of learning materials. Metacognitive strategies are those involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning. Social/affective strategies concern the ways in which learners choose to interact with other speakers.

The study of learning strategies is of potential value to language teachers. If those strategies that are crucial for learning can be identified, it may prove possible to train students to use them. We will examine this idea in the broader context of a discussion of the role of instruction in L2 acquisition.